CORRESPONDENCE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XII, Issue 3870, 27 July 1891, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

[to the editor.] Sir, —In the column of your paper used by. the " Prohibitionist," some few days ago appeared certain com* ments on the late licensing case in which my name figured. Ido not wish to enter into any controversy with a writer who enters so gallantly into personal abuse under the shelter of an anonymous contribution (as is usual with such writers), but I nevertheless cannot allow his inuendos to go entirely unchallenged. In the first place* he says that I was nominated for the Committee, while I had to a certain extent a monetary interest in a public house ; beoause, at the time, I was the solicitor to a publican. This is bosh, pure and simple. It is not likely that I should have continued to act for the publican had I been elected, and I certainly never intended to do so. But, in my case, the assertion that one may not stand for a Licensing oleotion because he has a client who is a puta» lican, is a palpable absurdity. In the second place my withdrawal was perfectly bona fide, and was done so as to leave the issue' directly between the two this the writer oyerlooks : That in the petition «h I filed against the Licensing Committee my withdrawal was not alleged as a ground for upsetting the election, I refused to appear upon, or argue, i this ground, or to include it in any petition filed by me. If your correspondent goes to the Court he will find two petitions (and he ought to have seen that two were advertised), and he will find I am correct. If the writer will allege in plain speaking that any action of mine is dishonourable and put his name to the foot I will know what to do. In conclusion I may say that I do not care twopence for the writer or his satire (God Bave tha mark!); as I am perfectly independent of him and of others, and lam not obliged to anybody; but I cannot think that he is advancing his cause, however good no doubt it is, by attacks of a personal natu re, and I would remind him that, in serving the party I did, I simply exercised a professional duty, which I ' would just as willingly have oxorcised for him or his party, bad I been their advocate, 1 am, sir, Yours Obediently, C, A. PoWNAUt.