MR. BARNICOAT AT WAKAPUAKA.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume II, Issue 72, 27 March 1867, Page 2

MR. BARNICOAT AT WAKAPUAKA.

Mr. Barnicoat's meeting last night at Wakapuaka was attended by about 30 of the electors of that district. Mr. Wastney was called to the chair. •

After stating to the meeting his opinions on various questions of public interest, which are now pretty well known, Mr. Barnicoat proceeded to comment on a letter signed "Elector" in. the Nelson Examiner of last Tuesday. This letter

professed to give an account of Mr. fiaruicotu's reception iu some of the country districts, Riwaka aud Motueka, •very much at variance with accounts previously published. After reading the letter to the meeting, Mr. Barnicoat spoke on this subject to the following effect : — The course now taken by the Examiner in publishing; comments on speeches without first publishing the speeches themselves is very unusual and very unfair. The proper course (and that taken by the Colonist as regards Mr. Curtis) is first to give a fair and accurate report of a speech, and then to comment freely ou what has been said. The public will then judge for themselves whether what was spoken was "' vague," or " wak," or unintelligible. I shall say nothing more on this part ot the letter] but appeal to Mr. Wastney, who is personally aware of the truth or falsehood contained in the letter under comment. But as regards the deviations from fact in the remaining part of the letter, there is no one here, I believe, to whom to appeal. At Wakefield, it says, " the persons assembled were greatly annoyed by Mr. Baigent. endeavoring to coerce the electors by moving, that this meeting is of opinion that Mr. Barnicoat is a fit and proper person to be elected Superiutendent." The letfer theu describes the meeting as immediately dispersing and loudly disapproving the whole thing. This is not exaggeration, but positive invention, aud the account bears no resemblance whatever to the occurrence which it professes to describe. A resolution naming myself as the most fitting persoD for the office of Superintendent was duly proposed and seconded, and its exact terms were for some little while a matter of discussion. No one of the 60 or 70 persons present left the room, that I observed, but remained, and in an orderly manner passed by a show of hands the resolution proposed to the meeting ; not a single hand being held up on the negative motion being put from the chair. At the meeting at Spring Grove, which was large and orderly, a similar motion was duly proposed, secouded, and carried without a dissentient.

When Mr. Baruicoat had finished, Mr. Wastney (the chairman) rose and most distinctly aud emphatically denied the truth of the statements contained in the letter just read as regards Riwaka and Motueka. There were (said Mr. Wastney) assembled at Riwaka at a very short notice about double the number of people asembled here to-night. A vote of thanks was passed to Mr. Barnicoat for hig straightforward declaration of opinion, the whole meeting seemed perfectly satisfied, nor here or at Motueka did he (Mr. Was tu ey) hear a private conversation afterwards, anything that bore out the assertion of the writer of the letter in the Examiner. Mr. Dodson stated that from private information he had received, the reception of Mr. Barnicoat iu Takaka and Motupipi was also of a very favorable and satisfactory character. Mr. Gilbert corroborated Mr. Dobson's statement from private and trustworthy sources of information. After several questions had been put and replied to, and after a most humorous speech from Mr. Gilbert (which seemed highly relished by the meeting) in reply to an attack from Mr. Dyson, the motion was proposed by Mr. Dodson and seconded by Mr. Marten to the effect that Mr. Barnicoat was a fit and proper person for the office of Superintendent. On n show of hands being called for, the greater number present took no part ; eight hands being held up for the motion, and one against.