Correspondence.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume IX, Issue 466, 1 April 1867, Page 2

Correspondence.

%* We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions expressed by correspondents, * m *

TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.

Sir, —In your issue of the 11 //i instant, yon published a letter from a correspondent, in which he refers to an inquest, held by me, on the body of a man found drowned in the Tuki Tula river, during the last month. Amongst other things, he states that, “ on the arrival of the coroner at the house in which the inquest was to be held, that gentleman was helplessly drunk, so ihai he was vilcrly unable to conduct the proceedings, and this was left to the hand of a person who acted as clerk, whilst he himself left the apartment, and remained aiqay during the whole of Ike proceedings, until ihe end, when he was helped back to close them, A portion of the jury also declined, or neglected to proceed to view the body, although bound by law to do so." lie also complains that a portion of the jury were from Waipawa, and winds m> his tirade against me by saying that the whole proceedings must he regarded as of the most disgraceful character, so much so, as to astonish all who hear of them, and concludes by telling you,

that he encloses his card , in case (hat a: j inccsiu gallon should iaice place* vi order that you may couiTJtuuicate It i? italic to ih* »i **yst.ub In answer to these otherwise serious charges, I have to denounce your correspondent as a shameless and malicious perverter of the truth, and can prove my statements oy referring to the foreman and the juhj, who can prove that I was not, as stated helplessly drunk and unable to conduct the proceedings ; but that J swore in the jury, and the witnesses who were examined, myself, with the usual oaths } and that after going with the ii/runtm to view the body, that I did not leave my place as coroner until the whole of the proceedings were finished; and that T only employed a person to write down the necessary evidences, to relieve myself in the matter, and which I had a perfect right to do. As regards the complaint that some of the gury (some three in number) were brought from Waipawa, it appears to me that, as the body was found in a river dividing Waipawa from the Haipuiurau, there was nothing wrong in so doing. Trusting that, in common justice to myself, you will favour ms by publishing this in your next issue, and also forward to me the name and address of your correspondent, in order that I may take any Jurther steps in the matter, as I may think proper. I am. Sir, Tour obedient servant, Chajrles R. English. Coroner. Waipukurau, Mar. 21, 1867.

[ITa have before had occasion to remark that tee did not give insertion to o~.tr correspondent’s communication until we had made enquiries of other parties, and received from them the necessary confirmation of the main statements made therein. It is not, however, our practice to give up the name of a correspondent, supplied to us in confidence and merely as a guarantee of good faith, but in this case we have written to the gentleman in question, and have no doubt that he will himself supply Dr. English with the information required Ed. H.B.T.] TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES. Sir,—l note by the report of the half-yearly General meeting of the P., N.Z., and A.R.M. Company, held on the December last, that the Directors have determined not to accept any fees. It would be as well for the Directors of the N.Z.S. A. Co. to take a lesson from them, and cease to receive any remuneration from the struggling com ' pany. Js to amalgamation with the giant company, I sincerely trust the shareholders will veto the ‘proposition of the newly fledged member of the Weilingion Provincial Council, this able senator appears unable to controvert Mr. Bishop’s arguments and figures, that gentleman deserves the hearty thanks of the shareholders, and every well-wisher of colonial enterprise. Yours respectfully. Ay EX-SHAREHOLDER. Ituataniwha, March 28, 1867.