THE BRITISH MINISTER AT WASHINGTON.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 879, 4 January 1889, Page 31

THE BRITISH MINISTER AT WASHINGTON.

It will be remembered that during the presidential campaign some stir was caused in America by the alleged indiscretion of the British Minister at Washington in writing letters on American politics. .Lord Sackville-West, it is said, on the 12th of September at Beverly, Massachusetts, received a letter from a resident of Pomona, California, Btating that he was a British naturalised citizen, and -inquiring for information as to the prevailing party views in connection with the pending election. On the 13th of September the Minister, it is stated, sent from Beverly the following letter, marked “private”:—“ Sir, —I am in receipt of your letter of the 10th instant, and beg to say that I fully appreciate the difficulty in which you find yourself in casting your vote. You are probably aware that any political party which openly favoured the Mother Country at the present moment would lobo popularity, and that the party in power is fully aware of this fact. The party, however, is, 1 believe, stilljd&sirousof maintaining friendly relations with Great Britain, and is still as desirous of settling all questions with Canada, which have been unfortunately reopened .since the retraction of the treaty by the Repubiican majority in the Senate and by the President’s Message to which you allude. All allowances must therefore be made for the political situation, as regards the Presidential election, thus created. It is, however, impossible to predict the course which President Cleveland may pursue in the matter of retaliation, should he be elected ; but there is every reason to believe that, while upholding the position he has taken, he will manifest a spirit of conciliation in dealing with the question involved in his message. I enclose an article from the New York Times of the

22nd of August, and remain, yours faithfully, “ li. S. Sackville-West.” Lord Sackville-West admits the genuineness of the letter. ~ He says the man to whom it was written professed to be an English-born citizen, desiring his approval of the Intention to vote for Mr Cleveland. It was a private letter, not intended for publication.