Original Correspondence.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 183, 28 January 1865, Page 3

Original Correspondence.

* # * Our columns being impartially open, ice do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions of our correspondents. SMALL'S LEASE. To the Editor of the Lake Wakatip Mail. Sir, —In reply to Tomlinson's letter in last issue, we beg to inform the miners of the district, through your columns, that the ruling of Mr Warden Beetham was in strict accordance with the Mining Rules, iu permitting us to mark out a claim 120 feet by 240 feet for eight men—being t at the rate of 60 feet by 60 feet for each man. The form of our claim is in accordance with Rule 8 of Section 2 of the Mining Regulations, which is as follows: * "Form of Alluvial Claims. " Alluvial claims may be of any form provided that no block claim shall exceed in length twice the breadth thereof." On the occasion of Mr Beetham visiting the ground to draw the lease pegs, Tomlinson and his mates used every endeavor to induce him to subvert the Mining Rules before set out in their favor, and he, acting under that influence, and desirous of accommodating all interests, wished, with our consent, to vary the shape of our claim, whereupon we peremptorily refused to waive our acknowledged legal right, and he had thereupon no alternative but to grant us our claim in the form now held by us. Tomlinson, in his letter, complains lt that the rest of the ground is rock boundif such be ' the case, let him and his mates work away as we i have done for the last six months, and they may then expect to gain those advantages by the " sweat of their brows" which they would, at present, like to gain by the sweat of ours. We are, &c., John Small and Party. Twelve-mile Creek, January 27. i [The correspondence must cease here, as both parties have stated their case.—Ed W.M."\ —t —♦ To the Editor of the Lake Wakatip Mail. Sir, —I am very sorry to have to complain of the inaccurate report which appears in your paper this morning (25th inst), of the case Jams v. Harris, before Justyn Aylmer, E b q. Although the report is generally inaccurate, I will only trouble you now with the statement that my application to the Warden subsequently to the case being heard, was not refused but withdrawn by mo at the request of my client. I am, sir, yours obediently John Bowes. Queenstown, January 25. [Wo have omitted the latter portion of Mr Bowes' letter. Whatever may be his meaning, it is certainly untelligible English to an ordinary reader. —Ed. W % M.]

To the Editor of the Lake Wakatip Mail. Sir, —In the last impression of your paper I was pained, in common witlj many of myfeilowtownsmen, by reading a letter purporting to emanate from the pen of one whom, up to that time, we all had learned to respect foi his manliness and thorough honesty, although, sometimes, the beauty of these qualities has been somewhat dimmed by rather strong and outre remarks. The burthen of his complaint to the public, through the columns of your journal, appears to be that " Although suddenly called together by three tailors of Tooley-sfreet—to wit, Messrs. Prosser, Louttit, and myself—not in a manly and above-aboard manner, had been marked by miserable underhand proceedings, and that its object was merely that of mercenary gain, rather than promoting, in connection with horse racing, the good of the community here, and the views of the Wakatip Jockey Club." Now, to contradict the direct assertions and counteract such a tirade of abuse, as the writer of the Jetter in question heaps upon my brethren and m}'self, I think I need only remind the public that the meeting in question was called publicly, was largely and influentially attended not only by non-members, but members of the Wakatip Jockey Club; and the subject as to holding the forthcoming races at Queenstown instead of at Frank ton, was freely and fully discussed ; and on the sense of the meeting being taken, it was decided that'a committee should be formed for the purpose of holding the said races here.

So much for the erroneous statements of your correspondent. Now, as to the spirit in which he wrote the letter in question. Had he not exhausted his powers of vituperation before he spoke of not indulging in personalities, the public would have perhaps thought him sincere ; but having first abused, then promised not to do so, and again " returned to his vomit," the public will have arrived at the conclusion ere this that a course for "jackasses" to run upon can be made for far less than £2OO. I am, Sir, Your obedient servant, J. M. Ryan. Queenstown, Jan. 27, 1860. $ To the Editor of the Lake Wakatip Mail. Sir, —I wish to contradict some statements made by Mr Bracken contained in his letter of the 22nd inst., which appeared in your last issue. The Major has vainly endeavored to cast ridicule upon a public meeting held at the Queen's Arms Hotel, for the purpose of taking into consideration the desirability of having a racecourse in the immediate vicinity of Queenstown. If a man cannot write upon a subject without indulging in personalties he had better leave that subject alone; but, sir, this appears to be chronic in Mr Bracken. Whatever he may say, it will have no effect on the promoters of that meeting or upon me personally. I distinctly deny that the meeting was got up for the avowed purpose of upsetting the Wakatip Jockey Club. There is no fear of the Wakatip Jockey Club so long as the Major keeps 11 looming in the distance." There was no slight cast upon that body ; they can do as they please, and, I dare say, the majority of the people of Queenstown will do the same. As regards being an authority on racing matters, I do not aspire to that dignity, and it is simply absurd to suppose that I had "interested business motives," for it does not matter to me one straw where the races are held.

No doubt the Major has subscribed liberally to various objects, and so have the parties he has attacked, although in a less ostentatious manner.

Had Mr Bracken been present at the meeting, he would have arrived at a different conclusion, and would not have committed himself by indulging in low invective and the use of hackneyed phrases ; but I suppose, sir, it is the echo of an inspiration, highly different from that which would emanate from his own cranium. I am, yours obediently, A. Louttit. Queenstown, 27th January.