, 1866-02-27
DEAR SIR !!

An article appeared in your last issue signed
'One interested in the matter" The author
boldly remarks
"'Ihere is certainly something very alarming
after such a calamitous fire not to hear or see
anything done, towards the forming Of an eff
cient fire brigade except the attempt the other
day 70 form a volunteer brigade, which seems
not to have succeeded, no doubt because not
started by men Of moro influence in the com
munity."
What a flourish The writer calls it 'the
attempt" If"Ono interested in the matter
calls an announcement for a public meeting,
made through the columns of a newspaper, an
"attempt," then really l am at u loss to know
what better way or more suitable course could
have been adopted than this and if "One in
terested in the NATTER thinks that there was
one more feasible and proper, | beg of him to
state it. OF ,his "attempt" the writer briefly
adds: (Which seems not to have succeeded
This is, certainly, saying too much, since pro-
per forms must naturally be obserVed-in the
framing of rules and regulations for a volunteer
fire brigade, before the names can be enrolled.
Some short time has, | must confess, elapsed
since the meeting but as there is a cOgent
reason, why nothing has yet been done, think
One Interested in the matter" could have po-
litely asked the cause, and not so arrOgantly
draw his own conclusion by stating (which
seems not to have succeeded" Stepping from
this "One interested in the natter audaciously
winds up with "'because not started by men Of
more influence in the community" Now, Rea-
der! did you ever hear the like The signerS of
the public notice, converting the meeting, who
are men of responsibility in the community and
some of them merchants of high standing, were
influenced by pure, good and disinterested mo-
tives, and invited their fellow citizens to join
them in a public cause, and in o public manner.
Those citizens then who did not avail them
selves of the opportunity were evidently less
influenced in the cause consequently the ex-
preston 'mOre inauential' is a very inconsistent,
and l must add, a very impertinent one there
fore | feel it my duty to demand a more expli-
cit explanation from "One interested in the
matter as to what class of persons belong
those "men of more influence III the commu-
nifty"
Having thus far gone through that part Of
the article that chiefly hints to the public meet
ing, l will close by declaring it as my firm
conviction, that were proper and efficient en-
gines with good hose and all the other requi-
siteS-fre hooks, buckets, axes, ladders &c
at command the night of the dreadful conf1a-
grafton, not one tenth part of the houses that
were consumed by the devouring element,
would have been destroyed, nor would the sad
consequences that followed-all that misery,
want and poverty now felt by 500 sufferers
have been recorded to-day. This and this
alone ought to inspire every good and loyal
subject with pure motives and influence them
to give their aid, by coming forward handsome
ly in a good and laudable cause, and not to
allow Zone interested in the matter to deceive
them, by his %aattery, in trying to make the
public believe that he is one of the '"men of
more influence in the community; but to
unite in harmony and social good order, in