THE NELSON GOLD FIELDS SECRETARY IN EXPLANATION.

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 723, 6 September 1870, Page 4

THE NELSON GOLD FIELDS SECRETARY IN EXPLANATION.

We have frequently reported speeches made during recent elections in the Nelson Grey District for both the Provincial Council and Assembly, in which serious charges have been made against Mr A. Reid, the recently appointed Gold Fields Secretary. In common justice to him, we have now to direct attention to a few extracts from a full and clear statement, published in the Westport Times, of the position temporarily assumed by Mr Reid on the Nelson Executive, according to the Superintendent's suggestion and Executive Act passed. He says : — "lt is the misfortune of constituencies, in returning the members of even so small a body as the Nelson Council, to be limited or misled in their choice ; aud it the misfortune of their fellows to have their actions misrepresented as grossly as are occasionally the interests of the electors. Fortunately the exceptions are rare and marked, otherwise popular representation or all personal self-respect must necessarily cease. It is quite enough for a man to give his time to public affairs ; it is not more than he need expect to have his course* of conduct criticised or misunderstood ; but it is an outrage upon the courtesies of life, and a double outrage upon the courtesies of councillorship, to have persons enjoying the privilege and the name of members, while yet the Council is in session, or again after its close, not only mis-stating facts from a position in which they ought to be as faithful as if they were in the witnessbox, but traducing the character of others with a license in lying and language which would not even pass unnoticed under the easy privileges of a pot-house. More than one member has suffered from this sort of thing, and in one especial instance, my name, as one of your representatives, in conjunction with that of Mr Donne of Charleston— than whom no more honorable or earnest man ever entered a Provincial Couucil — has been used with a grossness of reference to our united or separate action, and, as to the price for which wo " sold " ourselves exceeding anything which even my lowest estimate of its perj etrator had warranted. I refer to the Grey d strict. In justice to Mr Donne, against whom and myself itis basely insinuated that we acted in collusion in regard to the matter to which 1 have alluded, I can only say that it was the one subject of the session upon which we were at variance — to such an extent that, in daily and friendly intercourse, it was a tabooed subject between us for ten days, except in open discussions in the Council, each having his own different harmless crotchets as to gold fields' management. On most other subjects, I am glad to say, we happened to be harmonious, nor did we consider it necessary, because we were chosen to represent similar but distinct districts, that each should fly at the other's throat.' I had not wished to write so warmly, as I have done, but the honor of a constituency is intimately allied with that of its representative, and, without being ultra-sensitive, I cannot but feel that, if all of you had read, as I have had opportunities of doing, the observations of inconsiderate associates, you would conclude that any desire to have a man's character thoroughly well damned is, of all ways, most easily gratified by returning him as a member of a Provincial Council." . . . . "1 venture to hold the opinion that, if no serious liability is involved to the Province, the best increase to the representation that can be made would be made by the annexation of the- town of Greymouth and the district of the Tereuiakau. With past pecuniary liabilities of the district satisfactorily arranged, I believe that to be a consummation which would be be highly beneficial to the interests of the West Coast, without detriment to what is courteously called the agricultural part of the Province. The : best improvement that can be made at present, in the event of vacancies, is for the electors to be most jealous and careful as to the character of the men they return, and let mining representation be mining representation in fact as well as in name. I do not exclude myself from this reference." .... " In conclusion, let me say that, although the very modest intrusion upon the connsels of his Honor which I proposed, and the regularly recognised official position which the representative of Charleston proposed, were nullified and negatived mainly by the action of West Coa-3t members, I did not conceive it my dcty atonce to resign. While in Nelson,-. 1 attended a few of the Executive meetings, and if I can say so without breach of etiquette, 1 dare to say that the slight experience thereby gained convinces me that not only is there no impropriety, but that there is extreme propriety, in some one member of the Council being present with the- Executive during the recess, as a simple source of suggestion to them in their consultations upon Gold Fields matters. If it is not worth the money I proposed as the probable expenses of a West Coast resident to and fro, I can only say that I have seen mnoh, more money thrown away upon aworse object, with a great deal less noise about it. The substitute which I have ventured to suggest to individual members of the Executive is that to the West Coast they must come, both early and often ; and I am confident that, if the Superintendent would but concede a little of his opinion as to the situation and manner of dis--charging his duties, the West'Oo^si? "atfd the other parts, of ,;the Province would be greatly consolidated in sympathy an;l interest. With an alteration in the Engineering Department, by which the heads of that department would receive good salaries, free from the reservation of the words " including expenses," which is literally a premium upon the non-dis-charge of duties, there would be no necessity for a Commissionership and the possible heartburnings which, on such terms as were proposed, it was calculated to create. Otherwise, a Commissionership Secretaryship, or whatever it may be, will obviously have to be reverted.to, and much more will this be the' case if the annexation of the Teremakau District be accomplished."