MR REID AND MR MACANDKEW.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 3363, 15 November 1872, Page 2

MR REID AND MR MACANDKEW.

The following correspondeiMse has been handed to us for publication :— Superintendent's Oilice, Dnnedni, 14th Nov., 1872. | Sir —Ab there exiats considerable misapj prehension with respect to the reasons which have led to Mr K'.-iil ceasing to be a member of the Provincial JCxccutive, I am directed by the Superintendent to forward, for the information of members of the Provincial Conncil, the annexed correspondence between Mr livid and WuuetH on the subject. ' —I have, &c, !

Jons- Locjtx, Secretory to Superintendent. Wellington, 16th September, 1872. My Dear Sir~l have waited several days in the expectation that you would have communicated with me on the subject of the position which you have accepted in the Colonial Government. It is true that in taking office yon k&ve aMtuned * position which in considered, superior to that of the Superintendent <»f the < Province, .and thaV therefore it may modi to J you anoxnaloan that 1 «honld call upon you

for an explanation ; but yon must rocoMecfc that you still hold the position of head of tbo Provincial Executive, and in that capacity I have a right to call on you. for advice ami assistance. It was id your power before taking office to have relieved yourself of the anomaly of the position by resigning your seat in the Provincial Executive. You not only have not done so, but you have failed even to apprise me of your intention to accept a position which it is of course obvious is entirely inconsistent with your other position as head of the Provincial Executive. You are awn re that 1 have not allowed difference of opinion to influence our relations, and that I have scrttpulou&lv left to you all the discretion, and awarded you the consideration to which, under a system |of constitutional government, you were en- ; titled ; but, as you now hold an office which, ;as already started, is altogether incompatible with your position as the head of my Executive, it is incumbent upon me to say (and I regret that the necessity of doing so has been thrown on me), that I have to beg of you to be so very kind as to place me in a. position at once to make more satisfactory arrangements. 1 have to observe that I consider this letter oilieiaL—l remain, &c, J. Macandhkiv. The Hon. D. Reid, Esq.

Wellington, September I", 1872. My Dear Sir—l Im-;,' (o acknowledge th«* receipt to-day of your ktkr of yesterday's date. I regret to titttl that the amjihuicc by me of a sent in the Colonial Executive shonkl have caused you so much unea*,iixiss. Had I known that you expected me to apprise you of my intention to accept such a. position, or reason to believe that such a, course would have met with y<<«r npj rovaf, it re possible that I might Jiavo consulted you and asked your advice In-fore coming to a decision. I thank you for the information that you have not allowed differences of opinion to influence our relations, ami that you have scrupulously left me all the discretion, and awar&jd to me the consideration, to which uji lor a system of constitutional <sovermuchfc5overmuchfc I was cutit'ed.

t I 1 was nnt aware that members of the i I Provincial Executive could, when nbsinfc j from their Province, occupy a position as Hu-mbers of tin; Executive, ami net in that. capacity. If they could, it ib .liflkult to uni derstand t!»c ncceKHi'ty for appointing <hpuj tien to act in their stead. ; The tone of j-our litter will be my excuse ■ f-ir reminding you that I have my reppiinpibilitics io tlio Provineii'l Coi:in-il,"aiid that I 'shall be prepared to jn«tify n;y conduct to that Assembly.—l am, iVc, * ; T). Hum. j .James I\facandrew, Esq., M.11.X. j Wellington, HHh September, 1872. I My Dear Sir—J have received your letter I of 17th instant, in reply to mine of lOth. . You are mistaken in assuming that I o- . pressed what you are pleased to term " un- { easinr-«s" at your having accepted a seat in j the Colonial Executive, or that I arrogated i to myself any right to be consulted as to your decision on the subject. No Rich construction can fairly be placed upon my letter. I regret that you have evad.d the real point at issue, namely, the incompatibility j of the position of Minister of Public Works ' with that of the head of the Provincial Exe-

cutive. You nnift be quite awnre, both as n>gfcrrts myself and the members of the Provwnu'al Executive at present in Wellington, that although absent from the Province, we have been to some extent practically d/recting its attaint ; in fact, there are at thin moment questions of more or less importance ■which require mutual consultation on our part. As to your reKponsihililkH to the Provincial Council, I feel assured that that body will share 1113' surprise at tlic tmccrcirwnious tnnnner in which, even without the courtesy of a, notice, yon have accepted an crf'tico incoinpatil'le with those rtHpoitfiibilitks, It now only remains to say that, in <xmKequence of the complaints which have reached me of the neglect which has characterised the conduct* of public business in the Province during our absence, and tho necessity for making other Executive arrangements owing to your services being no longer available !ih my responsible adviser, I purpose proceeding to Duncriin tornorrosv, with a. view to placing matters on a more satisfactory footing ; and that I shall bo gla.l if you will spare me the disagreeable duty of" making fr«j»li Executive arrangements other than in the usual way.—l reman, &c, ■I. MACANimEW. Tlie Ifon. Ponald Reid, I sq. Wellington, September 10, 1872. My Dear Sir--I have to Acknowledge th« receipt of your letter of this date. — I remain, &c, I). Kkh>. JftmcH Mncnnrlrew, 1-isq., M.H.R., &c., &c., &c.

(Cojiy.) Superintendent's Office, 'Dnncdin, 25th Septimber, 1572. Sir—llefcrring to the correspondence which took place between us at Wellington, as to you resigning your ficit as a member of the Executive Council of Otago, I have now the honour to intimate to you that the position you have accepted as a member of tlio CoTonin! Executive if, in my opinion, so utterly . .;ncoD>''«Ul'le with the • rupcr j^rforonance of f y«jur duties as a menntr of the IProvincial Executive, that I feel it my duty to exercise the power vested in me by the Executive CVdincil Ordinance, and to remove you from your ottice as a incmbcr of my Executive, — f have, &c, (Signed) James Macanhrkw, Superintendent of Otago. The Hon. Donald livid, Escj., Wellington.

Wellington,. 10th Oct., 1872. My Dear Sir—The circumstances which led to your ceasing to be » member of the Provincial Executive having now determined, I shall be glad if you resume your ' former position in the Executive, in whicfe 1 case directions will be sent to Duncdiu to* | cvmumimcato with you officially to that end. | FJt'ase reply as curly an convenient.—l remain, &.C., 3. MAOAKMtEW. D. Reid, Esq, M.H.8., Wellington.

Wellington, October 12, 1872. '' Sir—-I have to acknowledge the receipt ol your letter of the 10th ins t., in which you inform me that the circumstance* winch ted? to my ceasing to be a member of the IVovincial Executive having now determined, youwould be glad if I would resume my formerposition in the Executive. Before proceeding to reply thereto, allow \me to review the position in which matters. stood at the time those circumstances arose which you state led to my ceasing to be a. mctnl:«r of the Provincial Executive. Voa will no doubt recollect that, before I left Dune<lin to attend to the intere«te of my conatitncnta in Parliament, an-atigea>cnUr were made, and a deputy appointed, witb the concurrence of yournelf and the other members of the Executive, for carrying oa the business of my department during the term of the session. I ruay also state that I informed the Provincial Council that I would be absent from the Province during the meeting of the General Assembly. I, at the aaitie lime, intimated to the Council that if, in its opinion, my^ absence from the Province during that period would prejudice ray jKwition as a member of tbeExecutivc, it would be necessary to make other proviirion to till the office; and the Council acquiesced in the arrangement, on the underatauding that a deputy should be appointed temporarily to<iusdaarge the dutu)* of the office, • It was, therefore, with surprise thai I received your letter of. the 23th v t., intimating that, in consequence of ray acceptance of the Appointment of Minister of Public Works, you h*4 removed me from office Mia m<tmberoi your Executive, on the ground thai, the appointment wa>, id your o^/iuion, m*-

■ compatible with the proper performance of njy duties au a member of the Provincial Executive It moat have been obvious to you that 1 bad no intention of filling both officea, and that in due course my resignation would have been placed in your hands ; hut I considered it wa« due alike to myself, to my - colleagues in the Provincial Executive, and to the Provincial Council, that I should return to the Province l>efore tendering my resignation. *one reason which induced me to take this course was my desire to con- - dado certain negotiations now pending which were entered into by myself acting on behalf of the Executive, and which could not be completed before I left the Province, Having conducted these n«.gocialion» *o far, f felt it my duty to nets them carried out in the (spirit in which they were entered into, f believe this could have been accomplished in such a manner as to fulfil the engagements made, and at the «nme t:mj; conserve the intercut* of the Province and allay the excitement which ban in some instances been * created in regard to them. It was also my intention before resigning to have a&kcd.thnt tha Provincial Council should be convened immediately after the prorogation of the * Central A&teiuhly. In order to comply with an opinion v«-ry generally expressed bj' mem* ' hers during the hut session of the Council, to the effect that it was deferable that the meetings of the: Council should in future he held immediately after the meetings of the * Oeneral Assembly, and also for the purpose of bringing the Highway Boards Km powering Act into oper.ttion within the Province. . Owing to jin over-sight on the part of the Provincial So;i-;it*>r, this matter was overlooked during the last 8c»«ion of the Council, and 1 take this opportunity of remindingyou that it in a question which very seriously affects the position of the I toad Boards of the Province, an I wSiich if not attended to may lead to «:ui!<anußHincrifc and litigation. It appeared to me that the rea*'>ns given for requiring my immediate resignation were not of a valid nature. You must be fully aware that none of the Kxccutive business was transacted here, and while 1 was always •ready and willing to give my opinion on any matter in regard to which I vviiH consulted, it could neither be required from me as a - member of the Kxecutivo while I remained in Wellington, nor could I, while residing out of the Province, interfere in the slightest tlagn-Ai in Provincial matters*, even if I had the desire to do ho, which I ha/1 not. l.'nder these circumstances, I am at a loaa to know what necc-snity existed for the hasty action taken by you in requiring, in terms at once discourteous arid peremptory, my immediate resignation, or for summarily removing me from <illi>;e. I have only to add, in reply to your letter now under consideration, that while I consjider "t, and Irust it will always be esteemed to be, an honourable position to be ieader of the Provincial Council of Otago, and while I will be prepared, nhouM the Council again require my f;<-rvieea, to place them with pleasure at its dixp.isal ; nevertheless, after the uncalled fur and unmerited indignity to ■••which 1 have been subjected, a sense of the respect which \a flue to inyficlf, and a consideration of what in due to the important ■constituency whom I have the honour to »represent, conpi-1 me firmly but respectfully to deeliue to accede to your request. I remain, &c., 1). liKll.. •fas. Mnoandrew, X*<{., M.H.H., Ac, Ac. j

Wellington, I'.Hli October, 1872. My Dear Sir — I have to acknowledge the cf your letter of 12th instant. In doing ho I have to express my regret that you decline to accede to my request that you -should resume your former position in the ' Otago Provincial Kxt'cutive. My action in thin matter has been taken from linst to last purely on public grounds), and in the exercise of an ollieial duty, which was incumbent on me, and which, as the correspondence shows, I should have been glad to have been spared. I altogether disclaim having been actuated '■ by desire to east upon you "indignity" in any shape or form, and can only reiterate my regret that our opinions should be so entirely ■ different, as regards our respective duties in the public interest, under the circumstances •..?n •question. —Yours, &c, .J. Ma<:ani)Ukw. D. Reid, Esq., M.H.U., &c, &c, &c.

We have also received for publication *,he following letter from Mr Macandrew to Mr Bradahaw, together with the latter gentleman's reply : — .Superintendent's Oflicc, Duncrtin, 12th Nov., 1872. iDear Sir —Mr Tolmic having intimated to me that he is now prepared to occupy tho position of leader of the Executive, in lieu of Mr lteid, and at once to reconstruct the Government, it becomes my duty to inform you i that 1 am now prepared to accept of your •resignation. In doing ho, permit me to express my regret that Mr Keid has not seen his way to accede to my proposal that he should resume his position, and thereby have •obviated the necessity for any change of administration.

I am glad to think—making all due allow.anco for those differences of opinion which »must always more or less crop up between .. different minds —that personally our official j intercourse has been mutually satisfactory, and but for tho decision of your late chief, might have continued so.—Yours faithfully, J. MaCANl>kkw. J. B. Braddluw. Esq., M.T'.C.

Oflicc of Sec. for Public Works and '(Joldlields, Dnnedin, 14th Nov., 1872. 'Sir—l have to acknowledge the receipt of -your letter of the 12th instant. [ hnvft as yet received no official intimation • of-the resignation <>r dismissal of any member of the Executive Council. I always unVloratood that Mr (Jutten was, in the absence j of Mr Keid at Wellington, chief of the Kxe- ' 'cutivo, an-1 up to last night, I was not aware of his resignation or dismissal. What may have passed between you and Mr Reid, 1 have as yet received no official information of. I may also state that, in view of the com/ing into force of tho Waste Lands Act, 1872, ,3u<l seeing that the Provincial Council is not %ow in session, and not having been requested by my chief to resign, I do not feel warranted in complying with your request. —I am, &<*., J. B. Biiadsiiaw.