THE ALLEGED COALITION PROPOSAL.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 5524, 29 October 1879, Page 2

THE ALLEGED COALITION PROPOSAL.

Wellington, Tuesday. - The following letter from Colonel Whitmore appears in this evening's Chronicle : —

"Sir, —l observe by an article in the Neio Zealand Times of this morning that the " No surrender " flag has been hauled down. It being, as I presume, an official source that is hinted at, I shall not, as is predicted in the article, plead to it that it was ' chaff,' bxit shall openly publish what occurred, which, however, I believed myself bound not to mention till I saw the article referred to. Several gentlemen have recently asked me to open negotiations for a coalition for the session, so As to tide over the financial crisis. I mention no names, and I understand that all of the gentlemen referred to spoke on their own account, butI may say that they all belonged to the present Government party, and none to our own. On Sunday a gentleman, of that side came to me and assured me that Mr Hall was quite willing to open negotiations, and I replied that if he initiated them I had no objection to be the bearer of proposals, provided they were honorable to our party ; that I was not bound to take any further part than to commuuieate them, and not understood to guarantee their acceptance. I expressly stated that our party ,was entirely opposed to coalition,andthatlhad no authority from a single person to indicate a change of views in this respect. I explained that I would not be the bearer of any terms that contained any stipulation less favorable than the following :— That each party should be equally represented in the Cabinet; that Messrs Macandrew and Sheehan should have the option of seats ; and that members of the party, if necessary, might be called .to represent it in the Council, as I could take no part in such a coalition myself for many reasons. Provided that Mr* Hall would himself make an offer not less favorable than this I would submit it to Messrs Macandrew and Sheehan, who would act with the advice and consent of the whole party in the matter. I had uo authority from anybody to treat, and could give no guarantee whatever. None of my late colleagues ever heard of these proposals, which, when it turned out that the gentleman referred to was not authorised by Mr Hall, and that Mr Hall was not prepared to initiate a negotiation, perished stillborn. Our party had no knowledge whatever that I had agreed to convey such a proposition, and the

Kill 1 - 11 *- c . ****** is mv Justification for publishing xt now. Had I not been misled; by the statement that Mr Hall s »P^ed^o offer terms on the basis ?? l fpra« ll , lt y °* both sides I would iKW' as i? all the reßfc ' have ■'??tes.«*K I could not move in the mattefefram, &c, G. S. Whitmobe "