MR. SHEPHARD AND HIS RECKLESS PARTY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XVI, Issue 292, 8 December 1881, Page 2

MR. SHEPHARD AND HIS RECKLESS PARTY.

To THE EDITOB OS 1 THE "EVENING MAIL." Sir,— By gathering from the surrounding districts all the noisy youths and neck-or nothing politicians ihst could be collected, including an excited Irishman from & neighbouring Tillage, Mr Shephard's Committee succeeded towards the close iu breaking up Mr Richmond'* meeting last evening amid a seen* of folly which would have been laughable were it not for the serious reflection to which it gives rise of the dangers to order and good government which at any time may result from the exercise of political privileges by men of the stamp of a few of those present. Mr Richmond had happily before the tumult began flaished his speech, the lofty sentiments of which will, I hope, yet bear good fruit even m the minda of tbe unthinking crowd who for tbe moment are led away from the litgt-f issues of this contest by will-o'-the-wisp ories. Let me bear a passing tribute to the chairman of the evening, Mr Wm. Coleman, whose quiet dignified bearing merited better ' treatment f com the hands of Mr Shephard's noisy followers. I am, &c, Ohdeh.

To this .Editor of. tub " Evening Mail." : Si*,— Mr : W. : Whit«, ' the : Chairman of the public meeting held at Brightwater on Tuesday evening, has very kindly forwarded to me the enclosed telegram, which he baa received from th« Hoa Mr Hall. With *;espect to our kits, pleace allow me space to lay that it iVquite a mistake, if ft ie imagined, that the Volunteers ever wanted to keep them without payment. The true facts aae «iniply tbese :— The Government gave uafree kits, when at the Front, and as perhaps there may be doubts in the minds of some .who are not Volunteers about their being a: free gift, I can assert most positively the truth of what I now statet that these kits were given to the Volunteers free can be proved by Colonellteadei's telegram to Mr AndersoD, the Government storekeeper. JConsequently, it follows ttiat:weonly now want:to retain in our possession what has been virtually our own property foe weeks past. Not a very unreasonable request surely. lam, Sir, &c, ; : W. N. Fkankltn, jun. [Telegram.] Chkistchurch, Dae. 7. Your telegram has reached me here. .On my return to Wellington I will see that the application made is considered. John Hall

Electioneering matters are getting very warm in Westport. This is how the Westport Advertiser speaks of the two candidates running for a seat in he General Assembly : — The Buller election ha3 now narrowed itself down to a contest between Mr O'Conor and Mr Munro, and, as both are running on the same ' ticket,' it resolves itself into a question of •which is the better man. Mr Munro asks that the choice be decided on the merits, not the demerits, of the rival candidates. We admit that it is generous to look on the hest side of human nature, and ■we will endeavour to comply v.-ith Mr Munro's twice-asked request, and not enter into personalties, and it is to be regretted that the biggest blackguard in the district should have corns forward from Mr Munro's ranks to throw that dirt at his opponent which he so earnestly plead3 shall not be thrown at him. We doa't want to fight, But by jingo, if we do We've got the pens, we've got the type And we've got the x:a.tekial too. Mr Parnell elegantly referred to Fir William Vercon Harcourt as " Red Indian H»rconrt, the most disreputable coward and the most unscrupulous liar and slanderer in the Government,"