THE WALLACE ELECTION.

Southland Times, Issue 1183, 17 December 1869, Page 2

THE WALLACE ELECTION.

(to thb bditob or thb times.) Sib, — I observe a letter from Mr Bous Marten in your issue of the 2nd inßt., in anßwer to my former letter. As Mr Marten does not directly and honestly meet the assertions made by me, I can only compare his effusions to the old instructions given to a barrister — " No case, abuse the plaintiff's attorney." He certainly does succeed in giving the world to understand that he has some slight acquaintance with the works of Shake, spere, but although I have the misfortune to be unknown to Mr Marten, and therefore to fame, I can also pretend to some knowledge of the works of the great dramatist, and beg to cap his elegant and gentlemanly allusion to Dogberry by, " Does the galled jade wince ? my withers are unwrung \" Mr Marten'a reply to the plain unvarnished tale which seems to have excited his indignation, as it is only in the power of a truthful exposure of meanness to do, may be dismissed in a very few words. 1. His statements as to the hour are perfectly false, as he must know quite well, owing to the comparison of watches, mentioned in my former letter. 2. The small English-grass lawn cannot, by the most liberal computation, be converted into " a large paddock." It is exactly what I stated it to be, an ornamental plot about the house. If the acres of Martendale are measured by the same scale as that which gave Mr Marten 12 acres as the size of the lawn, I fear that gentleman can hardly be styled a Lord either of broad, or even imperial acres. 3. Mr Marten's memory, or Mr Marten's desire to vindicate his friend, leads him again into a decidedly erroneous statement.

4. Mr Cowan may or may not have given such instructions. He certainly took good care we should know nothing about them. It was certainly not our place to demean ourselves like beggars, when we saw others on the same errand as ourselves being properly invited. 6. The excellent inn close at hand wo knew nothing of. It is strange that such a marvel of gentlemanly courtesy, so conj siderate and devoted a friend, so impartial a judge, so able a letter writer as Mr Marten, should not have thought of directing us to this haven of rest— a courtesy any person with the usual qualifications of a gentleman would have been anxious to show to strangers. But Mr Marten's idea of what is a gentleman, appears as vague as his notions of truth. He appears very proud of bis official position, which he considers equal to that of a Resident Magistrate ; but I can only say be shows his pride in a curious way, when he consents to become the whipper-in of a mob of squatters. At all events, I fear that Mr Marten is, to quote his favorite author, a man in whom " policy sits above conscience." — Yourt Ac, J. M. Clabk. Ross Place, Lawrence, Dec. 10, 1869.