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Auckland Star, Volume VI, Issue 1829, 28 December 1875, Page 2

J. M. Clark. Kemuera, December 25,, 1875.

(To the Editor of the Evening Star.) Sir, —I was much surprised by a| letter which, appears in this morning's Herald, purporting to be signed by Mr J. M. Clark. The meaning of the letter is clear, and is indeed summed up in the last few lines of the leading article in the Herald :—" We cannot but feel that there is under all this a strong bitter necessity for obtaining as perfect union as possible among Auckland members, and are glad to find from Mr Clark's letter that whether the electors see fit to put in him or Mr Eees, they have a promise of loyal action under the only possible leader, Sir George Grey." I suppose after this that if the election were only postponed another week, that my opponent would be the closest and warmest supporter that Sir George Grey has in the province. Personally, lam much gratified at the change in Mr Clark's opinion so lately made, as it shows the strength of the arguments used by myself and others, at a time when to support Sir George was not likely to gain a seat in Parliament. It is said that everything is fair in love and war and politics, but I did not think that Mr Clark would so easily adopt the tactics of scheming politicians. The public of Auckland and the electors of City East, however, are not ignorant of the fact that the individuals who ' obtained signatures to Mr Clark's requisition and brought Mr Clark out were Mr. J. M. Dargaville, Mr. William Buokland,gMr. Samuel Jackson, Mr. James Russell, Mr. McMillan, Mr. Thomas Morrin,

Mr. E. H. Stevenson, the secretary to the Auckland Improvement Commissioners, and Mr. Peacock, who, when he was proposing Mr. Clark at the nomination, asked, if I mistake not, what Sir George Grey had done for us. The people know also that theae and a few others like-minded are Mr Clark's committee. la there, I should like to know, a single true-hearted supporter of Sir George Grey among them all ? I would ask Mr. Clark whether he did not take so strong a stand very lately in favour of the Government and against the Opposition that he aud Mr. Dilworth agreed not to talk about

politics at all together, lest they should quarrel, Mr. Mworth being a staunch upholder of the Opposition ? I would ask was not Mr. Clark invited to join the Reception Committee to meet Sir George Grey and the other members, and invited in vain ? I would ask whether, only a few days ago, Mr Clark did not, on the hustings,' say that he would not repeal the scandalous Act which protects those members who illegally dealt with the Ministry, and whether he did not say that he would not support Sir George Grey in an endeavour to have an Act passed to compel the disgorging of all native lands purchased by the Government land-purchasing agents for themselves, their relatives and friends. I might continue these questions to a much greater extent, but I will close them with one which may well explain the altered front of Mr Clark : Was there not a meeting of Mr Clark's committee, comprising Mr DargavilJe, Mr Kissling and many others, held on Friday evening at Messrs Jackson and Russell's office to devise means to counteract thepublic opinion that Mr Clark is opposed to Sir George Grey and the people of this province and was hot this letter of Mr Clark's written the next morning ? Concluding this letter I must allude to the statement made by my opponent that Sir George Grey does not join in the cry for Separation. Sir, I have before me the report of the great speech made by the Superintendent at the Choral Hall, and in it I find these words : "My heart yearns to see more advantages bestowed upGn it (i.e., the province of Auckland) as have been bestowed upon the Middle Island, and I believe thai the plan that I have laid before you now, which is the one which finds the greatest acceptance with MY FRIENDS—that of INSULAR SEPARATION — is the plan to which, upon the whole, you had better bend your minds." If the electors of City East are to be caught with chaff like this, they are bigger simpletons than I take them for.—l am, sir, yours etc., W. L. Rkkh. North Head, December 27, 1875.