THE DISMISSAL OF MR REID.

Tuapeka Times, Volume V, Issue 251, 21 November 1872, Page 6

THE DISMISSAL OF MR REID.

The following correspondence ha 3 taken place on the subject : — Wellington, 16th September, 1872. My Dear Sir, — I have waited several days in the expectation that you would have communicated with me on the subject of the position which you have accepted in the Colonial Government. It is true that in taking office you have assumed a position which is considerably superior to that of the Superintendent of the Province, and that therefore it may seem to you anomalous that I should call upon you for an explanation ; but you must recollect that you still hold the position of head of the Executive, and in that capacity I have a right to call on you for advice and assistance. It was in your power before taking office to have relieved yourself of the anomaly of the position by resigning your seat in the Provincial Executive. You not only have not done so, but you have failed even to apprise me of your intention to accept a position which it is of course obvious is entirely inconsistent with your other position as head of the Provincial Executive. You are aware that I have not allowed difference of opinion to influence our relations, and that I have scrupulously left to you all the discretion, and awaided you the consideration to which, ander a system of constitutional government, you were entitled ; but, as you now held an office which, as already stated, is altogether incompatible with your position as the head of my Executive, it is 'incumbent upon me to say (and I regret.thatjihe necessity of doing so has been thrown on" me), that I have to beg of you to be so very kind as to place me in a position at once to make more satisfactory arrangements. I have to observe that I consider this letter official. i I am, &c, J. Macandrew. Hon. D. Beid. Wellington, September 17, 1872. My Dear Sir,— l beg to acknowledge the receipt to-day of your letter of yesterday's date. I regret to find that the acceptance by me of a seat in the Colonial Executive should have caused you so much uneasiness. Had I known that you expected me to apprise you of my intention to accept such a position, or reason to believe that such, a course would have met with your approval, it is possible that I might have consulted you and asked your advice before coming to a decision. I thank you for the information that you have not allowed differences of opinion td influence our relations, and that you have scrupulously left me all the discretion, and awarded to me the consideration to which under a system of constitutional Government I was entitled. I was not aware that members of the Provincial Executive could When j absent from their Province, occupy a position as members of the Executive, and act in that capacity. If they could it-is difficult to understand the necessity for appointing deputies to act in their stead. The tone of your letter will be my excuse for reminding you that I have my respousibilities to the Provincial Council, and that I shall be prepared to justify my conduct to thai Assembly. I am, &c., D. Kmd. James Macandrew, Esq., M.H.R. Wellington, 19th September, 1872. My Dear Sir, — I have received your letter of 17th instant, in reply to mine of 16th. You are mistaken in assuming that I expressed what you are pleased to term "uneasiness" at your having accepted a seat in the Colonial Executive, or that I arrogated to myself any right to be consulted as to your decision on the subject. No such construction can fairly be placed upon my letter. I regret that you have evaded the real point at issue, namely, the incompatibility of the position of Minister of Public Works with that of head of the Provincial Executive. Yon must -be quite aware, both as regards myself and the members of the Provincial Executive at present in Wellington, that although absent from the Province we have been to some extent practically directing its affairs ; in fact, there are at this moment questions of mote or less importance whicn require mutual consultation on our part. As to your responsibilities t© the Provincial Council, I teel assured that that body will share my surprise at the unceremonious manner in which, even without the courtesy of a notice, you have accepted an office incompatible with those responsibilities. It now only remains to say that, in consequence of the complaints which have reached me of the neglect which has characterised the conduct of public business in the Province during our absence, and the necessity for making other. Executive arrangements owing to your service- "being no longer available as my responsible adviser, I purpose proceeding to Dunedin to-morrow with a view to placing matters on a more sati&fac- . Tory footing ; and that I shall be glad if you will spare me the disagreeable duty of. making fresh Executive arrangements other than in the usual way. I am, &c M J. Macandrew. Hon. D. Reid. Wellington, September 19, 1872. My Dear Sir,— l have to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of this date. I am. &c., D. Reid. James Macandrew, Esq., M.H.R,&c, &c.,&c. (Copy) Superintendent's Office, Dunedin, 25th September, 1572. Sir, — Referring to the correspondence which took place between us at Wellington, as to you resigniug your seit as a member of the Executive Council of Otago, J. have now the honor tot intimate to you that the position you havc.accoptcd as a member of the Colonial Executive is, in my opinion^ so utterly incompatible with the propsr performance of your duties as a member of the Provincial Executive, that I feel it my duty to exercise the power vested in me by the Executive Council Ordinance, "and to remove yOn from, your office as a member of my Executive. ? Itiave, Jfcc, . (Signed) : , James Macandrew, { Superintendent of Otago. The Hon. Donald Reid, I Wellington. Wellington, lOfchOcf, 1872. My Dear Sir!, — The circumstances which, led, .to .your ceasing to be a member of the Provincial Executive having now determined, I shall be glad if you resume your former position in the Executive, in which case directions will be sent to Dunedin, to communiciate with you officially to that end. Please reply as early as convenient. I remain, &c M J. Macandrew. D. Raid, Esq., M.H.R. t m ■ I. .-_ Wellington, October 12, 1872, Sir, — I have to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 10th instant, in which you inform me that the circumstances which le^ 1 to my ceasing to be a member of the P: A vincial Executive having now determirjJ you would be glad if I would iesnm'J^| former position in the Executive. Before proceeding to reply theret me to review the position in which stood at th* time those circuusudj^^H

Wl regret that the exigencies of space pre. vent us front doing justice "to the perfonnanc* given last night,' at the Commercial Assembly Room, b> tit* C.C.C.C. Cstuimiiy The'curtaiu rose on tbts drama " Mmjii'a Crime," the various .characters of which, were represented in a really #xcell nt manner. The evening's en-

tertainment coupludbd with the sottamiug farce t •ntitled *' We all have our little fault*," which fairly brought down tjie home. To-nihgt therj will be an tbunge of programme, which appears in our adv£isui»£ columns. A MBKTING to comider the land question was teid at Docherty's Hotel, Flat, on Saturday evening, Mr. Buchanan in the chair. Mr. Keppel on behalf of the sub-poniuiittee appointed at but meeting, to endeavor to prevent the granting of "dummy leases, stated .that an objection had been made to certain applications for Und, in block VI. Tuapeka West, and that legal . assistance had been engaged to support • these objections. Mi. Uahill moved, and Mr. O'Gonuau secouded, •' That the Govei nment be nieinoralued to thn.tr opeu fjr settleu c it, 5000 acres of laud on the Bellamy Kun, and 5000 acres on the Greeutield Run." The motion was carried uunuiniously. A sub coiumitu-e consisting of Messrs Tieloar, Fitzgerald, Spillane. Hoare, O'Brien aud the Chairman, with power to add to their number, was appointed to cany the resolution into effect. A vote of thanks to the.chair, brought tiie proceedings to a close. A If KKTIHG of the committee of the Tuapeka Jockey C'iub was held on- Saturday evening at > the Commercial Motel./ Vresent, —Dr. Stewart,

(President) Messrs Sheath, .Fairer,' Hay,üßownei, Williams, Hiils and Hayes (Secretary). [jjt was resolved that the next animal race meet- - vag should take place on the 20th aud 21st February, 1873. The Pieaident and Messrs Sheath .and Williams, were appointed collectors. Jhe Secretary was instructed to write to the various Jockey Clubs, intimating to them the time fixed for the Tuapeka. Uaces. 'lhe qualifications to entitle pubheaus to compete for tl.o' booths, was fixed at fdor guineas, and competitors for the I refreshment stauds, one guinea. The meeting adjourned till the 30th inpt., at the Victoria Hotel. . Bricks should soon come into competition

frith wood us a cheap building niateiial in Law »rence. Competition in the manufacture of tuein has set iv, and it' that competition has its usual effect. ifciunst result in the present price lieiug considerably letluced. Ail. Toiiks has recently entered iuto the business, and at present operates on the Waitahuua road. He has been fortunate in findiug some excellent clay, which, tinder his skilful manipulation, is transformed into bricks of a very superior quality. Mr. Touks bus also commenced the manufacture of floor and draining tiles, wedge, and tine ogee 'bricks, and purposes shortly to enter into the jwttery business. KiITAKfIATA COAL hids fair to become a popular fuel in the Tuapeka district. The few tons Sir. H. Pyke introduced, by way of experiment, net with reudy sale, and all wHo used them were very favorably impressed with their good qualities. AVk were in error in. our last issue in stating that two well-known members of the bar, settled souio matters of dispute by arguments from the shoulder. It appears from the "Court report that the matter wan one of assault and not a fair stand up fight. A MEETISG of the Lawrence Volunteer Fire Brigade was held on Satuiday evening, the captair), JUr. .Buck in the chair. The tn mutes of the previous meeting, were read and con firmed. A letter was read frmn air. J. S. Webb, of the Northern Fire and Life Assurance Company, asking information relative to the amount the Brigade would require, and for what purposes it would be expended. Air. Arbuckle of the Norwich Union Fire and Life Assurance Co., *lso read part of a letter, somewhat singular in tenor to that of Mr. Webb's. The secretary was instructed to write to the agents of the •various companies represented in Lawrence, explainiug the position of the Brigade ; that it had no plant, asking whether it would contribute a certain proportion,— say £50 towards the cost of the necessary plant, provided the cost of - the whole plant does not exceed £100, or supply the Brigade with an engine, to remain the pi operiy of the companies, the Brigade guaranteeing to provide all other necessary plant. The secretary was also instructed to explain, that the Brigade will be entirely self-supporting, and will not ask annual contributions from the Insurance Companies. A vote of thanks whs unanimously accorded to Mr. Arbuckle, for the

interest lie bns «lisplayej iv forwartlingr tlie eststbiisbinentrt? the Urigade ; and the seerelajy was directed to forward v copy of the resolution to Mr. Arbuckle. The meeting then adjourned for a fortnight.

A CONCERT in aid of the funds of the local school, was given in the Oddfellows Hall, Wai- - l>oii, .on Thursday evening last. There was a - SrstM-ate attendance, and the entertainment was really good, and pleased everyone present. The -amount realised was upwards of £13. Mb. W. D. Morrison has been elected by the

Tuapeka Miners' Association as delegate to at-

tend the forthcoming conference. 1 SIXPENNY loaves are now things of the past in Tuapeka. The bakers finding keen competition . caused their pockets to suffer in proportion to the benefit conferred on those of the public.

have raised the price of the start of life to Bii

per 41b. The members of our local Cricket Club are exceedingly fond of playing matches on Friday afternoons, but they do not seem to care about . getting vp in the morning to practice, unit in ihe evening very few turn up. \\ T «» would re.mind them tknt unless they steadily and perlevenngly practice they wiU never attain even mediocrity. We hope, now the fine weather lias fairly set in, the members of the Club will -turn out of bed at a' reasonable hour and do some practice. If they did this for a few weeks, the Friday afternoon matches would attract admiring spectators, and the frequent and painful .remarks indulged in by those who visit the gronnd for the purpose of witnessing the games jrould be agreeably absent.