MR. PYKE HIS CONSTITUENTS.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 395, 7 October 1876, Page 3

MR. PYKE HIS CONSTITUENTS.

Mr. Pyke has kindly placed afc pur disposal the following letters which will be read with interest:—

i "Wellington,, September 20. " My Dear Sir,—Your letter (dated 12th inst), enclosing copy of a resolution passed at a meeting held in the Library Hall, Alex ondra, has this day reached me. "I regret extremely that any portion of my constituency should have deemed it necessary.or desirable to sit in judgment on my actions as their representative, without having Hrst sought an explanation. Pardon mc for reminding you that such a course of procedure is scarcely in accordance with tho spirit of fair play, which our people justly claim to exercise upon any and every occasion. In the present instance I have been subjected to that peculiarly unpleasant form of trial which is know as Jedburgh justice. However, I can make allowance for proceedings which evidently originated in misapprehension at a period of great political excitement, and for which those most concerned will probably be sorry hereafter. " Permit me to point out to you that the Separation which I advocated was " Insular," audi embraced the County system ; whilst the Separation proposed by Mr. Macandrew was " Financial," and excluded the County system. There is as mnch difference between these two proposals as there is between night and day. The one would be a reality ; the other is a transparent sham. Hut in no shape whatever—Financial or Insular—could I hiive supported proposals, the positive effect of which would have been to have robbed the Southern Provinces of their land fund. The limits of a letter will not suffer me to enter more largely upon the merits of this ■question at present, but I purpose visiting the district at the close of the session, when I hope to 'satisfy every unprejudiced person that I have acted in the best interests of the people.. "The resolution calls upon me to resign my seat. But the trust confided to,me by 370 electors T must decline to yield up at the bidding of a few persons, many of,whom,exerted themselves to prevent my return, and others of whom are not on the electoral roll of the' district.—l am, dear sir, yours. very sincerely, . . . YINCENT PYKE. " Mr. W. F. Forest, Alexandra.", " Wellington, September 20. " Sir,- I have to acknowledge the receipt on tho 10th instant of your letter dated 31st ult., enclosing copy of certain resolutions passed at a meeting held at Bald Hill Flat. In those resolutions (which, permit me to observe, are couched in singularly discourteous language), I am charged with having violated my pledges, and am told that I have ' forfeited the confidence of the electors.' " That in the course which 1 have put sued in the Assembly I have acted with the single view of conserving the best interests of the people is a matter of which I hope to convince my constituents when I meet them as I intend to do after the end of the session. "As touching the assertion that'l have forfeited tho confidence of the electors, it may surprise you to bo informed t/hnt. I venture to oiil.err.ain a somewhat dilfront opinion.- I am, however,"quito willing to admit, that, so far n* the electors of Bald Hill Flat are concerned. I do not possess their confidence—a fact which wns abundantly illusi rated at my election, when only three vot. s were recorded in my favor there, and of the?o only one was piven by a local resident, whilst strenuous exertions were made by several of the electors in that locality, and notably by youivelf, to prevent my return. Under these eirciimSMiinces, I urn constrained to say that I regard it as n piece of great presumption for the twelve o.' thirteen persons—:ill political opponents of mine—who, I am in (untied, constituted the tncetinir, to speak in the name and on behalf of the 870 elector? who did rne the honor to vo*e for me; nnd I therefore decline to accede to tlm exireinel-, modest demand that I should resign my •■eat at their behest. —t um, Bir, faithfully the servant of the electors, " Vixcfst Pvke. " tfn, Ro-t J. Webb, Bald Hill Flat."