POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1110, 8 November 1879, Page 2

POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE.

o The Wellington correspondent of the Lyttelton Times telegraphed or Thursday as follows Soiree serious disclosures are carping out in connection with native affairs. A Committee is holding an inquiry into the circumstances attending Mr. Sutton's purchase of large blocks of land in Napier from Paori Noinini in 1870. Mr. Sutcon swore before the Committee that the . never promised to make any reserve for Noinini. There is now lying before me the following document, being the original, not a copy, which was produced before the Committee to-day : ' In consideration of Paori Noinini having executed a conveyance of the Awa Te Atua block, I agree to a reserve of 350 acres being made. —F. Sutton. August 31st, 1870.' The evidence shows that Paori Noinini never signed a conveyance, but that his daughter was induced to do so while under the . influence of dri,nk. [Messrs. Sutton and Worgan—the latter : jnow undergoing sentence for forgery at ; Wanganui— went at midnight to Awa Te Atua to get the conveyance signed. This afternoon wasoccupiedwithfurtherventilation of the Awa Te Atua scandal in the course of the debate on which Mr. de Lautour detailed the particulars mentioned above of the ciroumstances under z which Mr. Sutton and "Worgan negotiated - the matter with Paori Noinini and the former obtained possession of and sold g the block to Mr. "Watt. The House - listened with interest, Mr. Sutton fre- 1 quently interrupting Mr. de Lautour with J angry exclamations. At 8.45 p.m. the a House divided on Mr. Qrmond's amend- " ment that the word "not" be inserted, with a- view to the prevention of "Worgan's attendance, and by 44 to ; 21 negatived the amendment. Worgan's evidence will -i consequently be taken on November 12th. J There was considerable excitement I throughout the debate." i§