THE AMENDE HONORABLE.

Auckland Star, Volume II, Issue 532, 23 September 1871, Page 2

THE AMENDE HONORABLE.

In our issue of Thursday, when speaking of the midnight freaks which have caused so much public attention, we said, in anticipation of tlie promised explanation, that " if we find that we have done wrong to any one, we shall have sincere pleasure in 'iffording what reparation may be possible, uninfluenced one way or the other by. any threats, whether legal or physical, but only by a sense of justice and of the courtesies of life." That explanation we were enabled to insert in the same issue, and accepting it as strictly correct, we find that we were iv error with reference to a few of the names. At the time when the information respecting the " Mohawking " was being given, the "cock fight' at Otahuhu was also being described, and the.names of those present on the separate occasions got somehow jumbled up. At the same time, with the exception of three names, the statement in " A letter from Dick" appears to have been substantially correct-. To one gentleman we desire to offer a very ample apology. Mr. John Reid, it appears, was not present on the occasion, and we have to express to him our regret for any annoyance which may have been caused to him. We have received from him a lawyer's letter, but we think he will believe us when we say that had this letter not been sent, we should have felt equally compelled by a sense of right to make reparation. We also find pleasure in saying that his conduct in appealing to the law courts for redress was infinitely more gentlemanly and creditable to him than the course adopted by others. To Messrs. Bennett and Walker we also desire to apologise. There are so many Bennetts that we apologise to them all, and if any of them considers himself to have been injured, we beg to say that he was not there. Mr. Walker, by his subsequent proceedings, might seem to have forfeited the right to apology. Nevertheless, we apologise. We were wrongly informed. We believe he was not present on the occasion, and we regret the annoyance that we have given him. He has given way to a warm temperament. We should have felt great plea-ure in satisfying him by apology, if he had only given us time to make enquiry, and now we volunteer to him our expression of sincere regret for what has happened.

From Mr. J. W. Taylor we have also received a lawyer's letter, and to him we render a qualified apology. He did not provide the poker, so we are informed, and in respect of the poker we beg to apologise and express our regret, c-till, he was with the party, a detachment of which committed the depredations complained of, and in this respect the facts slaed in the " Explanation" are substantially those stated in the " Letter from Dick." That he joined in the depredations we never stated, but only that he was one of the party by members of which the deeds were committed ; find we trust that the incident will teach him to be more careful of his company in future. Mr. Taylor knows very well that on a previous occasion we very vigorously defended him when an' effort was made by a blackguard to give him annoyance, while Mr. Taylor was perfectly innocent; and we shall be prepared to do the same if required again. Bat if Mr. Taylor finds himself with those who are capable of doing what Mr. Taylor would never do, he may expect to get involved with them in the consequences. We really believe Mr. Taylor, had nothing to do with the ; irregularities, ' and we are sorry for the annoyance he has experienced. As for Messrs. Russell, Crippen, and Samuel Morrin, their case is that of Mr. Taylor. They formed two parties, from one pf which a person passed over and wrenched the knocker off Mrs. Lewis's door; and from the other a person went andiflung the poker through Mr. Richmond's window. They are. the victims of evil jcompanionship, and we trust that the incidents that have transpired will not be lost loa jthem. "As to Messrs.; I Dancey and Biundell, and others unknown, we have already expressed our sentiments, and ithese opinions we do not withdraw, is will be seen from the "Explanation," and the " Further Explanation," already published by authority, the other depredations committed during thee previous week, and bni Saturday night, are; wholly

unaccounted for, and we await the action of tlie police. We accept the " Explanations" in good faith, and conclucb with a general apology to all who hay. not been guilty of " Mohawking."