CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN THE HON. E. W. STAEFORD AND THE HON. G. M. WATERHOUSE.

Press, Volume XXI, Issue 2354, 19 February 1873, Page 3

CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN THE HON. E. W. STAEFORD AND THE HON. G. M. WATERHOUSE.

[From the " Nelson Examiner."] To the Honorable 0. M. Waterhouse. Sir,—l have observed in the " Independent" of the 28th ultimo (along with letters addressed to Mr M'Lean) what purports to be a translation of a portion of a letter addressed to mc by a native named Te Hakariwhi. I have neither received nor heard of any such letter, and am at a loss to couceive "how it came to l>o forwarded to the "Independent" instead of to mc, to whom it was addressed. As it wonld appear that there has been either some breach of the Post-office rules, or .•-ome special Ministerial action iv this case, I have the honor to request that you will cause an inquiry to be instituted in order that I may be afforded that explanation which is obviously required with refereuce to the occurrence in question. I have, &c, E. \V. Stafford. Nelson, November 30, 1872* To the Honorable E. W. Stafford." Sir,—l have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 30th ultimo, relative to the publication in the" Independent ;" of a portion of a letter addressed to you. I find that the letter''in question was officially, addressed to you as " Native Minister," as such was forwarded to the Native Office, aiid there dealt with in-the'usual manner. I need scarcely add.ihat; it is the invariable practice in cases : of change Of Government, for Ministers in office to open communications officially addressed to their predecessors. A copy of the translation of the letter iB forwarded for yotir information. I have, &c, • I ; . G. M. Waterhouse. Wellington, December 0,1872. !

[Enclosure.] ; ; To Mr Staffobd. ' , Friend, salutations to you, the Native Minister." We have seen your words as published in the newspaper, and these tribes of yours praise you for your word; for you said that you would take into consideration the wants and troubles of the native race, and we concur With this word of yours. This uj our trouble that'we wish you to take into your consideration, we have already J comm'unicated with Mr M'Lean respecting it, apd he said that Government had already givpu it their attention, and it novv rested with them and the Maori chiefs. And now that Mr M'Lean is out of office and you in his place, that ia why we think that you should consider this matter ; this trouble is the Aroha dispute. Do you ' 'consider this irrespective of other troubles in. this island ; those . are now 1 over, and these present troubles are left for your investigation during the sitting of Parliament. This is a word respecting the letters ypu alluded to, and which you say,-Btate : that? the Maoris do not approve of a Native Minister that speaks Maori. Who isthe man tha'tf understands the language of birds? When birds speak the ear hears without understanding ; such ia the case with the Maoris in listening to a European speaker. We know that it iB through Mr M'Lean's knowledge of Maori that he is enabled to further what is good among the native race, whereas if a Minister was appointed who did not understand Maori, he would be as one that is deaf. Our words to you are now ended. ' NA TB Hakiriwhi, Written on behalf of the Ngatihaua tribe. Tamahere, October Bth, 1872.

To the Honourable G. M. Waterhouse. Sir, —I have to aknowledge the receipt of a translation of a letter of Hakariwhi, referred to in mine of the 30th ultimo. In your covering letter you justify the publication of this document on the ground that it is an official communication. I regret greatly that it has escaped your notice that this official— that is to say this public—record was published only in part, that part, namely, which seems calculated to favor the personal views ! of the Minister iv whope charge it is ; the rest, which was suppressed, curiously enough has an opposite bearing. It is the more necessary that I should arouse your attention to this fact, inasmuch as a practice which you, in common with the whole reputable part of the community, is being carried on under your own Government with less disguise, and'- in a worse form, than under the administration of the last three years. I refer you to an official organ, printed at the Government Printer's at the public expense, and issued with the express sanction of the Government, whicu ' is now employed for party and personal purposes. An article in the " Waka # Maori ' (No. 22, of November 20th last) —the common mode of communication between the Government and the Maori—is only a specimen of the manner in which that paper is_ now commonly prostituted. After reading this article, you will agree with mc that those who justify such an abuse of powers entrusted for public ends would not deem it infamons to use the " New Zealand Gazette" as a party organ. You will moreover agree with mc that the latter would be a more venial offence, because it would be coin*. mitred among people otherwise well-informed, and would soon work its own natural cure. The " Waka Maori," on the other hand, 1 circulates among those who have imperfect means of informatioii as to our pcblic mtn, and are disposed to attach special weight to announcements by the Government; who ■moreover, when they learn the deceit of which they have been the subjects will hoT attribute it exclusively to any one Minister, but will include the European people and Government in the distrust and contempt that will follow. I have, Sec, : E. W. Staffokd. Nelson, December 28, 1872.