CORRESPONDENCE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 872, 25 August 1879, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

[We do not hold ourselves responsible for opinions expressed by correspondents.]

[To the Editor of ihe Herald.] Sir, — I see by the papers that the irrepressible Mr Rees is again m Gisborne, and on dit that the. Repudiation party are about to commence some of their old tactics again, it being rumoured about the town that -the Natives have been advised by their solicitor, quondam friend, and factotum, that they are legally justified m ploughing lands, and intend acting up to such advice, by at once starting to plough and take possession of numerous paddocks m the occupation of Europeans m the district. I was muchsurprised*at the miserable attempt made by Mr. Rees m the R.M. Court here on Saturday to show that Read's Trustees were the actual plaintiffs m the recent cases connected with tlie MatawheroNo. 1 Block. Mr. Rees has on previous occasions attempted to impute motives to those gentlemen totally at variance with reason. Those gentlemen cannot possibly be actuated by dishonest motives ; rior is there any reason why they should swindle or deprive Natives of their just claims. There is no reasonable cause why they should. > Mr. Rees, on more occasions than one, has threatened numerous actions against the trustees of the late Captain Read, • and persons connected therewith, tmt events have already shewn that Mr. Rees' bark is worse than 1 his bite. He has more than once promised many things to the settlers m the Bay but, I am not aware that any of his engagements have been performed. It has been stated that some confiding individuals,, trusting to this legal gentleman's assurances, have paid him considerable sums of money on his promise to complete their titles, which titles, I am informed, have not as yet been completed. It seems a strange thing that a man of Mr. Rees' honorable character should so easily and readily sarve two masters, but the public ought to give him the benefit of the doubt, - and believe that he receives these moneys by way of preliminary expenses, as lie terms it, or the purpose of being m a position to assist his Native clients and gull the Europeans. In conclusion, I have to ask the the public to ascertain whether the Whataupoko township, Wainui, Kaiti, Murewai, and Tologa Bay settlements, and numerous other schemes to be carried out by Mr. Rees, have progressed, and as to whether amongst any of the other numerous promises and threats made by Mr. Rees, there are any likely ever to be fulfilled, or which even require and serious consideration whatever. I think many would agree with me that it is a case for de lunatic o hvquirendo, — I am, &c, . Observer.