LAST NIGHT'S MEETING.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 623, 11 February 1879, Page 2

LAST NIGHT'S MEETING.

To the Editor of the Evening Hkrald. Sir,— After having heard Mr. Rees' address last night, I have concluded that the best interest of the whole district would be attained by the accomplishments of his intentions. I regret, (for the sake of the credit of the place), the rude interruptions, and insults of an exceedingly gross character, to which the speaker was submitted. I rejoice, however, that they were received with perfect good temper, and dignity ; and that Mr. Rees, on every unseemly interruption, gave a Rowland, and a little more, for his Oliver As to Mr. Rees' being self-appointed, that is nonsense : either the grantees have signed his deeds, or they have not ; if they have, then he is appointed by them ; if they have not, then he is not appointed at all — self-appointed then he cannot be. Of course Mr. Rees cannot hope to pursue his course unhindered. There are many Maori doctors, and disappointed land sharks, who will bite their fingers with jealously and baffled cupidity at seeing him so easily accomplish that which they have struggled so unsuccessfully to do. I think, however, he is quite equal to surmounting any of the obstacles which such persons will, of pure malevolence, assuredly cast in his way. The question which most interests the settlers here generally is just this : — Shall the present state of the native titles here be hushed up, or shall matters be brought to a crisis, and settled at once ? I believe most Englishmen will say: "If the natives have anything to complain of, there can be no objection to hearing their complaints and giving them justice." But there seems to be a stong feeling amongst a few persons here, that everything should be borne in silence ; that no complaint should, be made, and this in spite of their well-knowing that abuses did exist. I cannot too strorigly deprecate that desire to slrin over the festering sore : some day the surface will break, and the whole mass burst out in still greater uncleanness from the length of time it has been pent up ; or, if the present sore be healed at the top, the virus (not having been got rid of, and the sore healed by healthy granulation) will still circulate in the system, and will burst into an ulcer ten times more hideous than the first, in other words, a people, feeling themselves wronged and baffled instead of being assisted to get justice, will probably betake themselves to the ultimation, and with such such a disastrous effect to the whole district, that we should then sincerely regret not having giving them every facility in their present desire to to get redress by legal means. I am&c., A NONCOMBATANT.