A Mb. Pbttchabd, of local civicisms' and contests a-weary, lately took holi- ; day to Dunedin town, seeking, no 1 doubt, relaxation and change from the' high latitudes of Arrow.. A telegram l was soon after received by the Mayor,! M£. Goldston, signed by the above-j mentioned Mr. Pritchard, stating that;! if Mr. li. Clarke could be got to resign' his seat in the Provincial Council, Mr. Thomas Luther ShepTierd would till, the gap. The ' Observer' states that, in its opinion, the telegram is a hoax. Whether by that our contemporary ! means that the hoax-is by Mr. Pritch-i ard, or that so me one else has signed Mr.; Pritchard's name, without his know-: ledge, we do not know. We can-' not, ourselves, believe in the latter idea. Until it is contradicted, we are! obliged : to" believe that Mr., Pritchard' did - send it, after having, sounded the ponderous-minded ex-membeir.for the D'unstari. "Refreshing as it is to see; with what breadth of view and sinking of all petty considerations—the injured man arid the miners' friend neglected— Mr. Shepherd is • again prepared to' buckle on the harness, we cannot hon estly say that we are' sorry he is not likely in the present instance to be called upon to sacrifice the" quiet of private life in. matters Provincial. If we except Mr. Vogel, Mr. Bradshaw and the present Goldfields Secretary no member has been returned to the Provincial Council of-Otago, by mining constituencies, more : respected than Mr. Clarke, or one whose opinions as a man of practical knowledge and shrewd insight are so carefully listened to, as conveying useful information and integrity of purpose. In Monday evening's Dunedin ,' Star,' appears the following -telegram " Queeristown| March 30.—Mr. T. L. Shepherd's pro posal, through Mr. Pritchard, the Mayor, of Arrowtowri, ithat' Mi\' Clarke should resign his ; Provincial Council-' lorship and allow "him (Shepherd) to come forward, has been received with much merriment. Mr. Clarke has ino intention of resigning." On Tuesday morning Mr. Shepherd explained to the ■ Guardian.' Our readers must judge the case for themselves " Mr! T. L. Shepherd, M.H.E., has called upon us," says our contemporary, "in reference, to. a telegram which, , api peared in last night's 1 Star,' and mil be found elsewhere in our columns; Mr. 