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Oamaru Mail, Volume III, Issue 644, 27 May 1878, Page 2

Mr. Donald 11 kip has politically bidden his constituents farewell, and in a fiw ,!;,« ne shall probably learn that the resignation of the member for Taieri lias l.jeti placed i» the hands of tlv; speaker. Mirny i-vt'ii ni Mr. Kkei-'.; political oppo-ni.-r.ta will regret that he sliould have t.-eoi: Ci'Uii-elietL i" rvsi.iiii ids position. ! : _-«;ic iiit't.;t)L-r «■£ the House, and Ims toii-rht bravely in many hard battles. IJi.it | it would have been bn;..-r had -Mr. Keiu | retired int> private life some time ago, •i before he was tei-ipted to commit such a i ■j.i-.k.* piece of apostacy as he did in j.iin- \ [•.:•! i'.n AiKt:s"S"N Ministry. That one . ;'c. f.'i-ias the greatc-sc blot upon Mr. i il;--.u>V. political career. It b->re too pal- ! -'.illv the ar>pcar:iuce of a desire on Ids i part to '• take care of mmibcr one." 2v> ' - '■ -,tl Abolition of Provincialism ; been eticeted, and Mr. Tleiu's occupation ,aa Provincial Secretary . 2 Otago was gon;\ | than he turned with indecent longing u> j j the Colonial iksh-pois, and on the first | I ..piii-rtunitr bvcaiae a number of the veiy ' : | Ministry which he had only \usi pre- \ iv opp jsed. Mr. Keid may |

have been acting as he thought iu the interests of Otago in thus deliberately forsaking his own party and seeking an alliance with the other side ; but few will believt that such a desire was the sole cause of his defection from the Ghey party. The sweet.-; of oiiice were to him I very sweet ; and it m ottered not to him j I whether his hands were h!bd from the ! j Provinciil or the C do:ii;il eh• st. This;

one act has done more to tarnish Mr. Reii/s irood name than any other score of misdeeJs he ever perpetrated. Hu retires fro u the political arena with ft stain upon his political reputation which it will take loug years to efface. No one

can possibly regret this fact to a greater extent than we do, and in bidding Mr. Reid farewell we nuiat express an unfeigned sorrcw that he should have fallen a victim to love of ph-.ce and the allurements of the unscrupulous crew who are fortunately no longer powerful for evil.