MR. BOUSFIELD.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume 1, Issue 4, 26 October 1872, Page 2

MR. BOUSFIELD.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE STANDARD. Sir, —Mr. Bousfield has taken the trouble to write a letter to the Napier Telegraph, in which he takes advantage of the opportunity of denying his asserted connection with the Standard, to descend to private particulars which are as devoid of truth as his own judgment is of the rules of proper behaviour. After letting off some thirty or forty lines of his usual frothy diatribes, he seems to have suddenly arrived at a very “capital idea,” and proceeds to shew his animus and disappointed hopes, in the following most untruthful and unwarrantable statement :■ — “ I n»y *8 Well add that the scheme of this paper was in a great measure started by me for Mr. Webbs’ benefit, he arrived here a perfect stranger with no very clear prospects in hand or to the fore, and I introduced him to several of the most influential of the settlers, and gave him what support I could for old acquaintance sake, but

there my connection with Mr. Webb and the paper began, and there ended.” This I most unequivocally deny, and challenge r - Bousfield to state in what way he started, or aided in starting the Standard. I have thought it right to treat the matter in this way, that there may be no mistake about the issue, which there might be if I replied through the columns of the Telegraph ; and I feel that the most complete refutation of his wild assertions will be the drawing of public attention to them. The facts which have led to this question are simply these : - A paragraph appeared in the Hawke's Hay Herald to the effect that Mr. Bousfield was to assist me in the literary department of the Standard, which, being incorrect, a let ter was written to the Herald contradicting it. The Herald quoted from my letter, without publishing it, and very unfairly repeated what I had denied. A second letter, addressed to the Herald, was published in the Telegraph, which, being a determined repudiation of any business connection with Mr. Bousfield, has caused him to take comfort in the small triumph of revenge, and give publicity to private affairs which should be sympathised with rather than rejoiced over. But even here he departs from the truth ; and I deny absolutely, that Mr. Bousfield’s personal or any other influence, has aided in the Standard being started, except in an infinitessimally small degree; that I will let pass. I know I had Mr. Bousfield’s good wishes, but those are not things which are usually traded with ; but, as for his influence, and “ introduction to several of the most influential of the settlers,” they generally followed me some considerable distance in the rear. And, although he has exhibited a most unpardonable bad taste in advertising the cloudiness of my prospects for some time past, 1 rejoice in the fact that they ever wore a more clearly-defined aspect than either his principles or hie ideas. If my future prospects depended on such “ old acquaintance,” I should stand a poor chance indeed. It is my duty to observe here that for some months past, Mr. B.uisfield’s name has been so intimately mixed up with my project of starting a Newspaper (why, I know not) that it became difficult to convince those who were desirious of supporting me, to the contrary; and it is the fact of his name being associated with mine, which accounts for the delay in publishing the Standard. So sorely and hardly, not to say unjustly, did this sense of wrong press upon me, that, although I had refrained from wounding Mr. Bousfield’s feelings by a public denial, I was bound to do so, so soon a-i it assumed the shape of editorial dictum. And for Mr. Bousfield’s satisfaction I can justify the course I have adopted by telling him that it was absolutely necessary, not only to the establishment of the Standard, but to its success after it was established, that it should be known in the most emphatic and authorative way, that he had no control whatever over it, and no other connect ion with it, save as a correspondent if he chose to behave himself. I could further give him the cause why he has no longer any influence in public matters, but it is so wellknown as not to require repetition. I am not sorry, taken as a whole, that Mr. Bousfield has been to so much trouble in my behalf, as his letter carries its own condemnation, and is one of his happiest endorsements of the necessity put upon me to repudiate the imputed alliance. —Yours, 11. E. WEBB.