MOTUEKA ELECTION.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIV, Issue 203, 8 September 1879, Page 2

MOTUEKA ELECTION.

To the Editor of the 'Evening Mail.' Sin,- On the occasion of Mr Hursthouse's nomination on Wednesday last, "our own correspondent" could not have been present, or if so, must have been in a state of somnambulism, or if wide awake, my utterances must have been very indistinct. I deny that 1 said, that upon the last election I felt great anxiety in helping to send to Parliament a perfectly untried man. What I did say was, that I thought the electors, not I, ran a greas risk in placing a young man with no experience in so high a position, but his fclrterhad proved that he had not abused their confidence. 1 also stated that had another candidate come forward, I should not have stjood there as the proposer of either, but under the protection of the ballot would have voted for the one I considered the best man. Holding the public position I do in the district, and alao having been appointed one of the Deputy Returning Officer?, I had determined to take no prominent part in the election, but as there, was only one candidate, and being urged to do so at the last moment, I had no hesitation in becoming his proposer, as I could not be accused of showing partiality. " Our own correspondent" has given partof my speech to Mr McDonald, who seconded the nomination, to which he is quite welcome, although it is something new in my experience when one speech only is made for it to be divided between two persons. I am, &c, H. A. Tarrant. Lower Moutere, September 5,1879. [Owing to the absence of punctuation (which of course was unavoidable) the telegram was mis-read, and a portion of Mr Hursthouse's and Mr Tarrant's speeches was attributed to Mr M'Donald.—Ed. N.E.M.]