GISBORNE OPINION ON MR. McDonald.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 7007, 2 May 1884, Page 5

GISBORNE OPINION ON MR. McDonald.

|BT TELEGBAPH. —OWN OOBBESPONDENT.] GiSBOBNE, Thursday. The Poverty Bay Herald has been served with a notice of a libel action by Mr. K F. Ward, on behalf of Mr. MoEonald, for its strictures on the letter's conduct. The Herald to-night reprints the subleader on the subject in the New Zwaland Herald to-day. There ia a keen feeling of appreciation here at an independent outside journal speaking so strongly what we all feel, and your suggestion of holding a denunciatory public meeting will probably be acted on. The local Herald concludes an emphaticallyexpressed article by saying :—" It may serve to temper our indignation somewhat to consider how much we are ourselves to blame for the treatment and insult we have now to impotently endure, and the resalt of the reflection will pot be wholly flattering to ourselves as a community. Broadly regarded, there is no denying that as the' representative is so are the represented—most unpalatable truth as it may sometimes be. It would be a gross libel on' the electorate to say that Mr. McDonald represents even a very small fraction of it now; but it was not so formerly. We believe that not even in a Grey fever could a man of his stamp have got elected by any other constituency in the colony, and we are convinced that never again will a character approximating to his have the shadow of a chance here. To believe otherwise would be to say that we are base enough to condone the indignities and insults to which we have now to submit. The fact is, that in having had Mr. McDonald for our representative we have had a. sharp and dear experience, and if we are not able to profit by it in the fntnre sufficiently to elect men of some character, we shall deserve to get even a lowftr type of politician than he, if that is possible. We made our own bed and we had to lie on it. That it proved hard and dirty should be the lasting warning it is likely to be. We have now leisure to reflect on our own and Mr. McDonald's share of the blame for being at this moment in the most humiliating position any constituency wae ever put in, and when time has somewhat restored our equanimity we shall be able to devise how to turn our severe and not wholly undeserved lesson to account in the future." [BY TELEGBAPH. —PBESS ASSOCIATION.] Wellington, Thursday. A private telegram received from Auckland this morning states that Mr. A. McDonald, M.H.R., left his resignation as member with his solicitor, to be handed to the Speaker after his departure.