The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-12-20 00:00:00

MISREPRESENTATION OF THE " MAIL"

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NORTHERN DAILY TIMES.

SIR,—I observe in the Mail of to-day, at the
end of its report of the proceedings at the Colle-
giate prize delivery, the following paragraph :—" We
have also to allude to a want of courtesy and fair-
ness on the part of a Mr. Jones, who holds some
official position in connection With the institution ;
and, although our reporter was the first to. apply
for a list of the pri2es distributed, the document
was handed over to the representative of a contem-
porary journal, and in consequence of the late hour
af which it reached us we have been unable to
submit it to that revision which would have been
desirable, and we must therefore devolve upon Mr.
Jones the onus of any mistakes which may have
arisen."

If it was the intention of the writer to wound
my feelings, it may be soak) gratification to him to
be assured that he has accomplished his purpose.
There are few persons, however. they may attempt
to disguise the fact, who are insensible to a news-
paper attack, and lam not among thenumber.
A more unprovoked and unfounded One, however,
than the present, I can scarcely imagine; and I
feel certain that those who mayy read the following
version of the matter which the reporters of the
NORTHERN DAILY TIMES and of the Journal have
been so kind as to favor me with, will acquit me of
the charges of discourtesy and unfairness.

"Liverpool, 17th December, 1853.
" SIR,— Seeing in this day's Mail a note appended to
report of the proceedings which took place at the distri-
bution of prizes at the Collegiate, yesteta?y, charging vou
with " a want of courtesy and unfairness,' I feel bound to
say that a charge more unfounded and unwarrantable I never
before saw made through the columns of a new .paper; and
I feel confident it cannot have been made by any of the re-
porters who had personal communication with you on the
subject of the report. I have only to add that the report
was handed to the gentleman who represented the Journali
with my sanction, and with the sanction of the gentleman
who represented the Mail. It seems, therefore, rather
strange how such a complaint could be made. I re-
ceived proofs from the Journal-office, revised and correct-
ed, so as to prevent the possibility of mistake, as early, if
I recollect rightly, as half-past six, pm.
THE REPORTER OF THE "NORTHERN DAILY TIMESk"
"J. G. Jones, Esq., Secretary Collegiate Institution?'

_
IVeurnai.office, Saturday,
" DEAR am very sorry that you should have been
made the subject of so unjust an attack as that in the Mail,
to which you have called my attention. Instead of being
uncuurteous or unfair oa the occasion referred to) you
were the very opposite, and scrupulously, anxious
in regard to the list of ptites that we should
make a mutual arrangement by which all would be
satisfied. The reporter for the Mail, as you are aware,.
consented to our getting the copy first, and I promised to
urge our printers to have proofs of it ready for the other
papers as soon as possible. Corrections, you know, caused un•
expected delay, but at six o'clock, I left proofs with my own
hand at the Mail office; and at the office of the new daily
paper —revised, compact, and ready tor the printer. Last-
half year the Mail got the copy first, and it was with difficulty
that we got a proof in fragments at ten o'clock at night.
The Mail now has no occasion for complaint; and it
appears a piece of petulance on their part to make remarks
which a moment's inquiry would have shown them were
unfounded. They did not apply first for the copy ; we did.
—lt would be wrong if I closed without acknowledging
your uniform courtesy and kindness, when meetings take
place at the Collegiate, to the representatives of the press,
and I am proud to have the opportunity of doing so.—l
remain, yours faithfully, •

S. HARKER, Reporter, Journal.
J. Gregory Jones, Esq., Secretary Collegate Institution. .
I have, in the next place, to notice the offensive
manner in which the writer in the Mail has thought
fit.to allude to me in making his charges, viz :—" A
Mt. Jones, who holds some official position in
connection with the Institution." Possibly, how-
ever, he may be a fresh importation, and may re-
quire some information relative to me. I trust,
therefore, you will allow me to submit to him the
following brief autobiography.
For many years previous to the existence of
the Collegiate Institution, I had the honour of
being connected with the press. I could point
out many leaders even in the Liverpool Mail
itself, which were contributed by me ; and my re-
ports of public meetings, &c., appeared not only in
the Liverpool papers, but also in the columns of
the various London daily journals. Indeed, I was
the first reporter admitted into the Liverpool coun-
cil chamber. I well recollect the address, Mr.
Currie, the mayor, delivered to me individually on
that occasion, upon the duties of my office; and, I
can say with pride that throughout the whole of my
career, as a reporter, I never forgot what was due
to myself, or to the feelings of others, as the
writer in the Mail has -dune in the present in-
stance.

Of my abilities, as a reporter, I will only say that
I possess most flattering testimonials from Sir
Robert Kaue, the President of Queen's College,
Cork, and from the late Mr. Egerton Smith, which,
I need scarcely add, I prize most highly.
With the foundation of the Collegiate, Institu-
tion, also, I may without presumption say, that I
was closely identified. The circulars for the first
meeting in its behalf, which bore the signatures, of
Mr. Robertson Gladstone and Mr. Samuel Holme,
were written by me.. On that occasion I was re-
quested to act as secretary and to draw up a pro-
spectus embracing my views of the constitution
and various arrangements of the contemplated In
stitution. With this request I complied; and the
result was, the prominent features of the Collegiate
Institution as they exist at the present day. But
for the strenuous exertions of a valued friend and
myself, the design of the ,present building would
not, lam confident, have been selected. The
various exhibitions, and the Bazaar, by which the
Institution realized, upwards of £4,000 ; and the
magnificent organ which now adorns the Lecture
Hall, of which the town rn:ty justly be proud, were
chiefly the result of my labours, shared, in no tri-
fling degree, I willingly admit, by my faithful
friend the late Mr. Muncaster to whose unostenta-•
tions services the Collegiate Institutioli,owes so
much.

Under my management, the lectures delivered at
the. Collegiate Institution attained. a degree of cele-
brity and attractiveness unequalled in this country.
And upon the occasion when the directors, with a
compliment to my services, of which I had just rea-
son to feel proud, increased my salary, the Rev. W.
J. Conybeare, the late principal, said of me :—" I
feel that he has a strong claim upon the institution
for ample remuneration, for the efficient and (I may
fairly call them) invaluable services which he has
rendered. Indeed, I can hardly imagine any in-
crease of salary to be more than he has deserved."
Again, with respect to theliquidation of the debt,
I have not been idle. A few years ago I commenced
a. subscription for the purpose, and in the course of
three months, with but littlo o,ooictanep, nhtained
signatures for more than X 5,000, of conditional and
unconditional donations. And although unforeseen
events, to which it is at present unnecessary to al-
lude, prevented the accomplishment of the object at
that period, I am happy to say that no , inconsider-
&Wei portion of the sums then conditionally sub-
scribed have been available in the recent happy
discharge of the entire debt.
Now, the writer in the Mail may say—" If your
services have been. such, how is •it that they have
never been publicly alluded to on the platform ?"
In reply to this question I say that my services
have been repeatedly recognised and appreciated
by the. Directors—that this is the full reward. I ex-
pected for them—and that as long as the Directors
shall continue to honour me with their confidence,
so long will I:conscientiously endeavour to discharge
the duties of niy.post.
I must now apologise for occupying so much of
your valuable space ; but I hope that what I have
said will satisfy the writer in the Mail. This is
my first essay at autobiography, and unless wantonly
assailed, it shall be my last.—l am,' sir, your obe-
dient servant, J GREGORY JONES.
Secretary of the Collegiate Institution.
Shaw-street, Dec. 17, 1853:

THE ABERDEEN ADMINISTRATION.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE NORTHERN DAILY TIMES.

SlR—Lord Palmerston having retired froin office
in connection with the present Administration,
would it not be well for. such towns: as Liverpool,
Manchester, and other places, to testify their esti-
mation of the conduct of the Aberdeen cabinet, in
the present threatening aspect of affairs ? It is not
unlikely, so long as the Earl of Aberdeen is Pre-
mier, that Turkey will be sacrificed to Russian des-
potism, and England herself suffer lasting disgrace,
if not'ultimate defeat, owing to the diSgracefuliko
licy of the present administration. We are not
only an hindrance to Turkey at the present time,
but are preventing France from doing: the, Turks
service. The conduct of the Emperor of the French