THE REPLIES.

Clutha Leader, Volume III, Issue 115, 22 September 1876, Page 6

THE REPLIES.

The folloAving is Mr Larnach's reply : — " Wellington, September 18, 1870.

" Gentlemen, — Having noticed in this morning's New Zealand Times a letter purporting to be addressed to myself and colleagues, as representatives of your City, in reference to our political action during the present session, 1 take the earliest opportunity of stating that -while I regard your several opinions on most matters political as of very great Aveight at all times, yet I feel on the present occasion, being on the spot, that I am more favorably situated than you possibly can be to judge fairly and prudently of the political situation here, and it is my intention to continue as I have done in the past, to act and vote in the direction- 1 may consider most beneficial for the best interests of my constituents aud the Colony of Ne\v Zealand as a Avhole. I am not likely to be SAvayed by newspaper or other reports, although I shall always be happy to receiA'e suggestions and good wishes, from any of you. — £ remain, gentlemen, your faithful servant, W. J. M. Larnach. '"

Mr Stout sends the folloAving letter to the Wellington papers : —

" To Messrs E. B. Cargill, J. Rattray, H. S. Fish, jun., J. S. Webb, W. Baldwin, P. C. Neill. W. Scanlan, and others. — Wellington, 18th September.—Gentlemen, — As you have published by telegrams in the public press a letter addressed to Messrs MacandreAv, Larnach, and myself, before it has been received by any of us, expressing your opinion of the political situation at Wellington at this juncture of public affairs, I desire at once to reply thereto. I am aIAA-ays most anxious to hear the free expression of the opinion of any of my fellow-colonists in public matters. I consider it to be the duty of cA r ery politician to listen to the opinion of a minority before resolving on any political action. I am, however, particularly pleased at your letter, notAvithstanding that I understand it has been got up in < deference to thefpuggestions from a Min-

is her of the Crown and others in Welling- ' ton. First, because up to this time some of you have never publicly taken any part in public politics, but, on the contrary, < havo carefully eschewed expressing any i opinion on public affairs. This I ahvays regretted ; for I felt that unless those engaged in commerce made polities also part of their business the result Avould be most calamitous to the Colony. Your letter is an earnest that this neglect of politics Avill njt longer continue. Second : Many of you are the Dunedin representatives of that party — the Abolition party — which has brought about all the turmoil and dilliculty into Avhich the Colony is iioav plunged. I may be pardoned in pointing out that you are in error in some of your statements. It Avas the GoA r ernmont, not the Opposition, that inaugurated the Piako SAvamp debate ; and as for Separation and Disqualification, not one-fourth of the time of the session has been taken up on these subjects. If any blame is attachable to airyone for the delay that has occurred, it is on the GoArernmont the responsibility rests. Some of their main measures they haA r e withdrawn, and their County Bill Avas read a second time, after a brief debate, but Avith an emphatic protest. The debates that haA-e taken place on the Piako SAvamp and Disqualification may appear to you a Avaste of time ; but I haA x c yet to learn, hoAvcv-er, that the illegal granting of 87,000 acres of public lands' is a matter about Avhich Parliament should not be occupied ; or, that it is a Avaste of time to uphold the laAV of the land, and to pre\ r ent a Ministry escaping from the A~iolation of a Statute passed to uphold the rights and preserve tlie liberties of my constituents and my felloAV-colonists. I feel assured that to talk about finance aud counties AAill indeed be idle debate. The reduction of the Estimates iv auy appreciable degree is impossible, and as to the County system it is a sham, a delusion, and a snare. The Abolition party is in a majority, and the members of that party are content Avith the * ciy.' To me, they seem to be careless of the result of their favorite idea. Some of you liaxe aided ] them. Your letter shows me that you are doubtful of the effect of Abolition, and afraid of the aims of your oavii party. On you and on your party Avill rest the responsibility and blame of destroying not only our political institutions, but also those other institutions, Avhich haA~e groAvn up under Provincialism. For my part, I protested against Abolition in 1874-5, pointing out Avhat the result would be. Some of you, hoAvever, joined in the cry, ' Abolition !' *' Abolition !' and I Avould much desire to know Avhether you think iioav you Avere right in your action, and also if you see whither Abolition tends. I may only in conclusion say that if my constituents think I am doing violence to their political eomdetions, I am willing to act in a constitutional manner by resigning my seat. I belieA'o, howeA-xu*, that the vast majority of my constituents approA'e of the stand the Opposition luwo taken against the flp-rraiit Aiolation of our laAVS and our constitution. It is my determination at some considerable personal sacrifice to support them to the best of my ability, and to tlie utmost of my purse. Thanking you for your expression of opinion and advice, — I am, &c, Robert Stout."'

The following is Mr MacandrcAv's re--1% •—

" Wellington, September 18, 187 G.

*'*' Gentlemen, — My attention has been called to a letter, Avhich it is alleged you are to forward to me by to-morroiv's steamer from Dunedin, and in Avhich you express your opinions on tho political situation in Wellington. It is someAvhat remarkable that the complaints you now make as to the House of Representatives of NeAv Zealand are precisely the same as those Avhich many of you Avere Avont to make Avith regard to the Provincial Council of Otago, and in respect of which you haA'e gone in for the abolition of the latter. I need scarcely say that I should be glad to see a similar cure applied to the former. You say that you are Aveary and disappointed Avith the barren and prolonged debates of this session — feelings AA-hich I most heartily reciprocate — and you think it is high time that all the members of the House combined to put a stop to personalities, Avranglings, and factious obstructions, and address themselves strictly to the business of the country. I am not aware that the evils you enumerate haA-e been peculiarly prominent during the present session of Parliament, nor do I think that you are in a position to judge correctty as to the motives Avhich influence men avlio are engaged in a great Constitu-

tional struggle. I should have been glad to have been informed as to Avhat is deemed by you ' the business of the country," So far as I can comprehend it *• the business of the country,' as submitted to the Legislature by the present Government, consists chiefly of that policy and of those measures, which have for their object the further aggrandisement of Wellington at the expense of Dunedin, the despoiliug of the people of Otago of their local revenue and of those poAvers of local self-gOA r ernment, Avhich I venture to hope they -will never part Avith. If this is 1 the business of the country' to Avhich you would have us address ourselves, I confess the advice comes Avith veiy bad grace from Dunedin. I cannot disguise from # ~myself that the letter in question has emanated from a desire to uphold the present Government and those avlio are supporting them in their reckless determination to pull doAvn the Constitution, and ride rough-shod oA r er the rights and privileges of those avlio seek to uphold it. The letter has, I feel persuaded, been inadvertently signed by many who have no sympathy Avith its real object, and I have only to add that if I thought for one moment that those avlio inspired it could be regarded as exponents of the Avishes of the majority or eA^en of any considerable section of the citizens of Dunedin, I should at once relinquish my seat in the Assembly. — I am, &c, "James Macandrew, M.H.R."

The Committee of the Dunedin Political Association also took immediate action in the matter, and at a meeting on Monday evening* it was resolved that the following challenge be presented : — "To Messrs Cargill, Fish, Rattray, and others. "Gentlemen — It having being ascertained that signatures to the letter to our

City representatiA'es have been obtained by misrepresentations, you are challenged to call a public meeting of the citi/.ens to pronounce upon the public affairs therein referred to. The Committc undertakes that at such meeting they shall be prepared to submit and maintain the following resolution in opposition: — v ** That our representatives are nobly defending our Constitutional rights against tyranny, injustice, and agression, and tbat it is most desirable that they continue to do so until they obtain the victory.'

"*' It was also resolved, that, inasmuch as already a large public meeting of the electors has heartily accorded its approval of the conduct of our representatives, if the promoters of the letter do not at once accept the foregoing challenge, the public will be justified in opining that they dare not. " Alex. Burt, Chairman."