MR J. C. BROWN EXPLAINS.

Evening Star, Issue 3219, 14 June 1873, Page 1 (Supplement)

MR J. C. BROWN EXPLAINS.

Mr J. C. Brown denies that he ever voted against the Tolmie Government, bat simpiy went into the lobby against them on 11* question of adjournment, which is a mere quibble. He further says that he was strongly in favor of a dissolution when ibe Councilfirst met; and on one occasion stron i y advised the Superintendent to ask for a dissolution, as the only escape from the awkward position in which things stood. T s much he explained at Wetherstones, ih s day week, when he also told the electors of the district how it was that he came to jm Mr Reid’s Government. The explanation, as given by Mr Brown, is a wordy one ; bu in substance it is this : When Mr Hein fir-t appealed to him, he declined to join him for several reasons. He thought any person accepting a position in the Government ought to devote his whole time to the duties of his office, and that his own duties at Welling ton would preclude him from aco pt ng office; and he recommended Mr R.id to select some one who had more debating powers than he could exercise. Mr Re of declined to take a refusal, whereupon Mr Brown consulted the Goldfields mem bers, and then he found several of them most anxious to obtain office themseives. Then followed the negotiations for a coalition. Mr Brown suggesting Mr Bastings sh mid retain his present position; but those neg<» tiations, as we know, fell through. Mr Bm « n gives an additional piece of information which is that theGoldfields members thought, by Mr Bastings accepting office in Mr iieid’s Government, it would look strange to go from one side to the other; and, therefore, they advised him not to accept. We give what followed in Mr Brown’s own words : “Then Mr Reid came to him, and stated that all his proposals had been rejected, ao'i that he (Mr Brown) must accept office. He replied he would decide in the co rse of the evening. He then consulted Mr Bastings and other gentlemen. Mr Bastings said imight place him in a false position; but. when he told Mr Bastings that if h* (Mr Brown) did nob accept, some other Goldfields member would certainly do so, and the result might be very inju<ious for the nexo two years, he quite agreed with him. He, (Mr Brown) therefore, thought he would rather stand the chance of appearing in a 1* e position for a short time, knowing that when the whole affair was explained to his constituents, they would acquit bim •»( all mercenary motives in connection wit.i his conduct, and believe that he accepted office solely for their good. He told Mr Bastings that he could hold office for him while absent at the Assembly. He arranged with Mr Keid that he should have full control of all public works on the goldfields, and he believed that he would have been able to occupy the position for the good of the gold fields. Had he not accepted, there we e others who would have done so for the me e empty honor. He would take this credit to himself that he felt confident he could an minister the department as efficiently as any other member of the Provincial Council. Ue apologi ed for the prolixity of his remarks, but he felt it due to the electors to enter thus fully into an explanation of what might bethought strange conduct on his part. L might otherwise have seemed a contradiction that his colleague should be in one Government, aud he in another. If they thought he was deserving of censure for the way he had acted, they would have an op portunity of rejecting him on this occasion ”