LAWRENCE CEMETERY.

Tuapeka Times, Volume II, Issue 85, 25 September 1869, Page 3

LAWRENCE CEMETERY.

To Mr. John L. S. Keen, per favour of the Editor of Tuapska Times. Sib,, — Having read a letter in the Tuapeka Times of last Saturday, signed by you, commenting upon the management of the Lawrence Cemetery, I feel should your strictures go forth to .the world unchallenged, many, no doubt, woiiltl believe them real gnspel truth. . In reply. I wish to st;ite individually (without having reference io the other gentlemen named in your letter, viz., Messrs. Bastings and Herbert and Co., trustees), that you should have mentioned the ■whole of the names whose conduct appeared so scandalous in your eyes ; but I have no doubt there are private and personal motives for the omission. You commenced by saying that Mr. Mouat, "with the most consummate good taste," resigned. Well, sir, Mr. Mouat', I know, intended long before that to, resign, but would not do so until the books which, through Thomson's defalcations, were out of order, should be put to rights. Then, ,again, Mr. Mouat ,is one of the executive, and as he, no doubt, expected the matter to be discussed, resigned— so that you and a, few more behind the scene, could not reproach him_ for interestedness as a trustee. Agaiu, sir, with respect to rendering myself obnoxious by not resigning, I will give my reasons as briefly as possible. In the first place, I do not believe in running headlong into debt, and was willing to allow the funds to accumulate until there was enough money to commence and make a good job of what required to be done. No sooner did we find ourselves in that positiotx, .than we advertised f or tenders, but found that they were so high, on account of tho condition of the roads, that we resolved to delay the work for a short period — in the meantime getting the present fence* temporairlly repaired. This is a course I would pursne in my private business, and why not with the public business, whilst the aim in view is a benefit to all 1 It is true you may differ from me in this respect, but I cannot help that, — and secondly, I would like to know who you are that arrogata to yourself and the Council, of which you are a fitting member, the power of superseding the power of the Provincial Council, for you know that Mr. Hay, in his placo in the Provincial Council last Session, moved th.6 following :—": — " That it is desirable that the management of alt cemeteries situated within or near the boundary of any municipality, should be vested in the council of the municipality on or near which the land shall be situated ; and that the Government be requested to introduce a Bill forthwith to give effect to the resolution." This resolution, as you well know, was lost by a large majority. Another M.P.0., viz , Mr. J. O. Brown, made special reference to Lawrenca, which met with the Bame fate ; and in the face of this act of the Council, you have the unmitigated impertinence to ask those whose duty it is to carry out the act of the Council to totally ignore it Then you talk about hooting. Kow, sir, I never did anything in my life that I think would justify my fellow man in doing so ; and I do think that those who live in glass houses should not throw stones. Begone for a set of dogs] and make room for a set of hziter men. Very nice expression for a member of several professions. Now, sir, I should like to know, in conclusion, from you what you have seen about me since you have been in the district, as far as the people of the district are concerned, to warrant you in taking my name as you did ; and would beg leave to say that I have always considered myself a better man than you ; and would advise you, for the future, to leave my name out of your correspondence, else I might be inclined to invest a small amount at the saddlers, and make pu l lie what I do not want at present to do. — T am, &c, John Donovan.