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Lyttelton Times, Volume IX, Issue 550, 10 February 1858, Page 5

To the Editor of the Lyttelton Times. Sir,—-I obsorvo in your paper of to-day a letter signed R. J. S. Harman, in which that gentleman appears, somewhat unfortunately I think, to endeavour to fasten upon some one_ a charge- of untruthfulness and unfiiirnoss in dealing with him. Mr. Harman complains of the opposition of Ids colleague Mr. Tailored.

This letter is dated Feb. 4. Now, sir, there i.s a rumour that he had formally resigned his seat in the Executive Council on the 27th of January, but, as I have very little faith in mere rumour, I prefer to quote your paper of that day, and there I read a notification as follows. " Tiie Government. — Mr. Jfarman resigns his seat in the Executive Council." How you obtained this information is to me a mystery, but the fact appears to have been announced before the Government itself was in possession of the intelligence; at least, so says rumour again. It would enlighten us very much if you would for once disclose the secret source from whence you obtain your news:—surety not in this instance from any Government official, for they knew it not until the morning of the 27th January. Can it have been then from Mr.jHarman himself ? and if from Mr. Harman, I merely desire to ask how that gentleman can have the decency to complain on the 4th of February of the opposition of his colleague, with the full knowledge that he had officially communicated his resignation to you on the 27th January. From one false step spring many. Yours, &c., AN ELECTOR. [Our reply will not settle the question. The tender of resignation is one thing, and the acceptance, which completes the transaction is quite another. On the 27th ult., the information whick we gave in the paragraph quoted might have been obtained by any one on proper enquiry ; but whether Mr. Harman's resignation was accepted by his Honor then, or not till this day, is a secret. No ' Gazette' to that effect has reached us.—Ed. L. T.]