THE REV. W. BANNERMAN AND MR. GILLIES.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VII, Issue 369, 1 July 1874, Page 3

THE REV. W. BANNERMAN AND MR. GILLIES.

, The following letter, which appears in > to-day's ' Bruoe Herald,' explains itself :—: — In accordance with the deliverance of the \ Presbytery at its late meeting, and with the . declaration I then made (which I observe has [■ been omitted from the report given to the „ public), that I would cause a public statement ' to be made to the effect that anything in the [ report of my speech at the Balclutba soiree capable of being understood as having a referj ence toMr Robert Gillies, as the author of an article in tho 'Otago Daily Times,' commented, on by me, should be considered as withdrawn, I hereby, through your columns, which contained said report, desire to make such statement. I beg also to express my regret that, in common with many others, I was, through current report, led to believe that the article was his, and that acting under the influence of that belief, I made the allusion coniplained of — a belief shared "in by most, if not by all the members of Presbytery up till the moment Mr Gillies disclaimed the authorship in answer to a question put to him at the meeting of Presbytory. While I express this regret, I at the same timerepudiate, as my Presbytery has repudiated, that anything spoken by me, or reported to have been spoken by me, deserves to be characterised as Mr Gillies has alleged. While disassociating him from the authorship of the article referred to, I am net to be understood as in the least withdrawing the opinion I have expressed of that or of other articles that may have appeared in the columns of the ' Daily Times.' — I am, &c, W. Bannebjian.