The Temuka Leader THURSDAY, MAY 21, 1884. THE LYTTELTON TIMES AND MR POSTLETHWAITE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1181, 22 May 1884, Page 2

The Temuka Leader THURSDAY, MAY 21, 1884. THE LYTTELTON TIMES AND MR POSTLETHWAITE.

The Lyttelton Times recently commented upon Mr Postletliwaite and his constituents, but unless its skin is pretty thick vre are inclined to think it is rather sorry for it. The Times said :

" In private life Mr Postlothwaite, has by no means the reputation of being an impudent man ; quite the contrary. Probably, therefore, it was not barefaced impudence which dictated his remarks to the Temuka electors last Saturday. It is most likely that he was acting upon a profound belief in the utter ignorance of Canterbury folk as to Parliament's proceedings."

It then went on to commend the passing of " no confidence" motions, and to speak rather insultingly of our member. The grounds for the attack are summed up a 3 follows :

" But it was when he dealt with general matters that Mr Postletliwaite's iogic became fearful and wonderful. He told his audience that he disapproved" ot 'The Roads and Bridges Act,'and for a very excellent reason, its centralist, corrupting tendencies. But has he forgotten that he votad for the Act, and for every job that has since been perpetrated under the shadow of its provisions ; that he has steadily, silently, aad unswervingly supported Major Atkinson, who framed f The Roads and Bridges Act,' aud boasts of it to this day ?" The Lyttelton Times professes to be the great educator of the people of Canterbury, but mark what happened. The Times in its next issue published the following : "To the Editor—- " Sie, —I notice that in your issue of May 10 you do me the honour of mentioning me in your leading article. 1 rarely trouble newspapers with my remarks, but on this occasion 1 feel compelled to poiot out that you have wilfully mis-stated facts by setting forth that 1 voted for the Roads and Bridges Construction Act. I wish to refer you to Hansard, vol. 43, p. 676, where you will find my name recorded with the ' Noes,' which numbered 17. If I were inclined, and considered it worth while, I could refer you to further action which I took in reference to this Act. As to the other remarks made, I shall leave the public to pass judgment upon them. I have every reason to believe that the majority of my constituents are perfectly satisfied with my action, and they have proved it by earnestly soliciting me to stand again ; but it was well understood that I only consented to represent the district for one Parliament. As long us I remain in the House I shall continue r,o do what I consider right for the future welfare of the Colony as a whole, without reference to the opinions of newspapers. After perusiDg Hansard, to which 1 have directed your attention, I presume you will do me the justice of inserting my letter. 1 am, etc., " William Postlethwaite. "Geraldine, May 12. " [vVe owe Mr Poatlethwaite an apology, which we here offer him, for having ti usted, in the matter of his vote on the second reading of the ' Roads and Bridges Copstruction Act,' to a memory which has proved untrustworthy. On referring to Hansard, we find that Mr Poatlethwaite is quite right. He voted against the second reading, ami, we may add, also against the third reading.—Ed. L.T.]" The Times speaks of the " utter ignorance of Canterbury," but how can the people help it if their chief organ is under the guidance of ignorant men. Who has seen a more glaring instance of culpable

ignorance. Is it not a shame for a paper occupying ihe position of the Lyttelton Times to rush on haphazard in that way regardless of what it says 1 We do not lay any claim to the position the Times occupies ; but, small and insignificant as this paper is compared with the Times, we should fee! very much ashamed of having to apologise for such shameless misrepresentations. But the Lyttelton Times is getting off its head lately. Once upon a time Mr Wakefield was the target at which the Lyttelton Times fired all its random shots, and Sir George Grey was its idol. Whenever it had a bilious attack Mr Wakefield was sure to come in for a good dressing down, and nothing could restore it again to good humor until it had almost deified the " grand old man" of Kawau. Now the position is reversed. Sir George Grey is eveiything vile and abhorrent, and Mr Wakefield is the idol of the day. Neither of the gentlemen has lost any of their old characteristics, but the Lyttelton Times has changed, and no one can understand why. The attack on Mr Postlethwaite was a most uncalled-for one, and betrayed culpable ignorance on the part of the Times. But it is ignorance of Mr Postlethwaite's actions that has led to his unmerited unpopularity. He has voted honestly, and worked earnestly, and although he gave a general kind of support to the Government he could not be said to have followed them slavishly. On the contrary he voted frequently against them, but no one knows it. He does his work, and is never heard going about crowing over having done it. We know he has some Conservative ideas in his bead, and that he is not "Colonial" enough, so to speak, but he is a thoroughly honest, upright, honorable gentleman, who is neither a place-hunter, nor a toad}', and whose only desire is to do what he thinks best for the colony, as a whole.