Original Correspondence.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Volume II, Issue 63, 5 December 1863, Page 6

Original Correspondence.

To the Editor of the Lake Wakatip Mail. Sib,—As the Otago Witness k getting quite unbearable and offensive, I trust you will give publicity to this letter. As one of the supporters of (as they term it) the celebrated Wakatip Petition, 1 think we might, with much propriety (if we take into consideration the opportunities afforded the public of the Wakatip district, of judging upon its merits) pass by with silent contempt the remarks of Air. H. Seal, of Maori Point, and those of a miner from Moke Creek, which appeared in the Witness of November 27th; and moreover, I think we might even venture to treat the editorial article in the before named paper in the same way. But as these three writers display an unparalleled amount of ignorance—the former respecting the petition and also of the localities of the River Shotover, and the others on the subject of the petition itself, that is perfectly distressing, I think it nothing but an act of common charity to endeavor to enlighten these benighted men. Mr. Seal begins by stating that he considers the petitioning for money for the improvement and construction of roads to be a landable object in itself, and that this was the ostensible motive put forth to obtain signatures for the petition by the Maori Point mailman.

Now, the bare assertion of one man is as good as that of another, and the mailman affirms that the object of the petition to those who signed it—not merely the money question, on which Mr. Seal lays so great a stress, but the whole body of it also. Mr. S. further states that the petition shews an amount of ignorance, &c, &c Well, we can afford to pass that by, for it must be clear to any party who will take the trouble to read his letter, that he is not overstocked with wisdom, in so clumsily criticising it. As he seems so lamentably deficient, it is as well he should be informed that, in the event of the General Government taking into their own hands the control of the gold fields, a responsible Minister of Mines would be appointed, and then all those petty local interests that now so glaringly stand in the way of the mining interest, would be done away with. The poor fellow now directly contradicts himself, touching his former statement of the laudable object of one part of the petition. He says " it is overdrawn;" that, whereas, had it been intended for last January, there would have been some reason for it; but now there is none. If, therefore, there is none, how could it be a laudable object to petition ? It would be senseless agitation. Mr. S. enumerates the blessings we already possess, and which the Provincial Government have showered upon us. We don't thank the Provincial Government for the four or five post-offices—they are the gifts of the General Government, and certainly, in this respect the wants of the community have been more promptly attended to than in any other. So much for distant legislation and a Post-master General at Dunedin. For the three wardens* courts, two of them have been half the time without an occupant, and the miners have been heavy losers through the want of an adjudicator in their many disputes. The less said about the track to Maori Point, the better for the Provincial Government. In wet weather it is next to impassable, and the track between Arthur's Point and Queenstown was never finished, and is rapidly going to iuin. Mr. S.'s remarks concerning the Upper Shotover track are simply untrue; for it is well known that above Maori Point the travelling becomes worse. The rest of his letter is a mass of verbiage and shallow reasoning, not worth tommenting on. I should, however, imagine him (by the tone of his precious epistle) to be some unhappy man who, possessing a morbid love of notoriety, and not having sufficient intellect to build up a temple of his own, employs himself in pulling down the edifices of his neighbors, and then calls upon the world to give him credit for a meritorious action. As for the Moke Creek writer, he appears to be quite blinded by the effulgence of the rays emanating from the columns of the Otago Witness. He entrenches himself strongly behind the Post-office clause. I have already shown the fallacy of his position. As the Otago Witness seems to appreciate the devotion he displays towards them, I would recommend them to place him on their staff, especially to watch over the interests of the Wakatip community, they being, like children, unable to take care of themselves. The editorial article in the Witness of the same date contains remarks that are merely repetitions of former opinions, with which we are pretty familiar. Whoever told the writer of it that his articles were regarded by the miners with looks of blank astonishment, told the truth, for they were indeed astouuded at the profound assurance and wilful ignorance

displayed by the editor of a metropolitan journal, in supposing that two or three agitators could lead by the nose two or three thou sand sensible men; and the hearty groans given at the Arthur's Point meeting for the Dunedin press will give a pretty correct idea of the estimation his paper is held in. We are compared to Esau. We have been hungering for a mess of pottage. 'Tis true we have, and a simple and easily cooked dish would have satisfied us. We prayed the Provincial Government to afford us the means of satisfying our reasonable appetite; we asked for wholesome food, and they sent us the scraps from their own sumptuously furnished table (a table furnished forth for them by us) and sneeringly insinuated it was good enough. Let them, however, be assured the men of the mines, in general, are not to be so easily cajoled out of their birthright. Whatever Government is appointed over them will have to give them their just dues. At the Arthur's Point meeting, one of the parties who convened it, in his opening address, read the Petition in full and commented upon it to a silent and attentive audience; he was heard without interruption. We cannot, however, congratulate the Government on the tact and brilliancy displayed by some of their partisans on that occasion. Had the petition consisted of such a mass of deceit and ignorance as the Dunedin press represent it to be, do they suppose that sixty thinking men would have signed it after the meeting was over ? They had heard it read, and commented upon by one antagonistic to it. Their signatures were not obtained under false pretences. Presuming that the Dunedin press is the mouthpiece through which its community expresses their sentiments, it is patent that they must have derived immense benefits through their intercourse with the northwest gold fields. They have evidently been revelling in the flesh pots, and are mad with rage at the bare idea of having them torn from their grasp. Let them, however, practise a little forbearance; they have had the first pull at the tankard, and in that part of the performance shewn themselves mighty men; why display such unmitigated envy at their sister Province getting the heel taps. That the north-west community look with a favorable eye upon Southland, there is no doubt; and Nature speaks loudly in favor of the union.

I don't, however, admit that such is our desire; perhaps our ultimate designs are of a still more independent cast. It seems we are an apple of discord; let them, therefore, that would possess us, bid high. It is just possible, however, we may be satisfied with a sweeping reform in all parts of the gold fields' service, on the part of the Provincial Government. They have not yet lost us; why, then, cry out before they are hurt? Certainly their present policy is irritating and insulting. In its peroration, the Otago Witness is inclined to be libellous. They believe that " the most consummate roguery has been resorted to to obtain signatures." Let them beware, for the strongest proofs can be brought forward, if necessary, to prove the contrary. A Shotover Mineb. Shotover River, Dec. 2nd, 1863. To the Editor of the Lakb Wakatip Mail. Sir, —As chairman of the meeting lately held at Arthur's Point with respect to the monster Petition, I was greatly surprised to see the remarks contained in the leading article of the Otago Witness of the 27th ult., with respect to the conduct of that meeting. It is there stated that u every speaker who attempted to address the meeting against the Petition, was immediately silenced by a well directed volley of groans and hisses." A state ment more at varience with the facts was never published, as in my seven years' experience on the mines, 1 never saw or attended a more orderly meeting. The convener and mover of the first motion, and his seconder were listened to with the greatest attention, the former through a long speech; and it was not until a miner from Maori Point, in such a state of inebriation as to be perfectly unintelligible, attempted to expound his views that any interruption took place, and this only in good-humored chaff. It is a pity that the Witness has not a correspondent who will report upon the district in a fair and impartial manner, and from personal knowledge, and not send garbled statements concocted from hearsay, which was the case in his remarks upon the meeting, published in the same paper, whereby it would appear that this egotistical gentleman was present thereat, which was not the case. In conclusion I would remark that by such conduct the Witness has notimproved its position amongst the miners here, which for some time past has been very low. By inserting the above in your widely circulated journal you will oblige Your obedient servant, W. C. MlßriN. Arthur's Point, Dec 2nd, 1863.