Correspondence.

Colonist, Volume III, Issue 225, 16 December 1859, Page 2

Correspondence.

> To the Editor of the Colonist. Sib.r-'A letter in Tuesday's Colonist, signed W. Wliite, has just been pointed out to me hy soitie persons, who seem ,to think that it contains charges calculated and evidently intended to exasperate the starving inhabitants of" this Province against one of their unfortunate millers. And although I believe that I may safely continue 'to live v in Nelson^ aud even--., venture occasionally to shew myself on the public road, without troubling myself to answer any of the numerous and. often repeated accusations circulated against me by Mr. White and his " agent," lithink it lonly right -to congratulate thatigentlemari upon having 'oritJiii'decision' chosen a much"more respectable meditfm'o'f 1 giving "publicity to his feelings' towards me than the' one which has hitherto so industriously, discharged thai task!i arid'to express a hope that .lie has not been compelled to have recourse to your columns for that-purpose, in consequence of any. mishap to the feet or the .tongue of the" agent" who h,as.'"so long rendered it quite unnecessary that the' Colonist, .or any other newspaper, should publish a; full and particular account M all my sins and transgressions; ; :"

I don't know that Mr, White has .any more right to ask what could haye: induced me to lower my.prices than his "agent" has to ask my carter bow much wheat 4 or flour I have in the mill; but as my man .has,too often answered the " agent," I will, upon this occasion, answer the priucipai, and, do' myself the honor to inform Mr. White, that I lowered.my prices £4: per ton, because I saw that Sydney prices were lowered £12 per ton, and that prices in the other provinces of. New Zealand had immediately aad naturally receded in proportion; and as M26 per ton gtjll \efp our prices £Q higher 'than those of Sydney wlierb the market is completely glutted, with flour, I had no reason to suppose .ihat our merchants and masters of vessels would not have kept us amply supplied at a much .lower price, more especiallyas 1 bA,d tajjen the trouble and incurred the responsibility soeae iv^oj^onths since of advising our principal corn dealing merchant to send to Sydney for flour at any' price as we had no wheat left in,the province.. . :

At the time too, that I lowered my,prices, I was osered flour by the master of the Active, who gave me ,fco und^rsstanjjl that he would take a ; very low price if paid ip casil, ~; The accident of there, being very little of any article in .this little place is perhaps a very legitimate reason, for asking some enormous price for the little, we happen to have; ■' but-I never, felt quite sure" that a respectable tradesman ought to take .advantage = of every such chaiie<3,jixprgt especMJ^|u sucU^.article t . £._■:' ■' '■■;* As to the. quotations in the gxgminer, I Jaavis very good reason to believe tbaf this is' not the first time that the Examiner has lowered Mr. White's prices to make them agree with mine, and that Mr. White has often felt much indebted to them for doing so, and I do hot think it'is very handsome of him to pitch, into them so unmercifully for having on this occasion shown too much readiness, to oblige him. Had a cargo of flour happened to come in; the next day and reduce prices to .£22.per,ton (which was by no means unlikely) Mr; White's extreme sensibility to public opinion wo.uld have been saved from a dreadful blow by the kind consideration of his friends at the Examiner office; for in tliat' case the miller who had dared id. quote flour highest would have been unanimously condemned as an extortioner and a -villiau, who, was williQg to take advantage of the slightest approach to a scarcity.,.and to fatten upon the groans and tears of the hungry children of Nelson. ' . • i I do not' think that Mr. White's "agent" was told at the Examiner office."that they had received a letter from Mr. Saunders," &c.; but I dare say from the mere force of habit it would be impossible for Mr. White's " agent." to speak of me without some little exaggeration. -. I may just say that I was told afr the same office (but without asking for it, much less sending "my ageijt,") that Mr. White's prices were -Towered upon this occas&Q by, order _ofone of his "agents," I suppose only a subordinate one; at least, it was not the. one who swings the big stick. - J hope Mr.. White will never have to answer for any of my numerous sins at the dreadful ■tribunal of -public opiniou in Nelson; and I shall always'be happy to render hirij any assistance he may consider necessary to ayertsuch ■&■ calamity' from his head; but if ever it should become necessary .for me to ask either Mr.; White or his ''agent" what prices I ) may quote for my own flour;' I should" immediately seek some niore.independent o.(jcypatipn r ,even though, I should Wable Jo obtain no other than the one that would compel me to labour in a much blacker description of dust. '. . I am, Sir, truly sorry to trouble you and your readers with#. letter upon a subject so putely personal and' I can "only found its claim' to admission upon the fact of your having admitted \ Me. White's;; his letter should, certainly hay been insertedin the business advertisements as you must see that it was evidently written with an -eye to business. ■ I am, &c./ ALFKED SAUNIJERS. P.S—§ince writing the above I have seen Mr. White's, letter \n the '^pawiner with the Editor's ribte. ' I hope yoii; val\ publish that note as the letter is not'ali all complete without j it; 'Foivmy part 1 shall.now.immediately treat myself to a ""bell-topper" and a pair of highheeled boots, having thus learued. that a man with>an -''agent" has so implicitly followed, me for years, and never'uiitil noiv compiiiined of having been misled. His-handsome treatment of me, however, contrasts ve^y: Btra:ngely with his ungrateful treatment of'the' proprietor of the Examiner, which certainly. 'Veqiijres Bomeyeiy considerable explanation:-/ •; "■ • A.S.; •

!yA flshiohable cbritemporafyt^infQrms^ us that the b'eli'es'of 'Rwlp 'liave embarked*"in .a, qrusade against bonnets, iri'w'hich it |8 said'that the' empress .is 'quite w»illHVg-trj^ify; i1 T#o '^he ftigbest' feshibn were lately;- wheii 'the1 weather .Was tSt ->q : ; cV)ol' 'as now, seen[daily1 driving in theßois yrith'rfo-bther o'over than a lace veil of square for^'Jthrowri over M li^, which w«s full di-eesecl and ornamented witli- varie^s