THE HOKITIKA COMMITTEE AND MR. HARRISON.

Grey River Argus, Volume VI, Issue 426, 6 October 1868, Page 2

THE HOKITIKA COMMITTEE AND MR. HARRISON.

(To the Editor of the Grey River Argus.} Sir — Will you oblige by publishing the. following letter :— In your issue of the 26th instant, you publish a telegram from Mr Klein to Mr Fox— -a telegram said to be sent from the. Committee to the Westland members, and a telegram in reply from Mr Har4 rison, said to be sent to the Committee, also a letter from Mr Harrison addressed to the Committee, As a member of the Committee, appointed at the public meeting held ii* Hokitika, cm the 16th instant, "for the I purpose of considering the financial position of Westland with reference to the consolidation loan scheme of the Genera^ Government," and at which meeting the following resolution was unanimously passed, viz. : — " That this meeting begs to ! protest against the consolidation of the provincial debts,, unless the same embodies an equitable adjustment of the debts between the different provinces and the County of Westland," I "beg to state that neither of the above telegrams were senjj with the knowledge or authority of the Committee, and thas the Committee never received a telegram from Mr Harrison at all on any subject ; the first intimation they got of his letter,, dated 17th instant, was through the West Coast Times on the 25th instant. The first meeting of the Committee wag held on the 18th instant, at which a telegram from Mr Harrison to Mr Klein was submitted by the latter gentleman for the information of the Committee (this telegram was published in the West Coast Times, of the 19th instant), when .the Committee approved of the course taken by Mr Harrison, in supporting the Stafford Ministry, and passed the following refjolutions, viz.: — Ist. '* That the telegram submitted be sent' to Mr Harrison with the thanks of: this. Committee. " 2nd. " That Mr Cassius be requested to act as the delegate of Wes^land, to confer with the members of the district in the General Assembly." 3rd. "That a memorial be drawn up and presented to the General Assembly, setting forth the financial position of the district,'- &c. The telegram spoken of in the first resolution I have not a copy of ; but doubtless V yqur" member, wsl forward this toe you with his usual impartiality. The memorial alluded to in the third resolution is published in the West Coast Times, of the 26th. instant, and an. estimate of the county revenue and expenditure in an issue of the same paper of the 24th instant. Sir, I think after the above statements of the facts of the case that you and the people of Greymouth and district will quite exonerate the (committee from the. odium which you have cast upon them, as I feel pertain that the majority at all events — after reading Mr Mowat's carefully drawn, up statement read at the, public meetings alluded to — the statement of county revenue and expenditure— and the memorial drawn up by the Committee, could' not approve of your treatment of that body, even although they may have inadvertently slighted ." your" member, for it must be patent to every honest and unprejudiced mind that the steps taken, by the Committee have been most impartial, and oalculated to do considerable service to WestlandJ by placing the ixv« statement' of the tinantitJ inisitiion of Westland, under the proposed scheme of the Government, before the public and the members of the General Assembly, besides the- fact of showing the Government that' by sending up a delegate we are, determined to get justice done to Westland if it be possible. Before concluding, 1 may give yflU an instance of the courtesy of "your^ member, Mr Harrison. On the 10th instant, having perused a telegram from Wellington to the effect " that he (Mr H.) had agreed to accept £15,000 on behalf of Westland," at the suggestion 6t some gentlemen here I sent ajn official telegram.

asking him upon what basis he had agreed to accept that sum, &c, stating, at the Bame time, that a reply was paid for, but •ay to this time I have not recoived a word in reply, either by telegram or letter. In reference to the remarks of some of the speakers at the public meeting in your town, I can only say that I exceedingly regret that they should have taken such a selfish and narrow-minded view of the question at issue, and consider that if they had had the true interest of Greymouth and Westland at heart, they would have combined with the people of Hokitika, so long as the course they were advocating was for the general good, rather than attempt to smother their efforts through a feeling of jealousy. I feel assured that the people of this district will at all times be only too happy to copperate with Greymouth in any measure for the welfare of Westland, irrespective of the locality in which the subject may .originate.. I am, &c, E. Prosper. Hokitika, Sept. 30, 1868. '