THE HON. MR SCOTLAND’S LETTER.

Evening Star, Issue 4149, 14 June 1876, Page 4

THE HON. MR SCOTLAND’S LETTER.

[By Thlegbaph.] Kbw Plymouth, June 13. A large and crowded meeting of persons from all parts of the district took place last night, to discuss SootlSnd’s letter to Grant. The letter is as follows : Taranaki, May 27,1876. Sir,—l. hare read a letter from you to the 'Taranaki Hera.d,’ as well as one signed “ Careful* Sees," which appeared in the saute paper on the 2t.h inst. 1 mast express my astonishment that either yourself or the writer of that other letter Should condescend to care in what light your con* duct might be viewed in such a cortupt, ignorant, saobbisu, Government town as Mew Plymouth. The 'Herald’ is the organ of old settlerism, as well as of Vogelism, in Taranaki. Of the largo mindedness of,the people of oar village capital you will he able to form some idea when I tell you that certain of -he elite of the place, viz.,‘shopkeepers of Devon and Brougham streets, who grind the faces of the poor with their famine prices, are, by misrepresentation and putting on the screw, doing all in their power to prevent the establishment of a cooperative store for the protection of the farmers and working men of Taranaki. Bat, please God, we ■hail yet succeed in spite of them. Do not be afraid of anything our contemptible Central Government can do with ihe view of injuring you in the Old Country; their censure will amount to a praise. You ought to be thankful that yoti are persecuted for the truth’s sake, and that your persecutors have nothing to say against your private character. 1 have been persecuted by the snobs of New Plymouth, as yon have been by the sophs of Dunedin, or presuming to censure the general want of humanity; here with regard to the poor Maori. lam the black sheep of the place ; amLwhea I consider what sort of men they ore whom - Taranaki delights to honor, I assure you I quite gloiy inmy infamy. I hope yon will not be diaoouipgedjbnt go on boldly proclaiming the truth to a corrupted and demoralised Colony; a course in which, ?! fear, very few of its newspapers are likely,to-' follow you. I have also written to the ' Belfast News Letter ’ to say that what you have stated about New Zealand is, to my certain know, ledge, substantially correct.—l am, &c n _ : it, H. Scotland. P.8.-vYou .axe at liberty to make what use you please of this letter. Several speakers, spoke strongly against the Hon Mr * Gotland's action, and his speeches in ‘ Hansard ’ were quoted to show that he belied himself. Those who ondea voned to take his part expressed regret that he had purposely absented himself. The following resolutions were passed : (1.) That in the opinion of the meeting the charges made against the Colony by Grant in the ‘Belfast Piews Letter,' and corroborated by Mr Scotland in his letter,.are utterly untrue, and an unjustifiable slander against the Colony. (2.) That the meeting is of opinion that the Governor should, be requested to remove Mr Scotland from his position as a member of the Legislative Coimcil, because of the unjustifiable'slanders against the. Colony which he has endorsed, and that he in no way represents the views of the people of this Province or of the Colony at large. (3.) That the Chairman be requested to forward copies of the resolutions and report of the meeting to the editors of the Belfast newspapers, with a request that they will give publicity to the same,

All the speakers were very temperate in their demands, and appeared to regret Mr Scotland had acted in the manner he had.