THIS TEVIOT MEMORIAL AND MR. WARDEN HICKSON.

Tuapeka Times, Volume I, Issue 24, 25 July 1868, Page 3

THIS TEVIOT MEMORIAL AND MR. WARDEN HICKSON.

(To the Editor of the Tuapeka Times.)

Sib, — I regret that lam again called upon to trouble you with a few lines concerning the Roxburgh township dispute, fearing silence on my part might • cause your readers to imagine the statements contained in the letters signed " Honesty," " One of the Memorialists," and " Sam Slick" were entirely' truthful and unanswerable. In the fitst -place, I must remark, your several correspondents appear to b.e< desirous of diverting tne attention of your readers from thq real'--C|uestion iijvblved — namely, the necessity or otherwise of a fourth survey of thistownship — by calumniating the character ,jof\ our Warden, Mr. < ickson, who, because he makes a report, in compliance with a request -by the Government, iTp'bn this troublesome question, and suoh report is rather' distasteful to your correspondents, they imagine they have license to abuse and slander Mr. Hickson in a -way 5 to say the least, very -unseemly and malicious. Knowing well that Mr. Hickf 3on's official position prevents his entering into a newspaper controversy, *-hy do they not take a more manly course^ and prefer a charge in the proper quarter,' which I doubt not would be thoroughly ? In thus replying to your correspondents above -referred to, I do so collectively, as, although the several contributions* bear different -names, 1 am fully convinced they nil emanate from one source. Mediums being employed, and many of your readers will, like myself, have very little difficulty in identifying the writer as being the unenviable jauthprofcthe ".Qhronicleaof Terra Moa," ■which, fdir personal abus,e : and innuendoa, aro'sb notorious ; also of that frightfully distorted and fictitious account of the christening of the "Hit or Miss" waterrace at Campbell's, in which scarcely a particle of truth appeared ; alsa the author of an account of a "large and influential meeting of the Mount Benge'r Mutual Land League Self-Protection Association " — the Association and meeting being a perfect myth-rand more recently of an account of a meeting with reference to the establishment of a school at Benger Burn, giving names of committee before the meeting had actually taken place. I would advise your correspondents, the next time they have recourse to the Dictator, who professes to " hold the destiny of the Province in the palm of his hand," to be a little more careful, and not take all as gospel which he may dole out to them.

Mr. Nicholson's name appears to be Tnuch mixed up with this correspondence ; and he appears to have, in addition to hii numerous appointments, .lately added that of survey or. and draughtsman, in being employed to draw out and submit to Government, plans for survey of township ; hut I think he ought have hesi•tated before" he marked his sketch as being "plan of Roxburgh, as proposed by residents re-survey." When did the residents adopt" such a plan ? — in fact, beyond Mr. George Mackay, did any one individual resident get a sight of the plan before it was produced by Mr. Nicholson in the Government offices ? Why is Mr. Nicholson so mixed up in this matter, as he is not a resident, nor does he hold any interest in or near the township of Roxburgh. - When I have reason to believe 1 can with certainty reply to communications upon this subject emanating from parties more scrupulous, I shall have much pleasure in doing so ; but at present I think it is only a waste of time to attempt a refutation of the statements contained in the several letters referred to, and more especially to those contained in the effusion signed " Sam Slick," as it is impossible to interfere with dirty matter without soiling oneself.— l am, &c, Veritas.