"EVENING STAR" TELEGRAMS

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume IV, Issue 383, 13 May 1876, Page 3

"EVENING STAR" TELEGRAMS

TO THE EDITOE. Sih, — I have been shewn an Evening Star in which this telegram is published : — "Tauranga, (from our own Correspondent.) A petition to Sir Donald McLean, with over 200 signatures, leaves by to-night's steamer, asking that Major Roberts may bo kept in this district. Counter petition emanating from Edgcumbe and Bill was a total failure." I beg through your medium to deny the truth of the seme. In the first place, nothing like 200 s'^natures to the petition were got, and in the second place, 1 did not try to get up any coun'er petition. I did not bother my head one way or the other about the petition. However, I would like to tell the author of tVe telegram and his fiiends, that if I had w'shed I could eas ; 'y have got up a counter peti 'on. I know many men who refused to sign the peftion, and many who signed it becmse they did not wish to offend, and come because they ore goiDg to leave Tauranga, and do not care one way or the other ; besides w 1 'eh boys were asked to sign it, and, in fact, anybody, whether he bud a stake iv the district or not. I could jnention the names of some of onr best settlers, who refused to sign the petition. As to Mr Edgcumbe, I know nothing at all about what he did, but I distinctly deny having tried to get up a counter petition ; and I challenge the sender or any one else to cay I did. I -would have written this for Wednesday's paper, but I was away at Ohinemutu, and only saw the Star on nay coming home. — I am, Ac, D. H. M. Bill