The Daily Telegraph. THURSDAY, JULY 19, 1883.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3747, 19 July 1883, Page 2

The Daily Telegraph. THURSDAY, JULY 19, 1883.

The telegrams announcing the suspension and subsequent dismissal of Mr Riemcnschneider, Napier Interpreter for the Legislative Council, Avero sufficiently vague to leave plenty of room for speculative thought and speech. On Saturday last the papers in connection with the case, having been previously laid on the table of the Council, wcro available for Press purposes, and by the arrival of the steamer Taiaroa yesterday avo were put in possession of them. The papers deal Avith two distinct and separate charges preferred by the Hon. AVi Tako Ngatata, M.L.C., and the Hon. Mokena Kohcre, M.L.C., against Mr Ricmenschneidcr for having kept back portions of their honorarium. In October, 1882, Wi Tako complained to tho Speaker that in tho years 1880-1-2 lie received only a portion of his honorarium, and on tho 10th October, 1882, the Speaker of the Council wrote to Mr Ricmenschneidcr, requesting him to furnish at once a, statement of the expenditure of £315, being a portion of the honorarium due to AVi Tako, extending over the periods named, to which the following reply was forwarded to Sir William Fitzherbcrt : — '' Sir, I have the honor, in compliance witli your request, to explain the alleged deficiency in tho payment of the honorarium to Wi Tako Ngatata. I advanced sums of money to entertain natives, on the verbal authority of AVi Tako, at various times during each session of the Assembly, and deducted same from his honorarium, as I fully understood it to be his wish that this should be done. I can add nothing more by Avay of explanation but append a list of tho natives to whom the money was advanced, together with their receipts for | same. I regret exceedingly that this should have occurred, and I admit having done wrong in the course Avhich I adopted, and feeling myself responsible, I have obtained the sum of £315, and handed it over to AVi Tako Ngatata, Avhose receipt I attach. I can add nothing more, my distress of mind being such that I fail to express myself more clearly. I have, &c, F. AY. Riemnschneider." Attached (says the NeAV Zealand Times) to this communication aro receipts, purporting to he signod by Maoris who had received sums of money ,

from the interpreter, varingfrom £4 to £30, paid, as the letter states, for "entertainment." Tho receipts are all of them ex - cellcntlv preserved, scarcely a fold or crease being observable, and tho stamps aro all also quite fresh-looking. AVi Tako's son has pencilled the receipts, stating he kuoivs nothing of the natives whose signatures are subscribed. On October 17, 1882, the Speaker of tho Council issued instructions that in future in cases where nati\ T c members applied either for advances or for their full honorarium, cheques should be handed directly to them by the Cleric of tho Council. So far as the charge brought by AVi Tako Ngatata against the late Native Interpreter is concerned tho case may be said to be at an end. In view of tho matter not being a public one so far as tho default, the Speaker, after expressing his opinion that the affair would not bear light, intimated that "as restitution had been made, no further action would be taken." AYe uoav conic to the immediate cause which led to the late interpreter being relieved from office— namely, the case of the Hon. Mokcna Kohcre, M.L.C. On December 19th, 1882, AVi Tako saw the Speaker, and complained that Mokcna had only roech'ed portions of thehonorarium for attending several sossions, and had always bGen paid in cash. The charge Avas foinvarded to Mr Riemenschneider, and the following letter Avas received in reply on the next day by the Speaker:— " Sir, Avith regard to the payment of honorarium to Mr Mokcna Kohere, I desire to state that he has been paid in full at the end of each session according to the amount sotforth in abstract. Last year and tho year before he got into difficulties with his landlady, but upon receiA'ing his honorarium he paid her in my presence, and at the closo of last session he paid mo £ •> due to Te Kuril, of Te Aro, for lodging. This I handed over at his request, together with a further sum of £-1 or £f> Bs, amount duo by him for clothing. This I paid on his behalf, giving him the receipt for same. I paid no money on his behalf, but handed him over tho total amount as already stated. I cannot say more by way of explanation, and in conclusion, beg to state that I deny having short paid him any portion of his honorarium, and feel bitterly the imputnlion Avhich has been mado.—l am, Sec, F. AY. RIEMENSCHNEIDIiR." Oil the receipt of this communication the Speaker Avroto to Mokcna, informing him. of the general denial of the charge as given above, and the result Avas that Mokcna, made a statement to tho Speaker that ho had not received the full amount of his honorarium for the years 1879, 1880, 1881, 1882, and he claimed that the sum of £705 was still oAving to him by the late interpreter. On May 22nd, ISB3, a Supremo Court Avrit, at the instance of Mokcna Kohcre, for the recovery of tho amount alleged to be due by Mr Riemenschncidcr was served upon that gentleman, and upon being acquainted with the fact the Hon. tho Speaker suspended him.