HOW THE MONEY WAS PAID.

Patea Mail, 31 December 1880, Page 3

HOW THE MONEY WAS PAID.

Six duel's assembled on Tuesday morning at Waitotara, to receive tbe final payment for the Kaitangiwhcnua block. Mr Williams bad returned from (lie Upper Wanganui with the 3'onng chief whose absence had caused previous delay, and whose presence had been now secured under difficulties interposed by Major Kemp and by To Width Probably a greater difficulty than all was the fact that Mr Williams had already advanced nearly the whole purchase money to the natives who had signed the deed of sale ; and although the money had now to be paid by Government to the natives in strict form, yet the natives had to return the money to Mr Williams, by whom they had been previously paid. They or some of them might have stood out at the last moment and extorted bribes to induce them to complete a transaction in which their interest had ceased, because they had already had the purchase money and probably spent it.

■-''One old chief near Waitotara, Umlangina, was too ill to come to Patca on Tuesday, and it was decided to make the payment at Waitotara. Mr Gill, "Undersecretary, Mr Williams, and his son Mr D. Williams, and Mr Wallace, interpreter, met at Filers’ Hotel. All the chiefs attended except the sick man, and he was taken there in a buggy, on which a bed had been formed, the old chief’s young men marching slowly in front of the horse with linked hands to prevent it going faster than a funeral pace. The spectacle was peculiar. The sick chief was carried into the hotel and laid down on mattresses to witness the payment and sign his name to attest the duo receipt of the money. The sick chief addressed the Undersecretary and the others thus : I am glad to see yon, and to welcome you, hut as I am very ill, I cannot say much. But I hope that this will he settled to-day.” Mr Gill answered him ; It gives me great sorrow to find you so ill ; but I wish you all to understand that i have come here to settle this business. It has been a long time on hand, and I am in earnest in what I say. The other chiefs also spoke several times, and Mr Williams joined in the speech-making. The accounts that had been previously paid by Mr Williams wore then carefully gone through by Mr Gill, and the natives said that all the items were quite correct. They then, praised Major Brown and Mr Williams for their correctness in keeping accounts with natives. They loudly praised Mr W. "Williams for his conduct in this tranaaction, and 1 rusted that although he was “mriryiTgCr a Government officer, he would still be their t; father.” They said ; “ The Government have taken away Majorßrown, and now that ]Mii_\V-illiants-is-Joavi»g: us. the Government are not taking-any-cari!_ai_ us. We are like sheep without a shepherd. We have boon faithful, but arc now forsaken.” Mr Gill said it gave him much pleasure to hear them speak well of Major Brown, and especially of Mr Williams. He added : “ When my beard is a little greyer, they shall do the same by me, but I hope I shall bo able to say that I have done my duty, and then if the Government forget us—Major Brown, Mr Williams, and myself —wo will all have the consolation that we have done that which is right. But I am sure the Government can never forget Mr Williams, and the service he has done; neither will they forget yon. You say we shall never meet again ; but I think it is very likely wo may, as none of us arc very old. Why I met you, Urutangina, and you, I think, To Piki, many years ago at Taurtmga, and here we meet again to-day ; and wo may meet many times yet.” Mr Williams said : I thank you for your good words. The weight of them presses me to the ground, but I will never forget your many kindnesses. After tins the receipts were signed, and the cheque for £5,411 was paid to Urutaugiua, who handed it to Mr Williams. The meeting then broke up. Urn was carried to Kaipo, and the rest dispersed.