NAPIER.

Auckland Star, Volume VI, Issue 1668, 23 June 1875, Page 3

NAPIER.

(From our own Correspondent.) This day.

Mr- Hamlin's Letter to Sir Donald

McLean re Land Transactions

The Telegraph, commenting on a telegram relative to the business re Messrs Sutton, Hamlin, and Worgan, published in the Neio Zealand Times, says :— " The letter was never intended for publication, and never reached the dignity of a State paper. Still lees can we hope to discover why Sir Donald did not consign it to the flames as soon as he read it. The letter, the contents of which, by telegraph to the New Zealand Times, did not assume to be a true copy of the original, attested as Buch by Mr John Sheehan, who was the well-known legal adviser of the parties proseputing the actions against Mr. Sutton. We' should believe it to be a bold impudent forgery lormed with the ulterior object of prejudicing Mr. Sutton's cause in tlje event of an action being taken in the Snpreme Court, with respect to native land transactions. A more imfamously libellous letter it was impossible to conceive ; it was utterly untrue.in its statements. We scorn to refute them, or even further allude to them than exhibit their malicious character. It has been said, we regret to record, that in Hawke's Bay no jury could be got that would give an honest impartial verdict in any case between Europeans and natives affecting the purchase of land. fcuch a statement was a gross libel on the settlers of the province ; but it had a certain effect. The natives had been told that such being the caße to obtain justice in their actions against the Pakeha, the actions pending for recovery of their lands should be heard outside Hawke's Bay, and we believe it is actually intended to apply for a change of venue. This being so, the publication of this document in the places likely to be the scene of trial can be characterised as nothing less than villainy on the part of the promulgators."