THE OHINEMURI QUESTION.

Thames Star, Volume VI, Issue 1860, 18 December 1874, Page 2

THE OHINEMURI QUESTION.

YESTERDAY'S TALK,

As Mr Mackay was otherwise engaged during yesterday morning, the Natives .did not meet until two o'clock. Mr Mackay then said he was in no hurry to meet them ; he wished them to have plenty of time to concoct (with the assistance of their 1 European friend*) their numerous schemes to libel, defraud and defame him. He had been informed that some of them had given memoranda o* their accounts to Mr Dixon, and that that person had taken their memoranda to Sir Donald McLean, saying they did not understand them. All he could say was this : each hapu had been to his office on a day previously fixed, and eack person of each hapu had gone over his account item by item. He proposed they should adjourn, the meeting for a month to give them.plenty of time to make all arrangements to cheat him out of his money, and to defame his character. If this were not sufficient—if any of them had any fault to complain of, let them request Sir Donald McLean to come and investigate it. He was not afraid of anyone, and he challenged those present to say he had wronged them in any way. He heard that some of them were getting money from Europeans during the meeting on timber and land already sold to the Government, and lie assumed that the object of the d-lay in coming to a settlement was to afford time to enable them to carry out their nefarious schemes. That, in his opinion, was the reason of Te Moananui's asking ten shillings per acre. Tinipoaka: lam one of the men you allude to. Dixon took my memorandum of account out of my pocket when I was I drunk, and returned it to me next day. I never told him to take it to Sir Donald McLean* My account is right. I have sighed my name to it, and have nothing more to say. I never told him to make any complaint about you. ■ WiXoka: Dixon asked me twice for my account. I did not know what he required it for. I thought he wanted it to look at for curiosity, and would have returned it to me the same as any ordinary Maori would have done. I now find it was for a purpose which I did not contemplate. I have nothing to say against you or my account. Mr Mackay: I heard of that and other matters, and therefore thought it right to give you time to plot and plan and scheme to upset me. Just let me know what you intend to do, I thought the question now was one of price only—that all other matters were settled fairly and openly at Ohinemuri, and were completed. If you now wish to upset them by fraud and deceit, say so, and I am prepared to meet you although I stand as one against a lumber. . Some of the Ngatikoe admitted having dealt with the timber at Ohinemuri during the time of the present meeting. Mr E. W. Puckey said he was present, and one of the points urged by Dixon at his interview with' Sir Donald McLean was that the items of the accounts had not been furnished; that Dixon's statement was similar to what Mr Mackay had related to them. Several natives said : Mr Mackay, do not accuse us wrongly.; The acts you complain of are those of a few people. After some more discussion the matter dropped, and the business of the meeting was proceeded^ with. Te Moanariui still wants ten shillings per acre; Mr Mackay sticks to two shillings and fourpence.