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Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2225, 14 April 1881, Page 3

REPORTS OP THE WEST COAST COMMISSIONERS* PROCEEDINGS. The following letter is the one referred to in our leading article : TO THE EDITOB OF THB PBKBS. Sib,—ln the issue of the "Lyttelton Times " of the 30th March is a letter from the special correspondent of that paper at Wellington, and in that letter occurs the following sentence—" The Government had appointed a reporter (Mr McCarthy) to a position on the staff of Sir William Fox and Sir Dillon Bell (Royal Commissioners), on the express understanding that he should supply the Ohristchuroh Fbess and other Ministerial organs with ' approved * reports of the Commissioners' doings." If the statement effected only myself I should not take the trouble to contradict it; for I may say at once that there is not a word of truth in it. Nor do I think I should have written a word to clear the reputation of the present or any other Government. They are all used to reflections of this kind, and can afford to treat them with indifference. But as one allegation of this correspondent is calculated to compromise your charaoter for independence in the eyes of the public, I thought it a pity that such a fabrication should be allowed to pais unchallenged. Now, I may say, in the firßt place, that I was not appointed by tho Government; that I never sought that or any other appointment at their hands; and that, as far as I am aware, I am personally unknown to every member of the Cabinet. Neither was there any " express understanding," or any other kind of understanding, that I should supply the Christchurch press or any other Ministerial organs with " approved " reports, or reports of any kind, of the Commissioners' doings. So far as the appointment was concerned, I did n<>t know Government in the matter. Tho appointment was conferred upon me by Bir William Fox, and it waß the merest accident that I obtained it. I had no influence with the Government, and had never spoken to Sir William before I waited upon him respecting the appointment. As to the telegrams I sent, I may say that I only thought of sending them when I found the sittings of the Commission were open to the public. Upon finding that to be the case, I sent occasional telegrams at such times and to such papers as my humor dictated. I did not pretend to send reports of the proceedings. I was not in a position to do so had I wished, as being but one of two shorthand writers I could only telegraph as to half the proceedings. I did not ask permission of the Commissioners to telegraph, nor were they aware that I was doing so, though, no doubt, they discovered it afterwards. There was no method or oonsecutiveness about the telegrams. I just wired anything I thought might be of interest; nor did I always send to the same papers. There had been no arrangement whatever between the different papers and myself. I consulted my own inclinations entirely in the matter, and generally sent to such papers as I had some friendly feelings towards, either in consequence of paet business relations or through personal acquaintance with some of the staff. Remuneration was not referred to on either side, though subsequently some papers were good enough to voluntarily recognise my Borvices by a money payment. Amongst these was the Press, so that it will be seen that journal was not indobtcd to the Government at any rate in the matter of these telegrams. That, sir, is the whole history of my connection with the West Coas', Commission. I was merely a shorthand writer attached to it. I was not a private secretary, nor did I occupy a confidential position of any kind. _ I am very much surprised that the special correspondent in queßtion could have made such assertions. I was under the impression that I had long ago acquainted him with all tho facts—for I know the correspondent very well, —but I fear I must be under a misapprehemion, as he is altogether astray in hii facts, and apparently knows nothing whatever about a matter which he pretendß to narrate the particulars of. I am, &c, V. McCarthy. "Argus" office, Oreymouth, April 9th 1881.