Untitled

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume III, Issue 158, 22 January 1864, Page 3

To the TSditor of the Hawke’s Bay Times.

Sie, —In the report of Tuesday’s Council proceedings given by your contemporary in his issue of yesterday, I notice the following paragraph Mr. Rhodes would say, in explanation, that he was a member of the government at the time the prosecutions under the Native Land Ordinance were conducted. Those prosecutions were commenced with perfect good faith and the fullest intention to carry them out, but it was found to be impracticable to do so. They even received hiuts from a quarter to he respected that it was impossible to take effective action under the Act. Mr. Rhodes as a member of tho Government at tho time, must be well aware that his statement is altogether con. tvary to the truth, and, further, that it has been long known by all tho province beside himself, that, in fact, the piroseoutions referred to were not commenced by the Government iu good faith, nor with any intention to carry them out—that his late honor himself stated this to Mr. CAllen, and explained that the whole intention of the Government ions to make the 'Native Land Purchase Ordinance appear impracticable bp a series of mock prosecutions, and that to this end he retained the conduct of each case in his own hands and effectually prevented the Crown Prosecutor from obtaining a conviction, which, indeed, was not effected until the attorney had one case loft to his own control, when it appeared that no such difficulty was in the way. Docs Mr. U. forgot the letter published in the Hawke's Bay Herald at the time by Mr. C. Alien, which letter was after, wards republished, with some comments, in your own journal, and iu which all the above and much more than that are abundantly proved ? If Mr. R. does, let him rest assured that the public of Hawke’s Bay does not, and that there are yet some who will not permit his gross mis-state-ments to pass unchallenged. I am, Sir, yours, &c., AHUIUEI. Hawke’s Bay, 21st Jamiaiy, IS6-I.