The Evening Star WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 1874

Evening Star, Issue 3400, 14 January 1874, Page 2

The Evening Star WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 1874

While we claim, the undoubted right to criticise freely the public acts of men in public positions, we hold it to be a higher duty to defend them from any imputation to which they may be exposed through inferences drawn from those acts, when facts within our knowledge justify us in doing so. On these grounds we once more revert to the almost foi’gotten Chinese petition, on which some months ago we commented asa passing event, and on Mr Macasse y’s connection with it, when its translation was received from Melbourne. The reason why we revive this subject is that yesterday a gentleman from Queenstown, whom the Chinese consulted in the matter, and who is thus well acquainted with the whole circumstances, called at the office of this paper and said that the inferences that might be fairly drawn from the subject matter of the petition, in reference to Mr Macassey’s connection with the affair, and, tb his disadvantage, were altogether; linwarranted by the facts ; that he'had really nothing to do with the- -matter beyond presenting the petition in his capacity as a member of the Provincial Council; and that the statement of the Chinese respecting the pay ment of two hundred pounds, should their petition succeed, was merely a suggestion of their own, signifying their intention to subscribe that sum—a circumstance of which Mr Magasse* was not aware, nor was he (the narrator) when the petition was sent down for presentation. But we prefer giving our informant’s statement in his own words, to presenting any version of our own. It was as follows:—“ When MrMACASSEYwasup in the Lake District, contesting the election, the Chinamen, through their agent, spoke to him about a petition which they wished to have presented

to the Council or Government, respecting Mr Beetham. They wanted to know whether Mr Macassey would present such a petition. I told them I would see Mr Macassey and ascertain. I asked him if he would take charge of a petition of the kind, and he ,said he would do so. Some tirae afcerwards the petition was brought to me in Chinese, and I was asked to send it to Mr Macassey. Of course I had to put it into English, and I did so as far as I was able—that is, I gave the substance. I put what I thought was their grievance into the shape of a petition and sent it to Mr Macassey, who was then in Dunedin, and he presented it to the Council, which was :then in session. The petition, as prepared by the Chinese, was really a circular letter, in which it appears they stated their wishes to collect two hun- , dred pounds for the purpose of being paid to a lawyer who would get the petition presented, and they asked the Chinamen to collect and subscribe small sums among themselves. Nothing was ever said to Mr Macassey -about the two hundred pounds at the time either by me or anyone else. I myself .knew nothing about the two hundred pounds at the time. No agreement of the kind was ever made.”

This statement, by a gentleman who has no interest in the affair beyond the very proper wish to have it set in its true light before the public, is, in our opinion, conclusive that Mr Macassey, in presenting that petition, was but partially acquainted with its contents—a matter that need not excite surprise when it is found necessary to transmit it to Melbourne, in order to obtain a correct translation; but no one who reads the account of the affair as it now stands, whatever his former impressions, can arrive at any other conclusion than that Mr Macassey, in presiting the petition, was merely fulfilling a formal duty, which did not even necessarily commit him to approval of its prayer. We consider this explanation fully due to Mr Macassey, and we are glad to be placed in a position enabling us to give it. * - ——