BAY OF ISLANDS ELECTORAL ENQUIRY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 5492, 24 June 1879, Page 6

BAY OF ISLANDS ELECTORAL ENQUIRY.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, — The appearance of Mr. Bryce'a report on the evidence adduced at this inquiry has had the same effect upon Mr. J. S. Macfarlane's bilious disposition as a red shawl generally possesses upon an infuriated bull, and the columns of your evening contemporary are the medium of an irritable, ill-natured, uncalled-for, and offensive attack upon Ministers. Mr. Macfarlaue, in forcible language, denounces your criticiim of the repurt under reference as misleading and untru", and as a result you have lost the respect which he at one time entertained for you. It is not my intention to take up cudgel* for you. I simply desire to oondole with you in the dire calamity of having no longer the respect of the member for Waitemata. Having certainly a far more complete knowledge of the circumstances attendant upon the compilation of the electoral roll of the Bay of Islands, than Mr. Macfarlane could ever possess, I most emphatically ass-ert that tho Grey Governnr-nt are wholly blameless in any action taken by Mr. John Luudon, or any other person, who endeavoured and succeeded in increadng the number of electors on the roll, and it is most eertainly beyond Mr. J. S. Macfarlane's ability to produce an iota of evidence implicating directly or indirectly the present Government, or any member of it, as beiut; partie* or a party, to the means adopted to BWell the roll, neither can he show that the stuffing had even their approval. Mr. Macfarlane desires the public to believe that the Premier and Native Minister are both implicated in the " nefarious rollstulfing." Mr. Macfarlane's prejudice has mastered any common-sense he may possess, otherwise ho would not have referred to a letter written by Sir George Grey to certainnatives in Mr. John Luudon's interest nearly five years ago, it not having the most remote bearing upon the question of roll complication. With r fjrence to the Native Minister, Mr. Macfarlane says : —'• Those who know the Native Minister's doings at the Biy, that Minister's interferences, his share in appointing an incompetent Returning Officer, who could be controlled by Mr. Tole, must adjudge the Governmont guilty of blame of tho grossest description, and of assisting in the roll-stuffing." I simply defy Mr. Macfarlane to elicw that the Native Minister did, or caused to be done, at the Bay of Islands or elsewhere, any act whereby the roll is in its present stnte, or that he unduly interfered in any way iu electoral matters connected with the Northern constituency. It is true that Mr. Williams was d smissed at a time admittedly unfortunate, but that Mr. Williams was I'eservedly deprived of the appointment of Returning Officer, no difference of opinion amongßt unbiassed persons can exist, for the evidence upon which the report under reference is baued, most undoniably ahewa that Mr, Wil- j

Hams was guilty of strong partisanship, and L therefore totally unfitted for tha position h« held. Any person who knows the Bay of Islands can understand the _ difficulty the Government were placed m re appointment of a successor to Mr. Williams. It therefore appears to me most unjust to blame Ministers because they bad not procared an experienced Returning Officer, I which would simply mean burdening the 1 colony with a heavy coat; and Mr. Bryce's opinion, notwithstanding, I believe that the present Returning Officer has the ability to fulfil the duties of his office to the satisfaction of the country. Does Mr. Macfarlano desire the public to believe that Mr. Tole, " the notorious partizan of the Government," was sent to Rassell as such to influence Mr. Lawlor? The natives who retained Mr. 8 Tole had no such intention, conr saientiously believing that their rights as citizens were infringed by their appli--8 cations to be placed upon the electoral 7 roll beinc; unwarrantably struck off by by Mr. Williams. The Government did not-. employ Mr. Tole ; the natives did so, and 1 6 feel assured no member of the Ministry was e even aware of the fact that the natives would be represented by counsel. What grounds, I therefore, has Mr. Macfarlane for implicating any member of the Government in the 8 alleged roll-stuffing ? None whatever. If 1 he has the interests of the Williams's family 7 at heart, he will confer on them a favour by 1 letting the matter drop where it is, as the 8 more light thrown on the subject the worse will the late Returning Officer come out of it. ' —I am. &c., J. 1 June' 19, 1879.