CORRESPONDENCE

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume VIII, Issue 687, 4 February 1879, Page 3

CORRESPONDENCE

CAPTAIN MORRIS'S SPEECH. TO TIIK EDITOR. g IK) — l n a recent issue you published an article in which you, in scathing language, denounced the idiot who telegraphed Captain Morris's speech to your journal. The Auckland Evening Star, of the 28th ult. contains not only tho able article referred to, but a prefix thereto, stating that "many of the newspapers are complaining of the new Preaa Association." I should treat your article and tho charge of idiotcy therein with the respect due to thorn and pass them by unnoticed wore it not that I think some slight explanation is due to the residents of tho Bay of Plenty, which, with your kind permission, . I shall succinctly give. In the article it is stated that " from first to last the message was full, not merely of mistakes, but of gross misrepresentations, in point of fact, the hon. gentleman (Captain Morris) declared that lie hardly recognised tho oration as his own . . . The alleged errors were not blunders, but absolute mis-statements . . . To. find now that the message is garbled rot is simply maddening. " I quite agree with the writer of these powerful denunciations that to have to pay troble rates for such "rot" is maddening ; but I am in no way to folavrt© fov the calamity which has bofallen you. The "garbled rot " was uttered by Captain Morris himself. That the message was full of gross misrepresentations is beyond refutation. The message was a fair condensation of a speech comprised of misrepresentation. I quite believe that tho hon. gentleman hardly recognised the oration as his own. Doubtlcsfj lie is ashamed of the exhibition he made of himself, and would fain console himself with the thought _ that the report is wrong. But I cannot allow him to thus play the part of the unnatural father. I can assure tho hon. gentleman that ho uttered the speech as it appeared in the Poverty Bay Standard. As the slips were printed off my sub-edito^atruck out nearly all reference to locakjßffiters, and carefully eliminated the small words in order to put you to as little oxpenso as possible. Tho report, which occupied about six columns of tho Standard, was taken down in shorthand by Mr Gannon, ono of the Hansard reporters. Upon, comparing the message as pabli-JtKul in tho Bay of Plenty Times, with tho report of the spe«t;h as it appeared in tho Standard, I am of opinion that it is quite an accurate as such messages generally are. —l am, &0. , H. E. Webb, Proprietor of the Poverty Iknj Standard, and Gisborne agent for tho Mow Zealand Press Association. i In

own

town