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Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3268, 22 December 1881, Page 2

It is not quite fair, perhaps, to criticise after supper speeches too closely, but it is impossible to pass over unnoticed some of the absurd statements maJe last night by His Worship the Mayor. It appeared to be his object to show that there were antagonistic interests between the town and the country; to exhibit himself in tbe light of the champion of the town for a period of twenty-two years ; and to make out that tbe country districts bad advanced themselves to the injury of Napier. His Worship's statements and insinuations would have been beneath contempt had they come from a common councillor, but uttered by the Mayor of this borough they were mischievous and totally uncalled for. To old settlers, to men -who have been In this part of the colony quite as long as His VVorship has, tbe assumption by the Mayor of a political position in 1858 is supremely ridiculous. The Mayor said that " on separation being obtained from Wellington be was asked to stand for a seat in the Provincial Council, but refused to do so, as lie felt he could do no good against the strong country interests." Now, in 1858 the town of Napier was very "small potatoes" indeed, and its inhabitants rightly believed that its growth and prosperity depended upon the progress of the country. There was no jealous feeling entertained between town and country; the settlers in both being assured tbat their duty to themselves aud to the colony if properly carried out would not fail to advance the interests of each. We do not know and cannot imagine in what society Mr Vautier moved in. :

1858 to have gathered such ideas as those to which he gave expression last night. The first Provincial Council was composed of the following gentlemen: — Messrs T. H. FitzGerald (Superintendent), J". D. Ormond (Speaker), W. Colenso, T. Hitsbirigs, H. S. Tiffen, J. 0. ts. Carter, J. Rhodes, E. S. Curling, and R. Riddle. Of the above nine gentlemen, Messrs FitzGerald, Colenso, Tiffeu, and Dr Hitchines, were actually town residents, while Mr Rhodes would have been the last man in that Council to have done anything to injure Napier. The only words of the Mayor with which we thoroughly agree were those in tbe middle of his sentence, that " he felt he could do no good " in the Council. He certainly could have done no good there in those days, aud there are many ratepayers at the present time who are very far from endorsing the opinion so freely expressed by tbe councillors last night that he has done much good for the town in his capacity of Mayor.