WAIKAIA ELECTORAL BOLL.

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 184, 17 August 1871, Page 5

WAIKAIA ELECTORAL BOLL.

(To tli* Editor.)

Sib, — After a most unaccountable silence of over two . months, Chas. Rous Marten ventures to make an ?ippearanee in your columns ostensibly for the purpose of replying in a wholesale manner to the various letters and articles which appeared in most of the Otago papers relative to the strange and extraordinary proceeding taken by him in daring to object to near 300 names being retained on a roll having a total of not over 500 I may briefly remark that with all humility I plead guilty of being one of "the simpleminded country correspondents," and consequently may be excused by Mr. Marten for saying that his exceedingly clear, clever, concise, correct, comprehensive, and convincing letter has failed in the most remote manner to convince me that his conduct in respect of purging the Waikaia Roll was the straightforward, simple, sensible, sound and seasonable act which he wishes to make the public believe.

Mr. Marten must keenly feel the disagreeable truths contained in the several letters and articles referred to to be anything but advisable to rein^im unanswered ; so now, forsootfi, after the matter has almost passed out of the recollections of the public, he triea to administer consolation to his sensitive Jeelings by inserting a disclaimer against reports wtich he is pleased to term " all more or less fictitious." He endeavours to conceal the real facts in connection with this strange arrangement by raising a crowd of dust in the shape of rambling references to what he did and what he did not do in previous years respecting the rolls and his threatened purging process ; and also furnishes lengthy comments upon the decisions of previous revision courts being averse and diametrically opposed to tbe very able ruling of Mr. Hodgkins, the Ee vising Officer. But Mr. Marten will pardon me for reminding him that the revision courts of previous years wheich he refers to were connected with Southland, and that although he was at that time Registration Officer for a small portion of the present Waikaia District, yet it only contained 30 names, whereas the district roll contains 500, embracing a great portion of the Mount Benger District, and until this year we have been left from the patronising protection pertinaciously palmed by him on to us simple-minded Otago electors. Mr. Marten has forgotten, no doubt, in his lengthy .letter to explain away the lapsus linyuae made by him at the revision court, Eoxburgh, ' when he stated .that "he had been -advised by the G-overnment" that there wns reasonable ground for .objecting to the descriptions contained in fche-claims to which he had objected. Mr. Marten finds consolation in the fact that 27 out of 300 names were struck out, but he fails to adpiit that they were not struck off on the grounds raised by him, namely, that the properties were of "insufficient value" or "insufficiently described." He will pardon me for reminding him that it was owing to the parties having left the colony, or being dead, of which' fact Mr. Marten was pQrfedtly oblivious, he never having previous to that visit', seen tho rustic residences occupied, by simpleminded people in the M,ount Benger District. With respect to' the claim made by a female- -to have her name placed ori the roll, I have no doubt the simple-minded individual who attested the claim is fully impressed with the dneadful position iu^which -.he placed himself, by th.c commiasiqn -of such a •heinous. offence, as. attesting ncr claim, qnd fully appreciates the. kindness of C. R. M. in 10. prosecute this time." ..$9 dbubthe iieve*r. will be guilty of, such 4 gallant act" again, but in.' all seriousness, 'Mr. JVlarten "must allow, hie to compliment him upon tbe ' possession* of "a most fertile brain, when .he'eonjure up "imaginary " severee remarks made by^'the Revising Officer." The? ofrlv severe remarks made use of by' tha<";gentlemen had reference to Ihd-mueb. to be envied individual hinrself, Nvho' figured ia the capacity of "objector." — I am, &c, A SIMPLE-MINDED G'OEKESPOIfDENT,