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Hawke's Bay Times, Volume II, Issue 38, 20 March 1862, Page 5 (Supplement)

CTer favor of the Smoke's Bay Times.) To Mr. James Parker, Chairman of the Public Meeting held on the Green, Napier, Saturday, March 15th, 1861. Sir, —When I attended the public meeting called by Messrs. Searles and Mullaney on Saturday evening last, I did so because (1) all the town members were by public advertisement requested to be present, and (2) myself in particular had been invited by Mr. Mullaney ; consequently, I supposed I had some right to be there. When, upon putting the second resolution (calling upon the Superintendent immediately to expend the A 637 balance at the end of the year from the sum voted for harbour improvements), I stepped forward to say a few words in order to set right what was a grave error, and which I- knew to be such from my office as Provincial Treasurer ; —common courtesy should havfc sufficed to have obtained tor me leave to speak, so as to give the explanation I had to give in the fullest manner. And, having so given it, common sense should have told you to pause ere you put such a resolution to the meeting ; and common sense should also have prompted the meeting not to carry it. Pur, it cannot be denied, that a man in my public position does not often go forth voluntarily to utter untruths to a public meeting. If you believed that I spoke the truth, you should have shewn it by amending your second resolution. And so, when Mr. Peter Searles charged the Superintendent (amongst other things,) with having given extra monies to a government officer —monies which had not been voted ; and when he further stated that I (William ColensoJ had received the same for myself under the head of “ contingencies” ; common decency and love of fair play should have urged you to demand for me a failhearing, and you should not have listened to Mr. Peter Searles’ repeated statements, that “ the town members were not there to speak,” and that “ there was to be no debate-on the matter.” For, it cannot be denied, if facts—if the truth was what was wanted by the meeting, such undoubtedly would have been the case. However, sir, I will now repeat the statements I made at the meeting : Ist. That there is no (real) “ balance of AG37 standing over from the sum voted for harbour improvements.” For, in addition to the sum of A 5812 IGs. lid. (paid by me as Provincial Treasurer up to the 31st of Dec. last,) there is also the sum of A 792 14s. 9d. paid by me in January, for ivork, Ssc., on the Harbour Improvements during the three last months o/1861. Of course you did not know this ; but you ought to have known (from the December quarterly abstract lately published) that the Director of Public Works had then A 390 in hand, unaccounted for, and which it was to be presumed was also spent. And yon knew (or ought to have known) that of this extra sum of A 742 14s. 9ci., Air. i\x. Aiunaney (who appeared not to relish my attempted explanation,) himself received A 352 Os. 6d. 2nd. That the Superintendent did not give to me any such sum as A3O IGs. over what had been voted (or, in fact, any sura at all). The sum total of A 379 IGs. (Treasury Department Expenditure) is made up as foliOVvS, Vj*T, ;

To James Smith, for a press ftmd in 1860) £27 0 0 •To ditto, fpr shelves, &b‘, V.. ... 410 0 Tp AV. Miller, fcjf fi table (had in I 860)... ... ... 4 2 0 ,To P. Sutton, for stamps and postages 15 8 To J. \Vpod,' IV. &U. Jutes, & others, stationery 318 4 To W. Bay, for copying documents for General

: Government ■ To G. Griffiths, for fire-proof iron safe VTo P. Searles, for placing same ... .

3 0 0 40 0 0 0 10 0

£92 0 0 To Mr. E. Lyndon, for acting in my absence at Auckland ... " ... 60 14 4 To W. Colenso, as treasurer, from Ist Jan. to 31st y December ... 226 15 8

■ . , £379 16 0 So that, instead of my having received =£‘3o 16s. over and above what was voted, and in a smuggling, clandestine, (thievish) way, I have not only not received what was voted, but have fallen far short of the £3OO salary, about which so much noise has been made. This, however, you would not now have known, had it not been as it were wrung from me through ungenerous treatment and unjust statements made at the Public Meeting on Saturday evening last. I have the honor to he. Sir, Your very Obedient Servant, . William Colexso, M.P.C.