MR PYKE AND HIS CONSTITUENTS.

Evening Star, Issue 4242, 30 September 1876, Page 4

MR PYKE AND HIS CONSTITUENTS.

The M.H.R. for the Dunstan has forwarded the following letters to tho Alexandra and Bald Hill Flat portions of hie constituency which framed votes of want of confidence in him because .he opposed the Separation resolutions:— Wellington, September 20 My Pear Sir,—Your letter gated 12tli inst.), enclosing c°Py of a resolution passed at a meeting held >n the Library Hall, Alexandra, has this day reached me. I regret extremely that any portion of ray constituency should have deemed it necessary or desirable to Bit in judgment on my actions as iheir representative, without having first sought an cxplamition. Pardon me for remitting you that such a course of jnrocedure is scr rcely in accordance with tho spiiit of fair play, which oar peoplo justly claim to exerelse upon any and every occasiou. In the present instance I have been sabji.'cted to that peculiarly unpleasant form of trial which is known as Jo> burgh Justice Howfver, I can make allowance for proceedings which evidently originated in misapprehension at a period of great political excitement, and for which these most concerned will probably be sorry hereafter. Permit me to point out to you tbat the Separation which I advocated was " Insular," and embraced the County system; whilst the Separation proposed by Mr Macandrew was "Financial," and excluded the County system. There is as much difference between these two proposals as there is Letween night and day. Tre ouo would be a reality; the other is a transparent sham. But in ao shape whatever—Financial or Insular—could I have supported proposals, tho positive effect of which would have been to have robbed tho Southern Provinces of their lend fund. The limits of a letter will not miffer me to enter moro largely ou lho merits of this question at present, but I purpose visiting tho district at the close of the session, when I hope to satisfy every unprejudiced peisun that I have acted in the best interests of the people. The resolution calls upon me to resign my seat j but the trust confided to me by 370 electors'l must decline to yield up at the bidding.of a few persons, many of whom exerted thunstelvcs to prtveut my return, and others of whom exe not ou the electoral roll of the distiist.—l am, dear sir, yours very Bineerely, Mr W. F. Fobbst, Alexandra. Wellington, September 20. I have to acfcnowlc-Jgo tho r coipt on the lOfh inst. of your lottor dated 3lstult., enclosing copy of certain resolutions passed at a meeting held at Bdld Hill Flat. In those resolutions (which. permit me to observe, aro couched in singularly discourteous longuuge), I am charged »ithlav ng violated my pledges, and am told that I have "forfeired the eonfidonco of the rlector*." . ? hat J?^ 0 cojttge which I have pursued in the hyyo\acTtofl w4 h.tlip shfeT-i view of cont(nj"jfe »i,ic i& tf ii-ftrttv* ofwhichlhflpe to'eovrixfic my eo'ukituiiuis whoi I meet iheai, as I intend to do* afUr ilu eu<.l of the

As touching the assertion that I have forfeited the confidence of the electors, it may surprise you to be informed that I venture to entertain a somewhat different <-pinion. I am. however, quite willing to admit that, so far as the electors of Bald Hill Flat are concerned, I do not possess their confidence—a fact which was abundantly illustrated at my election, when only three votes were recorded in my favor ti ere, and of these only one was given by a local resident, whilst strenuous exertions were made by several of the electors in tlaat locality, and notably by yourself, to prevent my ret'irn. Under these circuu.stances, I ain constrained to say that I regard it as a piece of great presuraptl n for the twelve or thirteen persons—all political opponents of mine—who, I am informed, constituted the meeting, to speak in the name and on behalf of the 370 electors who did me the honor to vote for me; and I therefore decline to accede to the extremely modest demand that I shou d resign my scat at their bthest.