DR. IRVINE AND HIS VOTE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IV, Issue 107, 8 May 1869, Page 2

DR. IRVINE AND HIS VOTE.

DE^VrKTE i"HE^Ei^iToit or the Nelson-Evening Mail. ~ri§fli:^irwm~pT^ Tuesday- which hasrupsetyqu so much, attdshow . that., it 'was in .complete' accordance with. the views I.;• have held and advocated ever since I paid any atifentioUj to. New p ilitics. Also that the raution'which' l opposed, and which was aclopted,'was ill-judged and mischievous): Of course it-'was-necessary to make, some . reference .to separation in the Reply, and this should Lave been done .in ;a way to .secure the nearest possible approach, to unanimity in the v Council. , Had the; .Speaker! been on the, Committee, I jam sure this, ;wou|d have been done. As it stands, the passage begins well but ends ill. To show my raeaning'in the plainest way, allow : me to suggest whnt would I think, have formed a proper and rational sequel to, the opening clause. The whole would have read thus: — The Council regret to find that so much dissatisfaction has arisen on the West Coast, and hope that measures may be taken in the present session to remove just causes of complaint, trusting that a timely recourse to such measures will allay the desire, and remove the pretext, for separation. • ■ I am confident that the passage, altered in some such manner, would have been adopted by a large majority, for as a whole the Council wishes sincerely to meet the requirements of the West Coast, and remedy any real grievances; and of course can only in honesty repel the demand for separation by such a course of action. But the sentence as it stands comes to this, —the allusion to reforms, and the request to the Superintendent- being disjoined: " Resist separation, honestly if you can, but resist separation.". , If you say that this is not manifest to all until pointed out, I reply, that you may he quite sure that so acute a man as Mr. Stafford will detect it in a moment, and will make it a handle to his argument to show that it is the; f wish and determination ol the Provincial Council of Nelson to raise their voice agaiiist dismemberment in any case. Now as^ I have always, felt strongly the evils of the creation of petty provinces and counties, and thrown any energy I possess into the cause of the conservation of the provincial system, you will allow that I.could not. hare voted o her wise than I did. At the same time I greatly regret that I did not propose an amendment to some such effect as I have;given a»>ove, for its adoption would have obviated a great deal of misconception, and, I mnst add. the disappointment of knowing, by one additional instance, that a gentleman occupying the position of editor of a newspaper is liable in that capacity to show less heed for other men's feelings and more readiness to impute blame thau belongs to him as ah" ordinary individual. I will not go into your.;elabbrate'defence of your unprovoked attack upon me; -1 am quite content to leave.it to the electors to ".form their own opinion between-us, and.must be allowed to say. that while I gladly will give what time I can spare from- 1 my private pursuits to serve the public, I must protest against, an exaggerated importance being / attached; ta. my. sayings and doings, and to being called upon to justify every vote which may appear, questionable to somebody else. I, shall meet the electors with confidence at the period appointed by law, or at any other that they may,desire. without any misgiving as to the continuance" of their confidence in me or of their goodness to me. y I am, &c, E. W. levine. May 8, 1869. .... '.