THE GOLDFIELDS SECRETARY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2057, 25 July 1867, Page 3

THE GOLDFIELDS SECRETARY.

: 10 THE EDITOR OF THE LYTTELTON TIIIEB. ■. Sir, Your .correspondent " Pontoon" speaks the truth; but not the whole truth, in connection with Mr Bonar's position &b Mayor of Hokitika, and it so happens that the part of the truth .suppressed is much more pertinent to the matter in question than Hie part told. It is true that Mr Sonar was elected to the chairmanship of the first Municipal Council by a majority of,one. vote only; but it is also true that the numbers polling on the occasion were only seven—the Council consisting of nine members—and the two candidates, with great good taste, refraining from voting. . It is true that at the time these nino Councillors were' elected, the number of persons qualified to vote under the disfranchising interpretation put : upon the law by the Commissioner; who was the returning officer, was exceedingly small;;but It is also truothat Mr.Bonar held one of the very highest positions on the poll oh thiit occasion. It is true that Mr Bonar, after a regular rate roll liad been completed, was requested by memorial from upwards of sovon hundred registered ratepayers to resign office and submit, himself to re-ele tlon. But it is also true that this memorial was addressed in common to the whole body of Councillors, with the single exception of Mr Evan Prosser, who had been elected to fill a special vacancy occasioned by resignation after the completion of the rate roll; that the memorial had no special application to Mr Bonar whatever! that it;.whs based simply upon an allegation that at the first election the whole of the candidates lmd pledged theiußolves to seek re-election as soon as a larger constituency was created; .that Mr Bonar was amongst the first to express his willingness to resign, if the Council as a body agreed in

hinking such a coiirso conducire to the publlo interestss that tliey were legally advised that no such contingency as ut wholeBale resignation wan provided for in the ordinance, and that had a new election taken place, Mr Itonar would certainly have stood Tory high at that time on tho lint of Councillors returned. I consider the statement made to you that Mr Bonar was called upon by seven hundred memorialist to resign, in fnee of the fact that the memorial was addressed not to him specially, but to tho whole Council of which he was Chairman, and that it was bused upon grounds altogether distinct from those of a personal character, as exceedingly disingenuous, Your obedient servant, THOS. L. BRIGHT. Eiccarton, July 23,1867.