The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED "The Evening News," "The Morning News, and "The Echo." FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1877.

Auckland Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2333, 7 September 1877, Page 2

The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED "The Evening News," "The Morning News, and "The Echo."

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1877.

for the cause thst lacks assistance, For the vrror.? that needs tesistance, For the future ia the distance, A-i:d the i;ood that wo c»a oto.

TIIE members of the House of Representatives abandoned themselves yesterday t» mutual recrimination, to charges and counter-charges, and arguments of the kind known as "your another." Sir George Grey and Mr Ttecs had on a previous occasion accused Mr Ormond of being discreditably connected with native lauds transactions in Hawkes Bay. Mr Orraoud challenged inquiry, and Mr liees yesterday moved for a committee. This was the occasion of last ovcninjj's storm. Mr Ormond retorted by throwing dirt at his enemies, and proved himself a thorough adept in the resources of fishwife warfare. The gravamen of his retaliation on Mr Reos appear.? to have been that the member for City East was at one time hard up, and could not satisfy the claims of a number of pressing friends —a peculiarity, by the way, somewhat characteristic of politicians, judging from illustrious examples— and that he had been sent to the House, by the electors of City East, todo things Which, it was believed, Sir George Groy would not do. If Mr Ormond means that the electors expected their representative to fearlessly attack abuses, _ and Lay bare the misdeeds of an administration whoso long abuse of power had rendered it the most defiantly corrupt Government that ever ruled New Zealand, he rightly apprehends the purposes for which Mr Rees was elected. If Mr Ormond'iJ reputation is so spotless aa lie declares, ik at Least cannot Rum* in such a process, but will shine out like a star the more brilliantly from the darkness of its surroundings. We might have expected to find Mr Oimond amouglthe active promoters of such an inquiry as that proposed by Mr Ween. The chance of shewing that'the Hawke's Bay laud ring, which has become associated in the minds of colonists with all unlioliness, has, in reality acted th« part of the true friend of the native race, was one which the ex-Superin-tendent of Hawke's Kay should bare bailed with delight. I>ut Mr Ormond has had some experience with these inquiries. The rferetaunga Commission, which he points to as so completely exonerating himself, has, strange to say, furnished the basis of innumerable lawsuits, forty or lifty of which are now pending. Some of these lawsuits have been very costly to the land-owners, and have shewn that the views taken by the law and the ring of the laudpurchases, are two different tilings. Mr Ormond, therefore, prefers to bear the wicked slanders rather then run the chance of more evidence being " fished out." The lion, member for Olive did not explain why he objected to the " fLsking out" of evidence, when it would undoubtedly be so clearly in his favour ; but bus reluctance was probably occasioned by a noble desire to spare his enemies the diacomiiture which would inevitably follow. We doubt whether Mr Ormond's most ardent admirers ttill be able to congratulate him upon the figure lie cut yesterday. Mud-throwing is apt to soil the thrower, unless he is quite sure he has clean mud, and at present it looks very much jus if the dirt heaped on Sir George Grey were about to fall back on its collector. It is rather extraordinary that a resolution of the House, suggested by Sir George Grey, was necessary to compel the production of letters which Mr Ormond had a moment before declared were in the next room, and on which he had based a .series of grave charges against the member for the Thames. And it is Btill more extraordinary that (!olonol Wliitmore, who was one of the chief actora iv the transactions spoken of by Mr Ormond, gives a totally different version of the story. As it stands now', the statements of Mr Ormond look so very like something which we should not like even to charge Mr Ormond with manufacturing, that we shall await eagerly the production of the terrible correspondence. Of this, as of the allegations which have aroused Mr Ormond's ire, let us have the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. And the course taken by Sir George Grey, in demanding the production of evidence, is one which might have guided Mv Orinotid to a different determination from thatjwhich a; ;mrently inllueuced him in relation io the nnmittee adked for by Mr Rees.