MIS-REPORTING.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVII, Issue 1746, 29 July 1862, Page 2

MIS-REPORTING.

With reference to the following, and to the remarks made by Mr, Weld in the House yesterday, we have to express our regret that we should have mis-ieported that gentleman's speech, Instead of mukiug Mr. Weld say. "The treaty of Waitangi was a sham, a trap to catch Natives, — if it had not been, he should have felt bound to support it" we ought to have made him say, "Tlie treaty of Waitangi was a sham, a trap to catch Natives — yet he had always felt bouud to support it."

While we cheerfully acknowledge our error we must beg to remark that Mr. Weld's utterances are so peculiar, that to persons unaccustomed to them, it is sometimes very difficult to catch his meaning, especially from the repor ter's gallery:

With reference to°a remark §that fell from Mr, Stafford relative to the probability of correct reports appearing in the Auckland papers, we think it only due to ourselves, and to the press of Wellington generally, to say that when the Assembly was first held in Auck land, the reporting arrangements there were far worse than those which now exist in Wellington — the House was obliged to have a report ing commiUee,|of whom Mr. Fitzgerald, we believe, was one. The certainty of repeated meetings of the Assembly has enabled Auckland offices to perfect their arrangements, both for reporii lg and general printing ; while in Wellington there has always been such an uncertainty to the Assembly's meeting, as pre vented any very expensive arrangements being entered iutothis year. We made large prepara tions both in 1860 and 1861, and as each time the Assembly met at Auckland after all, we incurrred a heavy loss. A burnt child dreads the fire, and on the breaking out of the Kaipara feud we thought it pruden 1 to suspend contemplated arrangements, lest the Assembly might for the third time be prevented ,eornjug here. These reasons must be sufficient to account for our not reporting so efficiently as is desirable.

We are obliged to Mr. Weld for his correction relative to the dear. The first importation per Triton were consigned to the Colonial Government, and are held at their disposal. The econd importation were addressed to the Colo nial Secretary, precisely as were the first, and we could not therefore be supposed to know t the contrary. We think it as well to say that Mr. Morrison in his communications t> the colony makes use of the terms " stags " and " hinds," and not " bucks " and " does."

To the Editor of the Wellington Independent Wellington, July 26, 18G2. Sib. — I observe in your report of last night's debate, that I am mada to say with regard to the treaty of Waitangi, "if it were not a sham I should have supported it to the utmost." Ido not usually take notice of inaccuracies in reports, but it appears to me that it would be a most unfortunate thing should it go abroad, that any colonist in the position of a member of the House of had repudiated a treaty obligation entered into by the British Crown and binding upon every inhabitant of these Islands of European origin ; I therefore for once depart from my usual practice, and beg to state that the words you put into my mouth convey the opposite meaning to those I uttered (as 1 believe) distinctly and emphatically enough. I may here observe that I have no objection to my speeches being omitted if they cannot be properly reported. I can even submit to have nonsense put into mv mouth, but I must request that in future you will not attribute to me sentiments disreputable in themselves and the reverse of those I may really utter.

Whilst on the subject of inaccuracies I may as well notice that both you and your contemporary the ' Spectator ' are in error in supposing the deer in the Joachim Christian to have been introduced into this country by the Colonial Government. The deer in question (which by the way are Bucks and Does not Staga and Hinds) were with other animals and birds ordered for the benefit of the colony by the late ministry, and the fact having come to the knowledge of the late Prince Consort, he, prompted by his well known desire to promote every useful undertaking, desired to present those deer to the colony. In the interim the present ministry entered office and countermanded the order, Mr. Morrison the agent, unwilling to return them to Windsor, and desirous that Prince Albert's views should as nearly as possible be carried into effect, offered these animals to Sir Chas. Clifford now in England. The offer was accepted, and they with the phsasants also on board are now the property, and have been brought out at the sole expense, of Messrs. Clifford and Weld. I have the honor to be. Sir, Your's most obediently, Fred. A. Weld.