CORRESPONDENCE.

Dunstan Times, Issue 780, 30 March 1877, Page 3

CORRESPONDENCE.

The following is placed in our hands for publication : To Mr Owen O’Neil,''an.l the Gentlemen signing the Kawarau Requisition. G ENTLEMEN, 1 have to acknowledge the receipt of your requisition. I regret very much that, owing, as I believe, to a grave misunderstanding, you should have adopted a course so injurious to the public weal. The “ County Town question may be of some trivial moment to the residents in the townships, but to the County electorate it is of no consequence whatsoever ; and it is somewhat surprising to find a number of intelligent men prepared, apparently, to sacrifice their own interests and the interests of the County, to satisfy the selfish greed of persons, who, for the most part, have nothing at stake in the County, and do not contribute to its revenues. In point of fact you have been misinformed (not intentionally, I am sure) by (he Deputation that waited on me at Clyde. My reply was, that if the people of the Borough would merge into the County, I should he with them not that “ if they took steps ” I should do so. It is easy to “ take steps,” which do not bind the taker to anything. “Steps ” actually were taken by the Corporation of Cornwell, with the result of their Withdrawal when put to the test. ■ But the most strange thing is that you and others will persist in assuming that the * County Town ” has been permanently fixed. ISolhingof the kind has been done. The Council Offices never can he fixed, as within any borough ; and it is open for the County Council yet to fix it when and where they please. Certainly the Cromwell agitators, by their violent and offensive conduct have done their best to drive the Council away j hut 1 believe the members of the Council to he 100 high-minded to he ii fluenced by extraneous occurrences, and that in the final settlement of this question they will he guided solely by the consideration of the public good. Neither is it correct that 1 recorded " one vote for Cromwell, and my casting vote for Clyde.” 1 voted against loth on principle, because I was opposed to any premature forcing of the matter to an issue ; and the representatives of the Nevis and Hawca Ridings knew, before they entered the Council Chamber, that I Mas so opposed, 1 entreated them to support an adjournment until such time as the merger of the Borough was an accomplished fact; and I even offered to vote for the holding of the next meeting of the Council at Cromwcl', if they would consent to such adjournment, which 1 verily believe they would have done hut for the arbitrary pressure put, upon them by the Cromwell agitators, who, by telegram, and through Mr S. N. Brown’s personal action, insisted en the question

being forced through at all risks. They therefore are responsible for tho present position of affairs. It is quite true that—tho votes being equal—l gave my casting vote in favor of Clyde, ns being most convenient for the then members of tho Council, just as, under similar circumstances I would give it in favor of Cromwell, or Blacks, or Alexandra. I can only account for your mistaken impressions on these and kindred subjects, by supposing you to have been misled by the incorrect reports and habitual mis-statements of tho “ Cromwell Argusfor how anyone, who had read my remarks in the Council (as correctly reported in the Dunstan Times, a copy of which 1 enclose), could fall into such errors passes my comprehension. Still more have you and tho public been misled by Mr Brown, editor of the Cromwell Argus, who by reading two disconnected extracts from different parts of a private letter, as if they had been one consecutive sentence, gave a meaning to them which they did not possess in the original. I did not make the “ statement ” or “ promise” attributed to me; but as I have no copy of that letter, and have been refused a copy by Mr Brown, I am unable to say to what that promise—“lf I succeed, &e ,” does efer. I believe it to refer to tho extension of he County, and in that direction should ftq, Northern Division look if it desires to the balance of power. Yon will see from the foregoing that your requisition is based upon a misunderstanding resulting fri.n nre-epresentation. I therefore think it only fair to yourselves to afford the requisitio lists an opportunity fop reconsidering their action. 11 esitate to believe that the men of Bannockburn desire to do an act of injustice, nor wi.l I suppose them to V>c in such bondage as to forego their right of private judgment at the dictation of agitators who possess neither voice nor vote in County affairs. I am. Ccntlemen, Yoar faithful servant, Vincent Byes,