MAORI ILL-TREATMENT ENQUIRY.

Evening Post, Volume XXI, Issue 4, 6 January 1881, Page 3

MAORI ILL-TREATMENT ENQUIRY.

TO THE EDITOR OI THE EVENING POST. Sir — Commenting upon the allegations of ill-treatment made by me in your contemporary, you state the evidence was not such as to bear out the charges made. If you will allow me to state that, during the examination of the old man that I alleged had been ill-treated, I was not present, but'on my arrival his evidence was read, and totally and emphatically contradicted my allegations. Astounded, I asked Mf. Halae if he would allow my wife to put a straightforward question to him — viz., did he or did he not state to her the ill-treatment received by him when in gaol ? Astounded as I was bythenatmnstatemant, I wwindfeHS *by Mr. Halse'a answer, who replied he could not allow saoh a question to be put; there was his statement of the alleged offence. I knew then collusion existed, and objected, to any other witnesses being called. John Huff was then examined, and he distinctly and emphatically asserted he had been kept seven weeks in a cell in solitary confinement, and only allowed a quarter of an hour a day -fresh air, and when taken out of the cell his body used to tremble under him and his eyes so weak* and dazzled he could not see. I wish it distinctly to be understood, I only alleged twe Maoris were ill-treated ; I made no general- charge. Ono of those oharges has been verbatim corroborated; the other oonfessed to myself and wife after the enquiry that the Maoris had persuaded him to contradict what had been written by me, as they were afraid the law might have some hold on them, and without Te Whiti's sanction they would do nothing likely to imperil them. But I again assert, that before many weeks are over the truth will be . elioited. lam surprised that an independent . Press did not ooinment ujwai the" fact of a British anbjeof being' confined : in her Majesty's gaol threqjnanthk over and above the time appofflke^by^a-JJritißb. Court of ,- r , -rv FBflny Simeon. THE BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION AND ITS PENSIONERS. ¦» TO THE EDITOR OF THE EVENING POBT. Sre—Your impression of Wednesday last contains two paragraphs that I think require explanation from the officers of the Benevolent Institution. The first is that two sisters are receiving 10s pet week to enable them to pay -their rent, bat they are continually getting drunk, and aanoying Archdeacon Stock and others. The second is that an elderly couple— the man totally blind, the poor woman with her face nearly destroyed by cancer — who have for some time drawn rations from the sooiety, manage by mangling and keeping a few fowls to earn some 80s per week. The first, by their badgering, are continued in' receipt of their pension, while the poor afflioted, couple have had, their rations stopped as a reward of their industry, Councillor Samuel Brown stating that there were many worse ' cases obtaining no relief whatever. Now, sir, I happen to live close to the poor folks, and can imagine no case more deserving of relief, or any greater affliction than they are suffering: — The poor fellow, strong and hearty, consigned to a life-long darkness ; the poor woman, suffering the most terrible of all diseases, obliged, as.it were, to hide' her face from tho public gaze, not knowing how soon she will be called away from her. helpless mate, yet working with all the strength she has to earn sufficient to pay her rent and keep a roof over the heads of her family. Sorely these parties deserve assistance, Mr. SamueLJßrown's opinion notwithstanding ; and the Bishop and Archdeacon would be more closely following the footsteps of their Master in rendering consolation to them than in ministering to a wretch like Tuhi, who had forfeited his life by his crime. I am, Ac, C. Moodt. Adelaide Road, sth January. THE BOYCOTT RELIEF EXPEDITION. « A STRANGE SCENE. The letters from Ireland reporting the proceedings of the Boycott Relief Expedition are instructive reading. The digging of Mr. Boycott's potatoes will be a feat resemb Ing the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem, <rhen every man held a trowel in one hand and a Bword in the other. "The men who have volunteered to save the crops at Lough Mask are armed with revolvers as well as spades, and the opinion of the Executive in Dublin on the condition of tho district to which they have gone is shown by the statement that not only was no objection made to the members of the expedition being armed, but they were told the authorities would never expect them to go otherwise. 1 The accounts published of the arrangements for the safety of the party are such as we should expect to read if the position to be relieved were a military stronghold in a hostile country, instead of a peaceful homestead. The provisions carried consisted, among other things, of tinned meats, condensed i-iHr t concentrated coffee, whisky— all the essentials, indeed, of a regular campaign ; and as nobody will open his house to give the strangers a night's lodging, and tents have not been found available, a large supply of blankets have been taken with a view to bivouacking in the open air. The men who are to do the -work are 50 in number— 2s from Cavan and 25 from Monaghan ; they are said to he all tenant farmers or the sons of tenant farmers

and are described as appearing quiet and respectable, and so peaceable iv. their de-JUfIftSPJUL-that an, observer coula not have guessed they were not employed in some ordinary business. Th«-y could not be unaware of the danger of their enterprise as they marked the arrangements which had been made to protect them. Fifty constables patrolled the railway line from KiUucan to Mullingar, and constables were posted at various intervals to prevent any mischief to the train. On alighting from the train the expedition was received by a force of 100 constables, and the whole distance of thirteen miles, from Ballirirobe to Claremorris, was patrolled by constables, while at the latter town there was posted a large military force. Field pieces, in addition, were deemed necessary by the local authorities, and the escort from Claremorris to Holymount consisted of 150 foot soldiers, 150 constables, and two guns., "A stranger," says one, reporter, ' " might have supposed that he was in a campaign country, > On the eve of an expected battle." • Other - details are given, all to the like effect, and all going to show how complete is the terror , whioh the Land League has established over the country.— European Mail.