New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 1877.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5136, 8 September 1877, Page 2

New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 1877.

It is but right that what may be called “the letter question” should be fairly stated. Owing to the length of our report, we were unable to find space in yesterday’s issue for anything like comment on the position which had grown out of Mr. Rees’ motion for a committee to inquire into certain alleged abuses in connection with native land purchases at Hawke’s Bay. We may therefore be permitted to state the case now. Ever since the present session opened, Sir George Grey and his immediate followers have continued the practice, pursued by them during two previous sessions, of hurling the basest insinuations against the Government collectively and individually, in connection with native land purchases in general, and those at Hawke’s Bay in particular. Their attacks were peculiarly offensive, vulgar, and coarse in the case of the Hon. Mr. Ormond; and that gentleman, goaded as it were into forgetting the Cabinet Minister in the man, took the opportunity afforded by Mr. Rees’ motion on Thursday night, not only to give a complete refutation to the statements concerning himself, but to turn the tables upon his adversaries, by quoting from certain letters to show that Sir George Grey, whilst Governor of the colony, might have been accused of the very crimes of which he now so plentifully accuses his opponents. Whilst quoting from these letters Mr. Ormond was treated differently by different sections of the Opposition. Mr. Rees forgot for a time to interject truculent interruptions, and both he and Sir George Grey sat lowering at the speaker. But from both of these gentlemen at times, and from the rest of the Opposition most frequently, came loud demands that the letters in question should be produced and submitted to the House. Mr. Ormond expressed his willingness to do so, and Mr, Whitaker, in • whose possession the letters were, also expressed his willingness, provided that the House would order their. production. That was quite a proper position to take up, because, as will be seen by-our report, Mr. Whitaker had good ground for refusing to produce the letters of his own motion. But it was, plain that Mr. Ormond and Mr Whitaker were so convinced of the damaging nature of .the letters to the Opposition, that the latter was quite ready to give them up if called upon to do so by the House. So far, then, it seemed that the Opposition had only to persevere in their demands in order to ensure the production of the documents. But suddenly the Opposition discovered that to give up those letters would be a gross injustice upon one if not more of the parties between whom they passed, or who were concerned with them at the time of their being written. And accordingly the motion for their production was hampered by a condition that the consent of the Hon. Henry Russell should be obtained before the House could bo put in possession of them. So soon as Parliament mot yesterday Mr. Whitaker announced that Mr. Russell had refused his consent, and the Speaker thereupon put it to the House, and himself (rightly, as wo think) advised that the letters should be produced. -. Ho sooner, however, had they been placed

on the table than the Opposition and some of the great middle party, who think all men but themselves to be Cretans, were seized with a violent fit of virtue, and made as unnecessary, ari outcry over it as did the Spanish author’s old-maid. Whether they" had, ascertained that' the publication of the letters, which must have followed their being read, would have' been most damaging to the leader of the Opposition or not, we are scarcely prepared to say ; but certain it is that they fought tooth and toenail, as the saying has it,' against the reading of the very letters for the production of which they had clamored so loudly and so incessantly on the, previous evening. Ultimately tlie letters were taken back by Mr. Whitaker, under circumstances which will be found mentioned in our Parliamentary report; and it is worth notice, that then, and not until then, not imtil the production of the letters seemed to be rendered impossible, did Sir George Grey rise, and in his customary style declare his entire ignorance of all the charges made against him by Mr. Ormond, stated by that gentleman to be supported by the letters, and which the letters were expected to prove. It would have been better for Sir George Grey if he had made his declaration of innocence sooner, and at a time when there seemed to be every probability of the letters being read. But he had an undoubted right to select his own time, and we can only regret that he should have selected the very first moment after the letters had been withdrawn. Sir George Grey’s explanation of. any apparent connection on his part with native land purchases, was just what might have been expected from him. Anything he had performed in this direction had of course been done with an ultimate object in view in the shape of the happiness of the whole of the human race and the welfare of posterity. To accomplish these ends, lie was not disinclined to connect himself, for no purposes' of gain, with the purchase of native lands at Taupo. But he easily explained that by establishing a town at Taupo all he desired could be effected. His plan possessed at least the merit of sublime simplicity; and it is a pity that unworthy motives should have been attributed to him because he entertained it.