LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 13, Issue 1027, 2 March 1869, Page 2

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

Sic, — Your.Mr. James Wood, in his letter published in last Saturday's issue, assumes without the slightest reason that a personal attack was made on him in the evidence I gave before the Resident Magistrate, in' the suit I was compelled to institute for recovery of the cost of preparing the Royal addresses. Those who listened to the said evidence are aware that it was only on being directly and unexpectedly questioned by Capt. Curling as to whether 1 had ever received payment for similar work before, that allusion to the address to Sir George Grey, and to tho gratuity I received for it, was extracted from me. I neither volunteered or referred to this matter until enquiry was made by the Court. As regards Mr. Wood's imputation, either of personality towards him or of his intention to falsify a public voucher, which I neither then imputed to him nor do now impute, I shall say nothing more. But, taking his paragraphs as numbered, I havo the following observations to make : — 1. No request was over made by me to Mr. Wood to include in his voucher £5 5s for my benefit. True, I repeated to Mr. Wood the conversation I had with Mr. M'Lean, who pressed on me acceptance of a gratuity, and suggested the voto for public printing as the source whence the money should come. But instructions to prepare a voucher must have been received by Mr. Wood from some qualified authority, and the voucher itself must be signed by some government official, whom Ido not know. Certainly I neither saw the voucher nor certified to it. 2. I did not insinuate (nor directly state) that the item was charged as printing. All I know was that Mr. M'Lean suggested that it should be so charged. Whether that suggestion was carried out or not I have no knowledge. Possibly, Mr. Wood is right in saying it was charged, to " miscellaneous contingencies." 3. The cheque to which I referred was not imaginary. It had a real and tangible existence, inasmuch as I actually had it in my hand. It was not a "Government cheque," nor did I either in evidence or to anyone say it was of that character. It was drawn by Mr. Wood himself, aud was presented to me by a gentleman in his employ, to whom I gave it back, desiring him to pass the amount to my credit, in the way related by Mr. Wood. As I have never appealed to tho press in relation to my private grievances, I regret that Mr. Wood's letter should now ' aye forced me into the position of filling your valuable columns with my private affairs. — I am, &c, A. Koch.