MR. HALCOMBE AND HIS DISQUALIFICATION.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 75, 17 September 1879, Page 2

MR. HALCOMBE AND HIS DISQUALIFICATION.

M"r. fIAIiCOMB.E topk occasion wliile interviewing his committee tp, ma ke some •statements to; which we feel cqUp.d upon' to give a flat denial, If he be.pprre.ctly . reported m: the, Eeilding paper—^and w,c pr.es*** me he is— lie macje'the follovviug vasse,nlie-n,:— ' y : , .../■ .'. ' '*. , ;' '" He knew fir a fact .hut those who got" u.^ the Di ?qu.il i fi:.ution story ivero m possession of tho true facts of the case,; sl'OAvi'ng that he had : .s.?gnefd .is agent of tlie Corporation, as Colonel Whitmore Ixid-'beim telegraphed to for nn opinion, and that; 'gentleman., had replied tliat he (My. Halcombe.) had signed the contract as agent; for the Corp mitiou. Thjs telegram was rei-eirerl on the Werlne-'---day previous tp the election, tin.'l yet the pipers actually published ""tli a "■untruths on Thursday and Friday, wliich he consiclered grossly unfair and unjust. It is a pity when Mr. . FTALaoiIBE made the above accusation, that, he was not ii little .tnoi'e.expliiiit. For own part we -- distiriMy.^d^riyX^ tele•;graphed : to . O.ileinel . W^itjSqbr, pi? receiving a .message 'frb.m: 'him upon! the maffer. " We w^re, however, shown a privateitelegram, jreee-'y.i-'d: by, ;a person totally unPonh<u ; tt'd wiih this office, to this e-ttVet— ". Refused to give fair official opinion' yesterday re Halcombe's '] (lisquali fiif'a tion, and -'therefore cannot do so rieiw. My private opinion ' .■•is/rluifc he is disown ali fieri ." : That is the onl y mesr sage vfliicli wesaw from a member of the Government 'upon, the point, and we think that ryen, Mr. Halco-jibr, as well as thY public, will freely : . -admit' that it whs of .such a naiurp , 'vs. to rather eonlii'in our own "opinion tlyin upset it. Notwithstanding all the sneers which have? been uttered-, and written, as to the sincerity of our belief m bis disqualification, w think ire have given far ine>r.R proof than has been brought forward nn the other side. In a former issue pf Hie Feilding paper a great points was sob j>l it to he made out of the sup. posed faet thatMr^: Halcoj*^. -lia<i altaeheel the w&rds.-frnsenX^^ ing Corporation," after his s'i'griature when signing the contract. * We do not' adini.t that he; did sign it m thai way ; but even RiippoKing that such were t'he ease, legal npi'nfon maintains that the, is still upheld, for tho reason that the words "Agent to the Corporation;" &c.., would only be a state incut of the occupation of the contractor — such a**} "George Snelson, Auctioneer"

—and hot an agreement by a person on behalf of,. the Corporation. Mr. Halc'ombe mayr thank Mr. Macaßthub, m the fii-st instance that he is not now the elected member for Manawatu, for were it not for the insulting manner' m which' His pre-emptive right to stand was puVforward by the latter gentleman, Mr.- Snelson would not have opposed him m Palmerston. We now regret that.Mx^NjLspj^_did not retire, so that Mr. Halcombe's eljgWlTty pr^isabilttyM:o occupy the seat 'would <be Wt/at : ;Ee;st/. •-Fbr-ou-ri*--wtt-.par-c,-...-*^ of a doul|t .upon ...the matter, and our^ readers may'rest kssureei we -shall lose^ no effort to place the matter beyorrd dispute,. Our own opinion, and the opinion of a great many of Mr. Hal-eoMßE's-7 former supporters 15, ..t1iat while there was a 'douut'tipbn tile* mat- ; terit was his duty to have wired up the ;*true state of the case— instead of remaining m Wellington forwarding vague, telegrams— and advised his' cbmmittee 1 to jsnt m a local man. Had he done so he would' establish a permanent claim upon this town, and at the next election a combihatipn- would have been -effected which would secure: His return against all comers. Heclibse fo-act-differently, and the action taken will not. be foregotteh when next'he' seeks' suppoi't from the electors of Palmerston. ; ■ ' !: -