INDIGNATION MEETING AT SWITZERS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 162, 16 March 1871, Page 5

INDIGNATION MEETING AT SWITZERS.

(From a Correspondent.)

A public meeting was held at the Crown Hotel on Monday last in consequence of a slanderous paragraph which appeared m the " Tuapeka Times " of the previous week. The meeting comprised all the well disposed portion of the community, and as it was understood that a document would be drawn up for signature, several parties who wore unable to attend, authorised others to sign for them.

Mr. Geo. Skene occupied the chair, and opened the meeting by reading the paragraph in question. it reflected on the itev. Mr. Morrison, Presbyterian Minister at Switzers, charging him with unsamaritan and unchristianlike conduct in reference to a poor family which had been stricken with scarlatina.

Mr. Alex. M'Donaid, of the Sons of Freedom Flotel, moved the lirst resolution, which was seconded by Doctor M'Crystafl, and ran as follows :: — '• That this meeting considers the statements published in the " Tuapeka Times " respecting the Rev. Mr. Morrison, false, unfounded, and malicious, aud desires to express its sympathy with Mr. Morrison, and its disapproval of suuhau unjustifiable attack on his character." Mr. M'Donaid stited that Mr. Morrison was so well known here that it was hardly necessary for him to tell them how far from the truth such statements were ; th.it the Rev. Mr. Morrison's character was the very opposite to that represented.

The motion was carried unanimously.

The next resolution was moved by i>lr. Bailey, who stated that he did not wish to cast suspicion ou any individual as the utterer of die atrocious falsehoods they had just heard read — the object of the meeting was to take steps to have the name of the writer published, that all the community might know on whom the blame lay, and that suspicion may not attach to innocent parties. Mr. Morrison was so well known here rhat it was absolutely unnecessary to enquire into the facts of the case charged against him ; still as a satisfaction to all parties, he might say that enquiries had been carefully made and the result was that so far from any blame whatever attaching to that gentleman, the highest credit was due to him. The " unsamaritan and uncharitable " conduct charged against him was, that in the case of Tretheway and family — " instead of doing all in his power to relieve their distress, he had advised a person named Northcoat and others not to go near them." Now he (Mr. B dley) was in a position to state that Mr. Mi rrison had done all in his power to alleviate their distress ; he had visited them again and again — had offered them pecuniary assistance (which was, however, civilly declined as not being needed) — had carried t l iem presents of provisions, &c, from Mrs. Carnie, (a lady much respected here) — and had, in every way, acted as a Christian minister or a Christian man should act. True, he had advised the parents of a young family (Northcoat) to keep away, from the fear of contagion, but the advice was disregarded, and he was grieved to state that the resiut had been rully corroborative of the soundness of the minister's advice, for since the occurrence, one of Northcoat's children had been carried off by the fever and there was reason to fear the disease was still spreading. Out of eleven cases at Switzers five had terminated fatally. Surely, then, the advice that those who had young children iv their charge should abstain from visiting places where the fever was raging was good advice. It was almost unnecessary for him to speak in Mr. Morrison's favour, but it had come to his (the speaker's) ears again and again, how Mr. Morrison was in the habit of visiting from house to house comforting and assisting the afficted and needy. There were many persons in the district, possibly in that, very room, who had been secretly assisted from the Minister's slender purse, and such charges as were now before them were cruelly unjust and untrue. Mr. Bailey then read a letter from Mr. Tretheway, who had not j r et recovered from the fever, in contradiction of the statement made iv the " Tuapeka Times" of 2nd March, and stating that Mr. Morrison offered any pecuniary assistance he might require. A requisition, calling upon the proprietors of the " Tuapeka Times " to publish the name of the writer of the article in question, was then read by Mr. Bailey, who moved—" That the lequisition just read be laid on the table for signature, and this meeting requests all those who have a desire to uphold the character of the community for fair play, honesty, and truth, to sign the requisition."

Seconded and carried unanimously.

Mr. Marshall Blackburn then moved, and Mr. R. Shaw seconded—" That Mr. Bailey be requeued to take charge of the requisition, and to forward the same to Tuapeka when duly signed. Carried.

[We have received the requisition referred to, signed by 64 residents at Switzers. It is certainly far from our desire to lose the support even of one of that number, if it is possible by any fair means to retain it, but if divulging a correspondent's name is the price demanded for our subscribers' patronage, we must decline to accede to it, and endeavour to survive the loss. Sooner than so infringe upon the laws of journalistic etiquette we would relinquish our position aa journalists. Our columns are open for the refutation of anything appearing in our correspondents' letters or reports which may be deemed opposed to truth or justice, (of wluch, in the present case, we cannot be expected +o be judges,) and to this fact we beg to direct the attention of the 64 gentlemen who signed the requisition. We refer them to a letter in another column, bearing upon this case, in support of our assertion. For the information of our Switzers readers, we may say that the letter to which they take exception emanated from a Switzera resident.— Ed, "T.T,"J