The Hastings Standard Published Daily. SATURDAY, JAN. 23, 1897. CAPTAIN RUSSEL'S EXPLANATION.

Hastings Standard, Issue 228, 23 January 1897, Page 2

The Hastings Standard Published Daily.

SATURDAY, JAN. 23, 1897. CAPTAIN RUSSEL'S EXPLANATION.

I-'or the cause that lacks assistance, For the wrongs that need resistance. For the future in the distance, And the good that we can do.

At the Political Garden Party, tendered to Mr R. ('. Bruce at Rongotca, on the the Gth inst., Captain Russell was reported to ha ve said that in this district certain canvassers were appointed to work in the Government interest; that these men were? being paid by the State, and that the statement was made by Captain Russell, on the authority of the Registrar of 10lectors, Sergeant Mitchell. The speech of Captain Russell naturally attracted considerable attention, more particularly that part of it, the substance of which is given above. The statement, so far as it concerned Sergeant M itchell, was flatly contradicted privately, publicly, arid otlicially. Captain Russell has since ventured upon an explanation, and at the " social " given to the Hon. T. \V. Uislop at a suburb of Wellington last Wednesday, Captain Russell, referring to the incident, said : (and we quote from the report of the meeting furnished by the Evening Post) " He <* as not so foolish as to say that the Registrar of Electors had told him that he (the Registrar) had put on men in order to canvass against himself {Captain Russell). What he did say ami what lie repeated, was that he found in his own electorate that there were certain persons canvassing the electorate against himself, lie was told that these men were receiving Government pay for their work, and he went to the Registrar of Electors and asked him if were th<n- certain persons receiving Government pay going round the country canvassing voters. The Registrar said " No they are not going round the country canvassing fur voters, but going roil nil to get nanus on the electoral roll." He (Captain Russell) asked the num.- of thone person* and was told the names of three persons kn.mn to everybody in his own district m thre® of bin most vigilant and active political Dppoobtiti. He asktd the

Registrar " Are these men paid," and the Registrar replied that they were paid by instructions signed " Hugh Pollen, Under Secretary " at the rate of 15s a day for horsemen and 8s a day for men." This explanation corroborates the official report of Sergeant Mitchell furnished to the Colonial Secretary's office by request. There is a clearness about Captain Russell's explanation that leaves no room for doubt that his speech at Rongotea ■was misreported. If we accept the Rongotea utterance as the correct one, we must perforce believe that Captain Russell is an expert storyteller and that Sergeant Mitchell is a perfect idiot. Happily we have no need for such beliefs for the two explanations correspond in the main details, furthermore whatever might be the opinions held respecting Captain Russell's political opinions we venture to say that no one will accuse him or think of accusing him of falsehood, nor yet do we think it is possible to suggest that Sergeant Mitchell is devoid of intelligence. It is satisfactory to have this matter cleared up, in the interests both of Captain Russell aud Sergeant Mitchell.