Original Correspondence.

New Zealander, Volume 6, Issue 488, 18 December 1850, Page 3

Original Correspondence.

" Judge not according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment." To the Editor of the New Zealander. Sir— l regret that my former communication was too long for insertion. The subject itself is of that importance, that it is all but impossible to do justice to it without entering into the consideration of its details, in all their bearings. But as you have expressed a willingness to insert a shorter letter, 1 now propose to offer, in a condensed form, a few of those particulars which I think prove incontestibly that the case of Mr. Archdeacon Henry Williams has been grossly misrepresented and misjudged. The letter which appeared in yom columns of the 16th ultimo, under the signature of " A Layman," was not what it purported to be— a rfview of Mr. Busby's pamphlet — but in reality, an attack upon the Archdeacon himself. J "With regard to a " Layman's" opinion of the merits of the pamphlet I have nothing to object, but I would particularly draw your attention to the fnct that his judgment of the Archdeacon's case is founded upon the presumption that the possession of land was the matter in dispute. This presumption is wholly false. The dispute, at least on the part of the Archdeacon, was not land, but character. He was ready and willing to yield all— aye, more than was required of him, provided the imputations cast upon him by the Governor had been investigated and removed, i^ A careful consideration of the following propositions

will I think convince every unbiassed person that the Archdeacon's proceedings throughout are consis* tent and justifiable, and consequently that the judgment pronounced upon him is wholly undeserved : — 1. Archdeacon Williams had been made the subject of certain ridiculous charges before Governor Grey arrived in this country, which have been satisfactorily met in " Plain Facts." 2. Soon after the arrival of Governor Grey, His Ex • cellency threw out certain hints in a con versa! ion wita J. Busby, Esq., which were calculate to revive the former charges. — vide " Plain Facts." 3. In August, 1847, the celebrated "blood and treasure" despatch arrived in New Zealand, in which the Governor was understood to state that the land purchasers at the North had been the cause of the war already concluded, and, that they might be expected to occasion a renewal of hostilities, 4. The some mail which brought the Governor's | despatch, brought woid also that the Church Missionary Society, taking alarm at the statements made by the Governor, had written to their missionaiies, requiring them to place themselves in communication with the Governor and the Bishop, with a view to the removai of the dangers to be apprehended, 5. His Excellency the Governor made certain proposals to the Missionaries, through the Bishop.— vide Mr. Busby's pamphlet, p. 35, 36. 6. Archdeacon Williams, with a feeling of just indignation at the charges which he considered were expressed or implied in the Governor's despatches, refused to listen to those proposals unless the charges were either proved or withdrawn. — Vide pamphlet, p. 43. 7. Subsequently he recorded his promise to accede to the proposal conveyed to him by the Bishop ; the Bishop having previously stated by letter " I will then pledge myself to institute the fullest enquiry into those accusations to which you refer." — p. 44; 8. Mr, Busby states, at p. 47, that the Bishop, in prosecution of his promise, waited upon the Governor, when his Excellency denied that he had cast upon the Missionaries the imputations of which they complained. 9. Archdeacon Williami then drew up certain questions, plain and straightforward, and quite in character with the man who wrote them. It further appears that these question* were not presented, hut that it wai proposed to substitute others for them ; and inasmuch as Archdeacon Williami did not approve of the second set of questions, it mny be presumed (hat they were beside the mark.— p. 47. 10. From that most admirable course pursued by the Home Government, of publishing in the Blue Book the despatches sent from this colony, we arc enabled to learn the reason why the presentation of the Archdeacon's questions would have been exceedingly in* ronveni' nt. la a letter written by his Excelleucy the Governor, dated 2nd August, 1847, we read as follows — " that during the continuance of the war, it was stated by the very highest authority, publicly, at the seat of war. and in the locality of these large land claims, that they were the cause and origin of the war." Vide Blue Book, 1818. 11. It may be presumed that the points referred to by the Bishop, in his letter to the Archdeacon, and respecting which his Lordship undertook to " institute the fullest inquiry " — are the same points which Archdeacon Williams bad expressed in his questions ; for it will be seen that he had referred to them several times previously. Now if the Governor depicd having cast upon the Missionaries any imputations, — and if the Archdeacon* questions were objected to by the Bishop, and others proposed in their stead, surely there was just ground for the Archdeacon to withdraw from a compact, a principal part of which was that an enquiry, fair and above board, into the said imputations, should be instituted. Let any one read the Archdeacon's original questions, bearing in mind that the Governor had atieady made it impostible for him to answer them in the negative, without flatly contradicting statements forwarded to the Home Government, — and then decide whether the mere propos«l of substituting other less pointed queries— -queries, his Excellency perhaps might have managed to answer, and still leave the imputations untouched ; was not a reasonable ground of suspicion, and a sufficient caute for the Archdeacon to abide by the text of his original paper. The substitution of questions less pointed and relevant than the Archdeacon thought necessary, was in my opinion.jfa breach of the pledge " I will then pledge myself to institute the fullest inquiry into those accusations to which you refer." 12. Whereas it is conceded by Mr. Busby, that the weak point in this case was, the withdrawal by the Archdeacon of the pledge he hud given to the Bishop, it turns out upon fair examination that the Archdeacon had sufficient ground for distrust during the progress of ibis business; and inasmuch as there was a strong presumptive proof at the time, which has since been changed into proof positive,— that no satisfactory explanation would be given by the Governor,— the conclusions wnicli the Archdeacon came to seems to be most " logically correct." And while his friends, in common with all honest men, will deeply regret the conclusion of this question, — the respect they feel will be so much the more exalted, because he hat chosen a most painful alternative rather than com* promise his honour anil integrity. I am Sir, I Your obedient servant, Another Layman. Auckland, Dec. 16, 1850.