THE MAYOR'S EXPLANATION.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 981, 17 August 1877, Page 2

THE MAYOR'S EXPLANATION.

(To the Editor of the Globe.) Silt, —I feel sure lam called upon and also ■ just ified in vindicating my conduct in reference to a letter from Mr J. P. Jameson to myself. ]N T o\v, as the members of the City Council and also the " Press " and Globe consider that I did not reply to the said letter in sufficient terms to set Mr Hobbs right in the matter of the Conference, proposing the. two shilling rating power I beg to state that at the time I received Mr Jameson's letter on the 10th inst, 1 had not received any official information on the subject. All that I had received at the time were flying reports. I therefore replied to Mr Jameson's letter, in accordance with his request, within one hour from the time of receiving it; and to show that I had no intention in my letter of conveying a wrong impression of the subject i to Mr Jameson as to Mr Hobbs' action in Conference, I saw Mr Jameson the same or the following day that my letter was written, and told him (Mr Jameson) all" the information that I was in possession of at the time—viz., that the proposition emanated from Invercargill, and that the 2s rate would not reach beyond the limits of Otago, and consequently would not affect any other provincial district. At the same time I explained that upon reading his (Mr Jameson's) letter, I as a matter of courtesy showed it to Councillor Turner, as he happened to be present at the time. Mr Turner then dictated the letter in reply which the Town Clerk drafted, of which I disapprove!l, considering it was more than s should under the then existing circumstance be justified in submitting to writing, knowing I hat my position compels me to be very cautious in keeping within, rather than to exceed, the limits of my duties as Mayor. By inserting the above you gveatly oblige Yoiirfii &-•>' JAS, GAFES,