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English
Gisborne 29th. March 1873. Dear Sir, The enclosed extracts have appeared in two lae editions of the paper here. Without wishing to trouble you at all unnecessarily I feel in duty bound to prevent a wrong impression being conveyed. What is stated in the matter and what is actually the case is so very opposite. With reference to the coast road. I know that the whole success of the work is attributeable to the unfailing efforts of Major Rop who has throughout set his face against the numerous Maori quibbles and complaints to Govt. against the roads and the Surveyors. Mr. Winter could not have overcome the difficulty without the assistance of Ropata. Several numerously signed petitions and complaints were made to remove Mr. Winter accusing him Maori like of all sorts of delinquincies (of course unjustly) all of which were suppressed by Ropata consequently if he has erred it is in a direction contrary to that of which he is accused. After publication of the article I saw Mr. Winter who regretted the matter acknowledging the obligation he was under to Ropata. Relative to the second complaint. When Mr. Simpson came through from Opotiki, in company with Major Pitt he visited me. I then told him the natives were not predisposed to road work in this district, but that if he would arrange to have a runanga of Mahaki after my return with Wi Pere from going over Patutahi boundaries I would then assist him to get labour. He then agreed to proposal but did not adhere to arrangement impetuously calling a runanga during absence of myself and Wi Pere. Ropata happened to be at the meeting and a sum of money was offerred to Natives which on calculating they found preposterously disproportioned. Ropata with a view to a compromise suggested the work should be measured and paid for same as coast road viz. per yard or chain. Mr. Simpson with an imperfect knowledge of Maori misunderstood some jesting remarks of Ropatas and lost his temper in consequence. When I next saw Ropata I explained wherein he had done wrong by appearing at all in the matter. He afterwards apologised to Mr. Simpson. Mr. Webb the editor of standard admits to me the imperfect nature of notes forming the data for the articles and stated if he had previously heard the other side of the story he would not have published but was coerced into the affair by Mr. Simpson who is of a hasty disposition. It is far from my intention sir to palliate the faults of Ropata but knowing his secret disposition as I do, I know him to be strictly honourable and unswerving in his loyalty often very unjustly accused simply because he is Major Ropata. Yours most faithfully, T.W. Porter, Adjt.
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Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/manuscripts/MCLEAN-1022834.2.1

Bibliographic details

5 pages written 29 Mar 1873 by Thomas William Porter in Gisborne, Inward letters - T W Porter

Additional information
Key Value
Document date 29 March 1873
Document MCLEAN-1022834
Document title 5 pages written 29 Mar 1873 by Thomas William Porter in Gisborne
Document type MANUSCRIPT
Attribution ATL
Author 45121/Porter, Thomas William, 1844-1920
Collection McLean Papers
Date 1873-03-29
Decade 1870s
Destination Unknown
Englishorigin ATL
Entityid 58
Format Full Text
Generictitle 5 pages written 29 Mar 1873 by Thomas William Porter in Gisborne
Iwihapu Unknown
Language English
Name 45121/Porter, Thomas William, 1844-1920
Origin 72544/Gisborne
Place 72544/Gisborne
Recipient Unknown
Section Manuscripts
Series Series 1 Inward letters (English)
Sortorder 0005-0205
Subarea Manuscripts and Archives Collection
Tapuhigroupref MS-Group-1551
Tapuhiitemcount 96
Tapuhiitemcount 2 14501
Tapuhiitemcount 3 30238
Tapuhiitemdescription 96 letters written from Gisborne and Wairoa, 1870-1876 & undated. Includes letters in Maori to Poata from R Kawhia of Tuparoa, 1876; letter to Kapene Poata from Hotene Porourangi of Waiapu, 1876.
Tapuhiitemgenre 3 230058/Personal records Reports
Tapuhiitemname 320654/Porourangi, Hotene (Captain), fl 1850s-1870s
Tapuhiitemname 3 4809/McLean, Donald (Sir), 1820-1877
Tapuhiitemref MS-Papers-0032-0510
Tapuhiitemref 2 Series 1 Inward letters (English)
Tapuhiitemref 3 MS-Group-1551
Tapuhiitemsubjects 3 1446/New Zealand Wars, 1860-1872
Tapuhiitemtitle Inward letters - T W Porter
Tapuhiitemtitle 2 Series 1 Inward letters (English)
Tapuhiitemtitle 3 McLean Papers
Tapuhireelref MS-COPY-MICRO-0535-081
Teiref ms-1350-032
Year 1873

5 pages written 29 Mar 1873 by Thomas William Porter in Gisborne Inward letters - T W Porter

5 pages written 29 Mar 1873 by Thomas William Porter in Gisborne Inward letters - T W Porter

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