"OUR LOCAL PAPER."

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 51, 25 June 1879, Page 2

"OUR LOCAL PAPER."

Uitobb the above heading Mr. Ehot Waebttbton has circulated a document eminently characteristic of the gentleman—inasmuch a. it hat been as great • riddle to those who attempted to fathom its bidden meaning, as was the Sphynxof old. On the 7th of June Mr. EnoT Wabbumon appearedin court to defend a client; he of cou-se lost the case; knd m giving judgment Mr Wabd made certain- remarks which we reported. Mr. Eliot Wabbubton took eif-eption to their correctness — indeed fahelv stated that we hsd garbled the report m giving the Magistrate's decision. Tinder the circumstances then we, took tbe surest way of refuting the calumny, and m open court appealed to him who gave the ■judgment to contradict or confirm its re'iabilitv. The answer to our application we pointed m our last issue, which wa«. a^ flatterinf? tribute to our impartiality, and should have satisfied mnv sane person that we were not to blame. But Mr. Warburton is, w# ll_peculiar, and to prove our condemßation he p-ints a document m which he strives to show that what Mr. Wabd «a«d m delivering judgment and what Mr. VV ABD •iened on the cause lint are aot consistent. This is what Mr. Eliot Wabbttbtok, labored to do m hJ? manifesto, but what it is needless to iav h;e has signally tailed to aocomnlisb. But,ieven granting that he could or had proved fhis case against Mr. Wabd, wliy7we~ftßK~ihould we be held r»spon»ible for the action of tbe Bench ? Mr. Wabd made a certain statement ; we reported that statement ; it« accuracy wa§ impugned, and we appealed to the utterer only to have the correctness of 'our report endorsed; why then thould we be held accountable for the contents of a dbdument which we were not supposed to see, nor have not since seen ? Notwithstanding Mr. Wabbubtok's idiotic attempt to do us an injury, we hate returned good for evil, and m giving the explanation, we have furnished the key to the very unintelligible document which bears hissignature. And now before finally dismissing Mr Eliot Wabbitbtox- we would wish to give him a few wholesome truths. Hitherto we, have looked upon him as a harmless imbecile who was scarcely responsible for his actions ; we pitied his weakneis, and consequently forebore to record tbe pitiable exhibitions which have t*ken place whenever he appeared m coitffc. Even m the very cage which bids fair, to become so celebrated, we atiidiously concealed the fact tbat he had to be stopped' fey^the Bench for watting the the time of , the Court by his rambling and irrelevant examination. We nay« beeniaaoiw kind to Mr. Wabbttbtok than he would be to himself, and m omitting hit arguments andaddressM M the Bench, we' refrained from publishing what we knew would be calculated to hold him up to ridicule. We have done this m the past for a reason which all those who know that eccentric gentleman will respect, but we shall not do so m the future; If Mr. Wabbttbton be a lunatic, he is certainly a mott malicious one, and as he appewi so anxious to publish his e'ecentrieitiet, we shall take no further trouble to screen him. We have dealt partially with him m .the past ; we shall dea^ impartially witlij him m the future. He it evidently a gentleman who has all the will but lackV the to be very dangerous; justice he will ctrtainly get, but lfnit.no j no more.