AN EXPLANATION.

Southland Times, Issue 698, 19 July 1867, Page 3

AN EXPLANATION.

(TO THE" EDITOB OP THE SOXTTHIiIU) TIMES.) " , Sir, — I beg to hand you my "letter^ to His Honor the Superintendent,' and his reply on the subject of that reference to. me in Mr Cowan's letter, which ap-; peared ia your issue of yesterday. " My Dear Mr Taylor — My attention has been drawn to a' letter in .the " Southland Tiinea " of .this day's' date,' from Mr Cowan, in which, while irebntting an insinuation against- himself, he has made one against me, from being misinformed i:am sure. Prom the nature of the insinuation you must be the right . person to give a satisfactory reply on the subject, and I would ask you to- oblige me. by giving me two lines, which- 1 mayuse, in denial of my having had any^ thing" whatever "to do with persuading you to any measure that you had in ; contemplation with respect to Mr Eccles ;. and to say, also, whether my. part ; in the' matters did riot begin: and- end entirely ■ in the- selection at your instance of the land (Mr Eccles being absent), and of the withdrawal st : your instance ..also, of the selection, when, for reasons which you explained to^ me^ you wished it withdrawn. '.; •. ."To ; you, .1 need not say .how uniformly I have stood aloof from anyactive part .in public measures, and: this among the rest. As a near relation- of Mr Eccles, and known^by him. to have^purchased largely, shortly before, it was to be. expected that. Mr Eccles. should seek, my assistance, and my duty as .a selector being of course to, choose the best land I knew, I selected, on Mr Cowan's run, near to my own. There is nc* other significance in ' its being taken there. — Yours sincerely; ■ •■ - "Henry Young. "His Honor the Superintendent., „ "... " Invercargill, July 17; 1867."^ . ■ ' BEPLY. -'"" -■.■''■■■"- --" My Dear Young,— When I'received your letter late last night, I had not read that of Mr Cowan in the newspaper. V " As Mr Cowan's letter stands in strong and favorable contrast to the usual attacks on me and my administration in' its general tone and good sense, I regret the more that in the particular instance you refer to he should have fallen into error as to the facts of the case ; they being perfectly correctly stated by you. " I had no ide,a where you intended to select the land : the first intimation given me" being the rough sketch you sent to the office after selection, and Mr Cowan errs in supposing the selection was disallowed ' entirely ; the selection was withdrawn, because in the opinion of the Attorney- G-eneral it could not legally be made under the Land Act, but suggesting that payment should \Se made out of the ordinary revenue instead : and it was originally made, because in my previous correspondence on the subject with the Colonial Secretary no such objection had been intimated. "There was no "persuasion" in the matter either on your part or that of Mr Eccles. As for you, you had never, as far as I am aware, anything to do with the matter till you were asked on behalf of Mr Eccles to select the reserve for him; : "''"'' ••■••"■ ■■_ : (Signed)' " Jno ; P. Taylor." It is evident that Mr Cowan hag not possessed himself of the. facts of the case on which he comments. There are six mistakes in almost as, many lines. „ ll. "l. had no concern whatever. in the measure of Mi\Eccle_s' appointment., , or; ' moile of remuneration, .and no. communi-; cations l' "with' Hi's Hpnor about them- r till, calfed-upoii tb'select. '""- ■ JJ- " •. '2. His Honor did riot " direct me 'to' mark off on the authenticated map 2000 acres adjoining my own property,"

rrS^ZEher Reserve I; wasl i'eque&t'ell-^ make on befialfof Mr^Exiele's, and which I did at my.own"discfetion make on Mr CowanV-run? was liot disallowed, but withdrawn under"' circumstances ex-flamed.-m ,-^e-:^ ,• . ;:•;;;• ■■■y-^.lyul '■ 4r The ' m'ea^s'ure' :J arid the; step^- take^i were n.ot without .the advicb^^ 'and consent of His Honor's .Exeputiye. ,--- v - ;C . ;:-,rjA ■ . 6. .As. the opening speech, of His Honor, and: ihetfuE address to tthe-^Gdiinc^ia session of the Provincial Treas,urer r shp^3' they were^ open ! and mteiligent .advocates of the measure, and the sfceps,,t jia^ v the -measure led to, ME Cowans- motive for supporting the * Government' Wgh'€ not logically to 'have flowed from exoneration; such as' he ■ thinks/ and r '\iq. doubt thinks truly, he extended to , fchem."^ 6.. That His, . Honor has been-iU,-':yery ill, but. never in that feeble state ,ot mintE which Mr Go wan speaks of, wilFI thinjc be apparent to any one wh6';has^ 'cpntversed as I have ,done," 6r'"'iiransactea ; business .with him as have: others. — I -have &c " . . , , ; HEiray Tqung.,