THE BOUNDARY QUESTION.

Southland Times, Issue 1351, 23 December 1870, Page 3

THE BOUNDARY QUESTION.

Sic,— l think it would be impossible for any. unprejudiced person of ordinary common sense to peruse Mr Calder's letter, in to-day's News, on the subject of the " Boundary jjjuestion^-without becoming" fully convinced that the four members — Messrs "Wood, Toshack, Kinross, and Wilson— who voted for Mr Reid's amendment, have betrayed the trust reposed in them by the Southland people. The action of the whole of the Southland representatives is therein so clearly described, and the duty of the above-mentioned gentlemen, in common with their colleagues, seems to have been so clearly and plainly understood and agreed upon, that it seems impossible to account for their motives in committing so gross a breach of faith as assisting in carrying a measure most j inimical to the interests of this district. It is very well to say that the difference between the effect of the motion or its amendment, if carried, lies only in name ; this is a subterfuge that cannot fail to place their conduct in a still more unfavorable light ; it is in fact doing the '\ Southland people first an injury and then insulting their understandings. If the | Government ofthe old province of Otago hesitated not to attempt to violate the intent \and . meaning of sections 11, 12, and 13, of the Union Commissioners' \ Report, upon which the question of district boundary is based in the Union Act, it would not (considering the important benefits it would thereby hope to derive, coupled with the memory of Otago's faithless dealings with the late district of Murihiku) excite much surprise ; but that four of Southland district's own members — her avowed and acknowledged., ebampions-^-should be so regardless of her interests, and so lost to every sense of honor and duty as to leave her a prey to those who care nought about their obligations in regard to us, is a matter which cannot fail to raise the righteous indignation of eyery right-minded inhabitant. I cannot conclude this expression of my opinion, Mr Editor, without recording the conviction that the thanks of the community of this district are due to Mr Calder and his colleagues, Messrs Basstian, M'Gillivray, and .Johnston, for their straightforward and disinterested conduct as representatives of this district ; and to Mr Calder in particular for placing the subject before the public in a clear and truthful light, and thereby exposing the culpable weakness and malfeasance of those whose interest as well as duty it was to have given him their most unqualified support.— l am, &c, Observes. InvercargUl, Dec. 21st, 1870.