THE Mount Ida Chronicle FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1876.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 362, 11 February 1876, Page 2

THE Mount Ida Chronicle FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1876.

It is satisfactory, affording a standard of judgment of the weight they deßerve to receive, that che most determined of the supporters of Centralism do not stick at sentimental trifles. Approving of a principle of Colonial unity, which; to do them justice, they understand much better than the Ministers they support, they still think it necessary to screen and whitewash the sins of commission and omission perpetrated in such profusion of late years, with the connivance at least of "Wellington officialdom. The Dunedin ' Star' is so far gone as actually to drag out the Piako Swamp swindle, in order to apologise for it. So doubt apologists could be found for the extraordinary revelations laid bare by the Tairua Investigation Committee. The report of the Committee is worth more than the cursory glance we can give it. The orders of reference laid down for the Committee's guidance, on the resolutions of Sir George <3rey, were:— '-" Ist. To inquire into the whole " of the circumstances connected with " the acquisition . and transfer to " provincial administration of the " Tairua and Pakirarahi Blocks, in the "Province of Auckland, and of all " dealings whatsoever therewith, either " by the Colonial or Provincial Govern- " ments, up to the date of enquiring." " 2nd. That the Tairua Committee be " authorized to inquire to such an ex- " tent as to the evidence taken before "them may appear to render neces- " sary into the circumstances con? ■" nected with any purchase of land " negotiated or concluded by Mr; " Mackay, Mr. Brissenden or Colonel " M'Donnell."

It will be impossible to go at length into the voluminous record of perjury printed as evidence. In matters of fact one witness, deliberately swears a transaction occurred, or a statement was made of such an occurrence. Another deliberately swears it never occurred, or was never stated to have occurred at all, —the two parties giving evidence being the two principals in the affair. In the Tairua Block 1000 acres were kept back for a time, and ultimately were assumed to be a Native [Reserve for a town site, leased to Gruilding and to O'Halloran, two of Mackay's elerks. G-uilding was an interpreter, and O'Halloran was a clerk engaged and paid by Mackay, both in his public and private business. '.'. The " Committee are of opinion that the " leasing of this reserve by persons " employed by Mr. Mackay, and pre- " sumedly with special information on "the .subject, not accessible to the " public generally, is open to the gravest objection." Mr. Crippen, another clerk in Mackay's employ, was chosen

for the receipt of a free gift of a share in the Tairua prospecting claim on Mackay's suggestion, he himself ostentatiously objecting to O'Halloran getting it, as being connected with himself by marriage. Tet Crippen and O'Halloran divide the plunder on the quiet afterwards. This gift horse was very shortly afterwards sold for a sum of about £2ooo—O'Halloran admitting that he received £7OO or £BOO for his half share. " The Committee consider . " that this transaction was highly im- " proper; and that, while Mr. Mackay " declined the share himself, he should " have peremptorily refused to allow "any of the persons in his employ- " ment to accept it." As to Mr. Mackay's position, the report defines it, or tries to: "At one time he is ad- " mittedly a Government officer, at " another he claims to be in an inde- " pendent position, conducting land " purchases for the Government on " commission. In his employment, and " standing in confidential positions to- " wards him, Messrs. O'Halloran and " Crippen have the opportunity of "taking part in Government land pur- " chase business, and are in a position " to ascertain the intentions of the " Government, and have access to " Government records, and yet at the " same time they are not in any way " whatever under the control of the " Government." The second order of reference is even worse when disposed of. ColonelM'Donnell swore one thing, Mr. Brissenden another, while Sir Donald M'Lean and Dr. Pollen by no means agree, while both swear the opposite to M'Donnell. The report disposes of the order very summarily, " Your Committee have " taken a large amount of evidence on " oath of a most conflicting character. "Upon this they do not feel that they "can arrive at any decisive or satisfac- " tory conclusion. They have directed "it to be appended to the report." It is appended. This report is. one of the triumphs of Centralistic supporters. Ifo one was ordered to be hanged. Therefore the fountain heads of political life are pure —all are pure. It might be said with truth that the Committee's report is a direct expression of want of confidence in the much-vaunted Native Department. Honest Ministers do not need to make use of dirty tools. If they do use them they must expect to be implicated in their acts. Ministers cannot escape, nor should they be allowed to, the responsibility of prolonged frauds carried on by those they have appointed and maintained in the Government service. In this Tairua case dirt there is, and plenty of it. Some of it bids fair to stick.