To the Editor of the Otago Witness.

Otago Witness, Issue 931, 2 October 1869, Page 9

To the Editor of the Otago Witness.

Sra— Mr M'Lean, of Morven Hills, objects to oertain statements reported to have neen made by me at a meeting held at Mornington in August last. Your reporter so condensed my remarks as to make me state several things whioh were not facts, and rendered my argumonts anything but clear. I referred to Mr M 'Lean's case only as one well-known, and as illustrating a principle. I stated that Mr M'Lean, on behalf of himself and his brother and Bister, applied for 400,000 acres of land for depasturing purposes, and that thoy had received licenses for between three and four hundred thousand, without any payment to the Government, the doposits, amounting to LBO, being returned when tho country wu stocked. This is an undoubted fact. I also said that I had beon informed that L 120.000 had been refused for the conntry. My informant is one of the largest runholdors in tho province, and I understood him to say that ho had made theoffor on behalf of aflrm in tho Homo country. It may, however, have boon incorrcot. 1 rofcrrcd to several other largo runs to ithow the injurious nature of legiilation whioh tended to mako auoli vast tracts of oountry frooholds, in tho hands of a few moo, moat of thorn abcontocs. I had no inteution of making a pureonal attack on Mr M'Lean, for whom I entertain a high respect, and thinkhimavery uwf uloettlor, provided ho will hold his runs on tho original term* on whioh thoy woro granted. Nor can 1 soo why he should bo offend od booauso I objected to hi* booomioo a future Duke of Sutherland. As, however, I o joot to encumber a great political question with a mere personal tquabbl*. if I havo given him offenoo, I bog hii pardon, Theroarepenons,oompanies, or firms, other than Mr M'Loan, who hold in this province over a quarter of a million aores each aa run*. You may rid© for a day, and ■■ far at the oye o&n reach, if you ask whom country ii this, be told Mr '• ; and £ cannot but think any man mu«t be wantlog in politic*! sagacity, if ho supposes thai he will bo allowed, for tho next tixtooa or seventeen years, to item tho tido of popaUWon ovor suoh vast tracts of oountry. Let him look around him at tho young men and women growing up amongst us, who inuit find occupation* in tho proYinoe, and tey if ifc in likely that thoy will not ux> their aMUtlw to pal a stop to taoh an absurdity m thaoe ires* sheep root, wfcwt W» ootmtry is hi for

'any other purpose. H© may as 'well, like Canute reproving his courtiers, sit on the sea shore ordering the tide to retire and not wet his august feet. — I am, &c, - ■ W. H. CUTTEN.