THE MAIL TELEGRAMS BY THE GOTHENBURG.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 16, Issue 871, 19 November 1870, Page 2

THE MAIL TELEGRAMS BY THE GOTHENBURG.

[B? THE MELBOURNE TELEGRAPHIC CORRESPONDENT OF THE PRESS ASSOCIATION.] Melbourne, Oot. 15. Whbk the Gothenburg left a fortnight ago, I was pleased to think that a little forethought on my part bad enabled me to send to New Zealand the five days latest and most important news which reached Melbourne after the steamer left the bay. I was aware that the Independent's correspondent had got an Argus second edition on board, but that he had not sent the later news, as he was scarcely in a position to do so 5 I, therefore very naturally expected to get some credit for what I had done, because, otherwise, New Zealand would have been kept waiting a week for it. My expectations were considerable inoreased when I saw four days afterwards, by the New Zealand papers, that the Government intended giving a bonus to the next steamer if it brought the mails, and I naturally concluded such a liberal Government would riot be likely to overlook the individual effort to which they would be indebted for five days of the most important news that was ever likely to roach the Colony during the present war. I was, therefore, much disappointed when the Rangitoto arrived to find a paternal Government had quietly appropriated the produce of ray brain, and that in all the discussion which followed I was altogether forgotten, as if I had been a myth. , I have read the papers on both sides, and it appears to me that much misapprehension of the true facts exists. This is my version : The telegram published in the Southland News, Ist. October, compiled from the sebond edition of the Argus, was all that was sent to the Independent from Melbourne, and was all that was legitimately available either to it or the Government. m The rest of the news as published in the Independent, qontaining information up to the sth, was what I sent down to Queenscliff especially for the Otago Daily Times, and neither the Independent nor the Government had any right to it. As to the paragraph in the Independent, stating that, "we think every one will admit that the Government, for obvious reasons, were entitled to know the latest news, especially in a time of war and trouble in Europe, before any private citizen," I beg to say I oan admit nothing of the sort; and the fallacy of such an assumption must ba apparent: because, had I sent the five days' news to Queenscliffe with instructions to send it sealed direct to Dunedin the manipulators at the Bluff would not havo been in a position to ob'ige the Government by compiling from my message; and my sending it to the Bluff, conHding in their honor, gave them no such privilege. The cause of all the mischief is at the Bluff. The talk about " flashing the messages " is all moonshine. The genius who presides at the Bluff Telegraph office being so long accustomed to one message has ingeniously compiled one still, and on the arrival of the Gothenburg made one message of the brief news to the Independent and the fuller news to the Times, as sent by me. This he sent comfortably ou at his leisure to all stations, making the one operation suit bis convenience, and directing a copy to be furnished to the Independent as well as to the Times ; and he appears to have concealed his plan by giving the slips out in a different order to the Independent. That it is my message, nevertheless, is evident, as it contains the mistake I made, namely, that " Napoleon was a prisoner at the Freuou Consulate at Berlin," instead of at a plage called Consul.

The Independent, however, does not appear to be so much to blame, because it could not know that it had got my message. The G-o----vernment genius at the Bluff is the cause of ail the mischief, and he deserves what 1 trust he will soon get. The Government are, no doubt, liable for the actions of their servants, and with this explanation I leave the matter.