CORRESPONDENCE

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 170, 7 June 1872, Page 5

CORRESPONDENCE

"FIAT JUSTItIA "RUAT OCELUM."

(To the Editor of the Mount Ida Chronicle.) Sib,—Ait "article appeared in a late issue of.the 'Daily Times,' subsequently transferred to the columns of the ' Witness,' Commencing with the words, " Parvum parva decent," and quoted as those of Horace. Now, sir, this article was no doubt well and forcibly written, but unfortunately displayed more ability than knowledge of facts. I have some slight recollection of Horace still, but I fail to remember the quotation with Which the article (which is in my opinion an uncalled for and unjustifiable attack upon our member) is headed: " Parva parvis placent " is a quotation with which I am familiar, and I hold that the verb " decio" takes the dative case in the same manner as " placeo," and not the accusative as the quotation referred to has it. Putting.this, however, to one side, and without desiring to encumber the space at your disposal with a seriatim refutation of the attacks in the article in question, I may state generally that the conduct of Mr. Mervyn in the House* has the full approbation of his constituents. The returns called for by Mr. Mervyn have, in my opinion, been called for in the true interests of those whom he represents, and the. result of these " useless" returns has been to show them them their position, their power, and their strength, of all of which they were unconscious before, and without which " useless " returns they would have been unacquainted with still. No doubt to the mind of a Dunedinite these returns have been and are gall and wormwood, and have proved a thorn in the side of those who wish to make Dunedin Otago, as the

( Frenchman would make Paris France..

That Mr. Mervyn may at times he obnoxiously loquacious I do'hot deny,, but that has been the fault of better men than himself. Witness the career of Mr. Julius Yogel, whos6 speeches the ' Dunedin Times ' refused to report. Witness again the present career of Mr. James wno has spoken more frequently and more nonsense during the present session than any member of the Houses Whatever may be said of Mr. Mervyn and: his talents, be they small or great, be has- systematically devoted them to'theinterests of his constituents, and whatever, the ' Times'' anonymous : writermay think to the contrary the district thoroughly appreciates his efforts in their behalf.

Into the scurrilous portion of the article in question I decline to enter. —I am, &c,, Justitia-