APPOINTMENTS IN NATIVE DEPARTMENTS.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 2005, 28 July 1880, Page 2

APPOINTMENTS IN NATIVE DEPARTMENTS.

To the hditor of the Olohe. Sie,—Will you kindly allow me through the medium of your paper, to draw the attention of the people to what I call a nest of unclean. birds in connection with the appointment by the present Government of s Native Land Purchase Agent, and a Native Interpreter, as discovered by the answer to Mr J. B. Fisher’s question, reported in this morning’s telegrams, which runs as follows : “ Replying to Mr J. B. Eisher, “The Hon. J. Bryce said that Alexander MrDonold, who has lately been appointed Native Land Purchase Agent at Otaki, was the samo person who was some time since convicted and sentenced at the Supreme Court, Wellington, Tor stopping the mail coach and shooting a horse. Ho was a man capable of rendering good service in the position to which he had bean appointed. “Mr J. B. Eisher asked whether the Edward Francis Harris who is gazetted Native interpreter under the Native Land Act in the ‘New Zealand Gazette’ of January 29th last is the same Edward Francis Harris who, in 1870, was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment for forgery. “ Mr Bryce replied in the affirmative, adding that when the appointment was made the fact of Harris’ conviction was not known. He (Mr Bryce) read a letter of recommendation which accompanied hia application, signed by the Judge of the Native Land Court, a Resident Magistrate, one or two Justices of the Peace, and others, supposed to be respectable persons residing in the district where Harris lived.” Presuming the signatures attached to the letter of recommendation are not forged, I would ask are gentlemen whose names are mentioned and a Government who can bo influenced by such, worthy the confidence of the people ? If so, honesty, which has so long been considered the best policy, is farther down the list of the Government programme than the Redistribution of Seats Bill, and we may be satisfied that neither of these measures will have any consideration this session. Yours, &s., J. P. OLIVER, [With regard to the latter appointment the Government were evidently and very naturally taken in by the letters of recommendation accompanying the application. As to the appointment of Alexander McDonald, his action in stopping the mail coach and shooting the horse was to assert his right to a road. Though the action was mistaken, and inexcusable, there appears to be no reason why he should not now serve the state in a line for which he holds peculiar qualifications.—El>, Globe.]