MR KENRICK REPLY TO MR WHALL.

Grey River Argus, Volume III, Issue 180, 7 March 1867, Page 2

MR KENRICK REPLY TO MR WHALL.

(To tip Edi^rf the- 6^.y. Him- $L*gittoSiR/i- Howler contemppble' I Jnaj| *^ in % Mr WliallVJfode of conHSc&ng a dlsoitssion *' on a pniSSpMujMtioii, and though I do feel the cbntest-liltween us to bo. manijestly un- '. ."|e.qia.aLwhen_ the_chpsen •wfapons^areoalumux, I and slander — (for who can compete with Mr Whall at /those weapons'?)— l cannot let bis false assertions go forth to the public tmcon.T tradioted. - -In- answer Mr ... W-hairs . reiterated assertion that Mr Revell and I were seen byj himself and others iii the Court House spinning a coin for the choice of sections in this -towiij after some gentlemen had 1 been informed that there were no more sections to be taken up-^to this and to, any othei assertion of Mr Whall's 'which charges Mi iJevell and.me.wiyi qqiripetingfor<wi// secliom in the town of Greynouth, Maori' 'town included, to the.disa^l vantage of.the public,, X; say deliberately, si£ that Mr Whall asserts, for purposes of.|»g own, what he knows to lie false ; and I say more, sir, that if Mr Wliall believes what he has asserted, he has been guilty, as a publjo man, in not bringing ,^o, matter before the public before, 'and for concealing it in his own breast for come 13 months. ; Mr IJoyell's explanation , .of pur having tossed for- choice of two sections at Okarita, in the presence of Mr Mackay* $ , literally true/ and' we both hold the sections ' ■bill, ya't/sr havinp^d twelye month^ rent oh them. If Mr Coates, or any" other gentlemen, back up; Mr WhalV in 'his assertion, let. them,: come forward and make their statements, Now, sir, with respect to the much vexed question of the piece of land I hold from the Maoris, Mr Whall hajr again spoken iuoorrectly, when lie says Jhat, I received that land in preference to some of the public who were desirous of leasing it some months prior to my taking- possession; The contrary is the fact--for part of the very land I Jioltl was appljed for.; and .taken \ip, and ;after- ; wards thrown up as worth'le^s, being pribr; to my applying for it. Had I wished to speculate in sections '-1. had- the choice of the- whole of the Maori land as well as the rest of the public; Jtmt'l refraiiie'd.'.aud only asked/Mr Mackay for a piece to build upon for myself. That this , land subsequently became more i valuable is surely not 'my fhult, cspeoially as lam paying 'a rent quite up to the average ■for it.-. •■ ; .■•■ . : ,^-:-ki-^\- ' ■"•.■-. | Tedious as I must necessarily.- appear, 'sir,- 1 there is- yet another,, matter to icnich upon, and did I not feel} sir, that the whole of my couduct in the whole of the affair I allude to was/not only blameless .but I d^rb to say, commendable, it woulif lie" with 'far different feelings that I should approach the subject, -for it is a heavy, nay, the heaviest charge that can.be made against any jnaii-rAthnt. ofoppressing the widow and robbing the helpless— and. one that ought not lightly to be hia:le. Mr Whall has published a letter signed by -one. Jessie Oak, accusing me of robbing her of a section in this tinyi\ and of doing it in a mariner, which/ if true; ought to draw upon me the indignation of all honest' men.^ I will make a plain statfihent of the facts of the case, sir, , then. Jet,. the public judge whether I am 1 more 'sinned ajiainst than sinning. . Spme;|S, : inonths or so,. I, was. requested by the i friends' of the' late Mr OAk,' cai-penter, to endeavor to get him' some work atyie-Grey, he being then in Hokitik.-r, and very badly off. I spoke to Mr Henry Jones, caipenter,-oftthiß town,? who kindly promised j liini Avoik. Mr Ooks came up and. worked . for some time with Mx. J.ones. H|s wife Jessie Oajcs s^J/seiiutntly oame.tp Greympiith to join him. ' At 'the ;tiiniE>vrtf: her arrival,; both Jones and Oaks >vere' innng 'in a cottage in CTresson.str^ct,, qii the, very si^c.oij which the Ileli^dus "liistitnie = iif.w' sfatids:' 5 T!h\s cottage ■''belonged ' -'to ife.esrs 'Hawkips ■ dnil': Stroiifc£ 6f Hi»kir|lta r and, (iliristcliurol); -Mr ; Hjiwkesliih'ing'n'o acquaintance, ontheOrey ! but myself (or TprcßHine so) had aslced nic" to look after' the ; cbttagc: and 'see itkept in repair; ; l^inay s^^Kat'h'c'h^l'oiily'erecW' the cottage to keep possession of the business site, (his original intention being: to creitt d store there. )' Oaks arrived T told her lmsband he ■niightil.ave the -coita^e Vent free, merely for keeping it in «ood order. He' (OakeS) livedi'there till his-'death. ■' ■ \ few days subsequent •#> r ; tlin^ ; cv;ent,l,.was :inf<irmed by.' Mr Jones 'that the widow, Mrs Oakes, had put piles' into 1 the •groiiml, with the intention >of lnulding inj "fi-oiitrj pf the cottage, and thereby claiming the secitiohs.' lof course sent her- word' (as' she correctly states by Mr Planagani a' policeman, but who liyed next; door to her) that she must, leave the house, for I. looked; upon the affair? as a §reat piece of on Oiikes^' part," after Baying been allowed to; ■occupy the : house so long rent free. V M s. Oakes^ as she' says, came to the Court ;Ho'use ito Vcgister the' section., ■■■ I need not : point' but to yoiir;' sir,' iihafr according W^the iGold Kelclsylle/iula-v tions this'conrd'no^'iiv'aiiy^-'fcMe^avißM/eeri 1 done, theie being a' hpnse already on the section. --And I 1 think it alinos't as needless^ forane to say that I did not aiis-.ver as slie^ describes, those, who kno-yv my, corflpe't; in the office caii judge on that point. ' 'Mrs Oakes refusing to leave the i house,' I' did take out a summcuis, -iii Mr. Hawkes' nam.e andr.by his authority, for Lo; .the amount oi: one ; week'.s rent "^,;and !L Aid f .'tell^ili QJiaili^ to.- say^tVj . s Mrs , Oakes, when .serving' the sunun^ns,^a^ if '' ,she f3iose to leave'tthe •, li'o'Ks^ and jpay r l;he costs of the summons, -Tirould withdraw the case . Sh£ did bo,th, and lof coiu'se' let the affair drop. "- ' '■■"■ ■':'[''' - v "" '■'"** *i x V'" „. Tliis,sir, is^the,, whole' triith, as, plenty in this town can' testify • ' let' ; tlie public jiiH^e" 'l)etween. this , woman , arfd I-.-.. . I, hayc^only f ll rtlie'r^ to -remark;, ■ ; aV,'a VsQmeM^at r ~eofaorr 'dinary thing, •; that' '^tr'Wh\li 'cannot <r eve,ii" bringso simple, an affair as this before the public^ without distorting^ factsi '-i Mr- Whall! says that this woman :,was (>I; quote his own* words) "ejected .bx.a ; ; bailiflt from a.section which was'a.ftenvards' solf|?at"tiie land sale 4 , without improvements, at the'upset price, and charged 5s for^suin'mOns^iiid tfcsts, jntithout |an order t9.. pay it." .-, , r ln; .answer, l^say .the SwOmanwa§not ejected l>y a. ; bailiff, and theland was not sold at the upset price, ...without,' improvements, for Mr - Goates (I .belieye) acting for tihe.triistees purchase^ the ground for the Religious' Ihstifcu^" J after .'.paying Messrs^ s Ha ivkes ,an,d-"Stfxiuts soino' : TtWoM for iiriproyetAerits'. 1 • l Mr •"06aies Will ■correct* me if .lam wrong.' j '■'' : - ~ : ■':'■ ■'■ ><* ' : -'- '■']-■''' '■■'■'■ ' :) .' :J In' cphclitsion?^ as F havevno wish tcPIVe 1 .: .always- jtrowbling you, or to liave'my uiime continually Vdragged -public. 'fe : gratify 'the privatrt' malfce' "df - any 'man/'- 1; have : to inform Mr WhalLthat I-':liave-itlapeil''liia"' letter in the'iiands' ';'pf^ hiy solid tor; ; with instructions to commence an action agaiis!; Mr WhjUJ, ilhe-shoulfLthin^ tUere are^suJflScyaitV growncls to justify me in incurring the expense, and this is' thfi mode^ I intend to auswer any further personal attacks of Mr shall always be ready to argiieTto the best' of" my ability, and Bince:myjJjnpi«ZeHcc// in ipffering to discuss a "question so vitally* important to this town as tjjatpf a municipality, "with the aid of men of ability, has it appears 'somewhat fi'jghTiene.d Mr Whall,; I rencj^t '• th>, offer; and without any extraneons?aid ' what-.jeyer.will.-argu.O;; th,e queslji,ou •^}/h;hinA)on its merits, and let the public be the jiidge between us, merely premising that personal abuse is i no argument, and a th,at were I the :scoiuicifel Mr Whatf hasfend«avdredteTnake' mfe;«ut, it would. not^ affect. the question at issue— muiiicipi&ty^ 'least^,. •■..;.- ■':" .'.'.; , .y. ■':;■. .',;')):'};■ ,'■■;' y-'s ■■? L '\';.■.- iA'poHgising *for" ' the- 'raayoidabls- feng^h"^ ' this letter.— I am, &c., - March 0,/1567.