ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE. To the Editor of the "New Zealand Spectator." Wellington, October 25th, 1849.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VI, Issue 442, 27 October 1849, Page 2

ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE. To the Editor of the "New Zealand Spectator." Wellington, October 25th, 1849.

Sir,— By having had the temerity to ask a few questions in the Spectator of Saturday last, I appear to have drawn down upon my poor devoted head, the unbounded hatred and contempt of a very illustrious personage. 1 really am very sorry if I have given offence as I had no intention to offend any one ; and I should not perhaps have had the courage of again wishing to trespass on your space, had not an attempt been made yesterday in a letter signed " J. H. Marriott " to injure my credit for truth : his letter he may perhaps term an answer, but I leave it to your readers to judge how far I or any other person may be enlightened by his reply. As you are in possession of my name with my consent to give it to any one who may wish to know it, and as I am a working man to whom character is everything, I hope you will grant me an opportunity of wiping off the unjust imputation, which I cannot do better than by referring your readers to a re-perusal of my letter of Saturday last, and leaving it to their unbiassed judgment to decide whether there is a sentence contained therein to justify "J. H. Marriott" in asserting that I am a member of the Britannia Lodge. The inference to be drawn from his letter will solve the problem which called forth my questions, which inference is, in my humble opinion, that the Britannia Lodge is the only Odd Fellow's Lodge in Wellington. If he will not see, others can, that it is not from any wish to thwart the efforts of those engaged in the laudable object of establishing a public school, or from any base unworthy attempt, but to shew that there is another Lodge in Wellington; the questions themselves will explain the rest. lam not so ignorant of the laws of the Order as he presumes me to be, but my impression is that after the prospectus made the Hall a public affair, I was justified in putting those question^ publicly. lam much obliged to him for his- compliment on my ignorance ; I admit the limited education of a working man will not allow me to enter into the field of controversy with his eloquence, but I will claim equal credit with him for honesty of purpose, and indeed so far as I am personally known, his imputations are valueless. Hoping you will oblige me by giving this insertion, I remain, Sir, Your obedient Servant, T.