CORRESPONDENCE.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume II, Issue 89, 18 November 1843, Page 355

CORRESPONDENCE.

To the Editor of the Nelson Examiner.

; Sir — la your report of the proceedings of the public meeting held on the 7th instant, you Itate that I moved an amendment to Dr. Monro's

motion for an address to his Excellency the new Governor on his arrival at Sydney, and that I failed to procure a seconder. I am the more disposed to give you credit for a wilful misstatement in this case, after you publicly stated I very few weeks ago that I refused to allow yon to see and print the address to the authorities at Auckland, when at the same time you had the paper in your own hands on two occasions, and would have been forthcoming for that purpose had the same courtesy shown you been met by a gentlemanly spirit instead of the bear-garden conduct I am necessitated to allude to. The chairman asked me distinctly from the bench (where you sat) whether I had an amendment to offer, and that I distinctly answered No; therefore I neither required a seconder nor had occasion to divide the meeting. In attending a public meeting, where I went certainly with reasons of objection, I should be happy to learn if any -remarks of mine, even as printed in your own paper, could have been expected to have brought upon my head the low, calumnious epithets of Mr. M'Donald, the manager of the Australian Bank here, who, with an overbearing presumption, has assumed to himself all the authority and command of this settlement, and, if not speedily checked in his career, will bring ruin upon us all. I should ask, is it this man's education or his rank in life that has elevated him to this situation ; or is it that, by yielding a power in the bank, he has the means of insulting every gentleman who differs, with him ? This is certainly a great misfortune, and I am quite sure that the authorities of the bank would not encourage it. I consider that, in purchasing land here, and (bringing with me some little means of existence, although having no funds in the bank, that I have some little justice at ray back in attending a public meeting, and expressing an opinion for that to be done which is best for the welfare of this settlement, although it appears such proceeding is to bring down upon me a bank manager's vengeance, with really no possession in the settlement. It is for the public weal I have acted, and I simply ask for public protection and excuses for the necessity of troubling with this long reply, which all honourable men must have felt the necessity of. I am accused of being " wretchedly servile, and totally relinquishing the most highly es- „ teemed privileges of an Englishman — his independence." These assertions, though base as they may be, give me very little trouble to deny. There he has totally mistaken my character. It is the possession of these feelings that has produced for me many vexatious annoyances, and __I am under the necessity of putting down this to the same account, when I might have been certainly better employed in cultivating my garden than in attempting to prevent an insult being put upon his.Excellency, Captain Fitzroy, the new Governor of New Zealand, by opposing the memorial being sent tdTSydney, the reason of which, as there stated by the Honourable C. A. Dillon, chairman of the meeting, that it should meet him before his ears were polluted by the authorities at Auckland. Now, 1 should simply ask, what does this imply, but that these people believe Captain Fitzroy's independent judgment is valueless, and that he comes here prepared to coincide in the first ear or (eye) wigging, as the honourable gentleman stated in his opening speech, that might be inflicted upon him ? Such reasoning I deny. It is totally at variance with their expectations, and must end as other acts of the same party have done, by meeting the contempt it justly merits. Respecting the address itself, and the respectable and worthy mover, Dr. Monro. there cannot be two opinions; and I confess myself prepared to agree with his memorial and the expressions he gave utterance to on the occasion, if he could have been induced to have foregone its being sent to Sydney. The Honourable Mr. Dillon alludes to me when he states that I have received substantial favours from the late Police Magistrate. I confess Ido not know what he means. He ought to have stated more fully what he did mean, that the public might have known what they were. I certainly had a letter of introduction to Mr. Thompson, by a friend, a gentleman whose kind wishes to both of us were equal, I am proud and happy to say; and that Mr. Thompson was requested to do for me what he did at the requeßt of that worthy gentleman, I know; but that I was the bound slave of that gentleman my feelings never would allow; and for more than ten months was I obliged to differ from Mr. Thompson in many matters. I received my appointment from the Governor in February last, and Mr. Thompson told me in January that he could turn me out of my situation if he chose. <* My reply was, that he might do'as he liked, but that I had nothing to ask. These facts are known to many. But my objection was not with the dead. I am pained that I am necessitated to make any remark on this subject ; but an ungentlenaanly attack made upon me by the chairman, when he had left the chair, and when at the same time he knew that I had left the meeting some time before introducing his fable at my expense, and which I repudiate with as much contempt as bo apparently expressed it. . Mr. Thompson's late and ever-to-be lamented death has extinguished every feeling but that of sincere regret and sorrow for hit unmerited and unhappy death. ■ Mr. M'Donald assert*. that 1 receive £100 •.-year for doing nothing, and alludes farther to this very agreeable appointment. I must con-

aider that he endeavoured to turn into ridicule my small remuneration, but which I hope to see doubled, as I am sure the public will think with me, when I state my duties, which are to attend all prisoners in the gaol, where I have never less than one or two patients on* my books, to attend all the constables who are injured in the exercise of their duty, to hold all inquests in the district, and to board all vessels coming to this port— and all this for £100 a-year. I am the sincere friend of the New Zealand Company and its interests, and should be happy to see fostered what we had reason to expect, from Mr. Fox's speech a short time ago, I mean that cordial cooperation of interests between the Government ana the Company. I remain, sir, Your obedient servant, Jos. F. Wilson.

To the Editor of the Nelson Examiner. Sir — As Mr. Wilson's letter requires some explanation from the person who furnished the report of the meeting which appeared in last week's Examiner, I beg to state that, from inquiries I have since made, I believe Mr. Wilson did not make a formal amendment to the first resolution, but contented himself with merely opposing it. A newspaper establishment in a new colony must necessarily be on a limited scale —so limited, that in most cases the services of regular reporters to attend meetings must be dispensed with. Such is the position of the Examiner. Is it wonderful, then, that an immaterial error should have crept into the report so illiberally spoken of by Mr. Wilson ? The general correctness of the reports which have appeared in the Examiner has hitherto been unques f tioned, and if the exact language of the various speakers has not at all times been preserved, their sentiments have never been misrepresented. The really little difference between what Mr. Wilson said and the report in question, makes his charge of a " wilful misstatement " highly absurd. At any future meeting I shall be happy to receive Mr. Wilson's own report of the part he may take in it ; and if he will only keep a copy of his MS. he shall see how faithfully it will be adhered to. Mr. Wilson's observations respecting " bear-garden conduct " does not apEly to me, which no one is better aware of than imself. I remain, &c. fr Nelson, Nov. 17. C. Elliott.