THE HON. DONALD REID CENSURED.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 104, 4 May 1877, Page 4

THE HON. DONALD REID CENSURED.

The following skit ia published by "Simpson," in his weekly contribution to the Southern Mercury, entitled "Out and About":— * I suppose that it is ont of regard for; the Hon. Donald Reid the Dunedio morning and evening journals have not published the terms of the censure passed upon the hon, gentleman by the Executive ih reference to his conduct towards Mr Proudfoot. This is scarcely fair to tbe public, seeing tbat _Qonald took upon himself to sapply the erstwhile Government organ with a distorted and clipped account of the " trouble." Mr Willis, has, however, kindly permitted me to copy the document with a view to its publication. It is as follows:— "No. A 333. " Government Buildings, " Wellington, N.Z, Aj>ril 1, 1877. " Sirj—l am directed by his Excellency the Governor to inform you that at a meet jog of the Executive Council, held this day, the matter of your recent conduct (as per marginal note) towards Mr David Proud foot, contractor, of Dunedin, in the Provincial District of Otago, was taken into consideration: There were laid before the Council yout; personal report of the dispute aa related to the Otayo Daily Times, and the subsequent account which appeared in other of the Colonial papers. Having Inquired into and settled the matter, the Council are of opinion that your conduct was as undignified aa it was unconstitutional.

"lam directed to inform yon the Honorable Executive Council of New Zealand would impress upon you that it ia no part of your duty td undertake tbe task of rammiog papers down tne throat of any of her Majesty's liege subjects, except you first satisfy yourself that you can do it with impunity, and the . ? papers are suoh as can be replaced; and they further instruct hie to adS that the. term 'blackguard ' as uaed to a peaceful citizen, ie neither according to tbe desires of your colleagues hor the dictates of May.. They regret that Mr Proudfbot ahould bave, in the beat of the moment, retorted with undue wrath, but they can safely say, that if he had, as you reported he threatened to do, ' given you a lick side of the head,' tbey would have deemed it right to censure him for so doing. "The Hon. the Executive Council of New Zealand would incidentally refer to the serious inconvenienoe and expanae to which you might possibly have put the General Government/had yon carried yonr threat into execution. The papers referred to are of the utmost moment in the aetleraent of tbe dispute between the Government and Mr Proud-bo., which possibly no known emetic wonld have restored and their production would have been a matter of impossibility. At the same time they think yon acted wisely to refuse his ofier of £1 to let him see you shove tbe papers down his throat. To have been so bribed would not bave reflected credit upon your honorable office. -Besides, though the Government have deemed it wise to wipe out Provincial institutions, they are not anxious to abolish its records in the unseemly manner suggested by you. "I an further directed to remind you that you are no longer a member of Provincial Council, and that, therefore expressions of opinion ih language which may not have been out of place amid early surroundings are not becoming the dignity of the position which you now bold as his Excellency's representative in Otago. They regretextremely to find, notwithstanding tbe instructions you received at Wellington as to tbe manner in which you were to comport yourself, and the promises yon made to rise to the dignity of tbe office with which you were endowed, tbat you have permitted habits ot long association to override your better judgment, and tbey trust that they will not again have occasion to address you on a similarly unpleasant subject. — I have, &c, "Foster Y. Goring, " Clerk to the Executive Council. " D. Reid, Esq., " Minister of Lands."