THE LATE MEETING.—CORRECTIONS.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 13, Issue 671, 8 April 1869, Page 3

THE LATE MEETING.—CORRECTIONS.

To the Editor of the Eawkis Bay Times.

Sir, —Your paper of the sth inst. contains two mis-statements as to what I said at the recent public meeting, which, as they refer to others, I think it worth while to correct j and I am glad to be able to do so bj reference to your own report of my speech. When, according to jour report, Mr Buchanan denied that the Government had asked Mr M'Lean to represent them as their agent, I am stated to hare contradicted him on Mr M'Lean's authority. I did not do this, but merely reiterated more fully the exact circumstances of the case as I had heard it from Mr M'Lean, and as given in your report of my speech, viz., chat at the desire of some members of the Assembly, who regretted the breach between Mr M'Lean and the Ministry, Mr M'Lean offered his assistance to the Government if they wished him to represent them, and that they accepted his offer, though without conferring all the powers asked for by him.

In your leading article it is stated that I attributed the defection of the natives on the East Coast—by which I suppose is meant the abandonment of the pursuit of Te Kooti by the friendlies—to the return of Colonel Whitmore. I said nothing whatever on the subject, nor is any such statement attributed to me by your reporter. Nor was I so unjust to Colonel Whitmore as to attribute the almostaccomplished removal of the troops from Poverty Bay to him alone, but quoted the contemporaneous telegrams from the Native Minister, who was with him, that "there will be time enough in the next four or five months to strike at these Eastesn Hauhaus if we have a success against Tit ok o warn."

Your very competent reporter must surely have withdrawn before the end of the meeting, or the short but most pertinent speech of Mr Holder could scarcely have been converted into a speech on behalf of the opposition. I understood his argument to bo that though Mr M'Lean might possibly have had too much influence with the natives, it was most unwise of the Government to attempt to undermine it at the present time, when its exercise might prove of the greatest advantage to the community. —Yours, &c, B. A. Feeaed. Napier, April 7,1869.