A LETTER FROM MR SHEEHAN.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4563, 8 December 1882, Page 3

A LETTER FROM MR SHEEHAN.

♦ [Ex Tblbgbaph.J [FHO3T OtTE OWN COBBBBPONDBNT.3 AUCKLAND, Dec. 7. Mr John ShoehaD, M.H.fi , publishes the following lettor in the New Zealand Herald, in reference to the recent Bttttemont of Mr Arthur Mills, made in England, that "he had seen an ex- Cabinet Minister plying Native women with rum and whiskey " : — " Sir, — I observe in your morning's issue a paragraph copied from an JtCnglish exchange whioh purports to contain a statement by Mr Arthur Mills about certain things in regard to the Maori people of New Zealand, and having roference to come remarks by the Hon W. Giaborne. In reply, theme who know the Hon W. Gisborne wiil not be surprised to find that «n the vory faintest suspicion of an attack on the good faith of the Colony or its publio men he came forward promptly. There is a proverb which says, ' If the cap fits you had better wear it,' and in writing as I do now to you, I may, perhaps, in fche eyes of come people leave myself open to its being Applied to me. I feel quite cortain that you and a large oircle of people to whom your paper jb a household word will agree that I am not justified in allowing the matter to past by without comment. I have been in public life for the last fourteen or fiftesn years, and I do not think I have ever, for one issue oven, troublod the columns of the Herald to publish mattorg personal to myself. I have Bit by while statement* of a most unfair and malicious character were made about myself. I have been content to allow them to provo their own untruth, and. to trußt to timo to show their entire falsity. The allegation made by Mr Arthur Mills is that tho Maori people were being ignored by European colonists, that missionary efforts which ought to'be carried on on their behalf, were paralysed, and that he even aaw an exCabinet Minister plying Native women with rum and whiskey ; tha' moral being that if those who live iv high places do that, what can be expected from the ordinary class of European population P " Now for the facts : Mr Arthur Mills, who I believe is a member of Parliament, but who at anjr rate is the eon of his father, and has thus become a wealthy man, came out hero on a tour to the Hot Lakea. If all that I hear be correct, he could afford to produce £10 for my own solitary shilling, with this difference, that I havo to earn my shilling, and h« has his £10 by an aocident of birth. I had a vehicle ohartered to take mt to Botomahana and back, and had on board of that trap certain friends of mineEuropeans — among whom I may mention Mr Pounds, of the Bank of Australasia in Auokland, and Mr E. B. Walker, of Cambridge, and they travelled the whole way with me to fiotomahana and back. This wealthy .English capitalist, Mr Mills, wjw not too proud to try for, and was successful in obtaining, a cheap passage. His request to travel in my trap was agreed to by me, I paying the coßt, and ha sharing fully in oil the good things on board. That some Natives, both male and female, had whiskey or other spirits, is beyond all doubt truo. It is a recognised rule on the part of those who pull canoes from WBiroa landing to Tarawera, to receive, besides their money consideration, food and refreshment, I mane my arrangements for my journey in the ordinary way, with the ordinary agents, and the bargain made by those Bgents on my behalf was carried out by me. When Mr Mills first came to mo and asked for a pasaage I took him to be a commercial traveller, and I gladly confess to a large and respectable body of men who under that name are carrying on business in this Colony, that I am proud to find that I was mistaken. If Mr Arthur Mills is to be taken as a auniple of the political or private excellence of the gentlemen of England, then I will join those who believe it will not be long before tho Old Country comes to grief. Among gentlemen, there is one sacred rule, 'The Arab, with whom you have broken bread, will spare your life, oven if you kill his own eon.' Tho law of courtesy and etiquette requires th?t guoats should respect the host's house. Mr Arthur Mills was my guest, travelling in my trap, at my expenso, eating my victuals, and, as 1 believ?, consuming moderately come of my liquors. If he had possessed the instincts of a gentleman, he would not have reported what took place in my trap, which was really my home for all purposes whatsoever ; he being my gueet, all ho caw was sacred and confidential. But he begs a cheap passage, he eats my lunch, drinks my beer, and in violation of overy rule of courtesy known to gentlemen, ho goes forth from my place and slanderß tho man who had the courtesy to receive him and ontertain him. If I bo tho person referred to by Mr Arthur Mills ai the ex-Cabinet Minister whom he caw plying Nativo women with whiskey, then I s&y the statement is a lio, pure and Bimplo. The refreshment given by mo to the general body of Natives wus simply in accordance with arrangements then being made, and now boing made, by all Europeans who visit tho Lakes. My rule ia travelling in a Nativo country h&s beea to treat tho Natives who travel with me the same ub I would treat my European friends ; and whatevor is on my table or in my trap is offer od them the same as it is offered to mj European guesti. Mr Arthur Mills ulludoa in a melancholy way to tho decadence of the Maori Mission. On that very journey, when Mr Mills was employed in doing voluntary detective business against hie host aid entortainer, I had stopped at tbe Catholic Mission House at Whakarewaro, and I was successful in raising amongst my European frionds who accompanied mo £o as a contribution towards tho Church ; and hoBides that, I settled a most important difficulty about tho survey of tbe Rolorua township, and induced tho people who wore prosent at Church, who wore mostly Catholics, to return a theodolito and field-book taken from ihe surveyors on tho previous day, and to permit survey, acd to submit their grievances, if any, to the ordinary tribunal— tho Native Land Court. All the gentlemen travelling with mo, except Mr Mills, subscribed to the fund. I would like to know whas this wealthy English traveller gave to any missionary effort row boing made on behalf of any denomination in the Worth island, and I feel confident that his only contribution from start to finish he.s born words and nothing more. The mun who it capable oF abusing hospitality aa Mr BHIIb has done would stop short of nothing. By an accident perhaps ho is called a gentleman ; i a similar uccident would havo made him a burglar ; because a man who would co readily violate the ordinary laws of courtesy is capub'.e of tampering with the bauk safe or turniug up iv tho garrotting line. " I feel eorry myself to find a mun with n. so-called reputation coming out in such had form, and I feel Bt ill more torry that I havo not made Abraham's mistake, namely, that of entertaining an augol unawares. I have asked jou to lot mo hure come espies of this letter, one of which I shall send direot to Mr Arthur Mills for his perusal and instruction. When he gets it let him read it alone with this quotatiou, which he will find in Shakcepearo, in a play entitled ' Ooriolanua ' : — " Measurclcu) liar, tbou'tt made mj Heart too Rreal. for what contains it." " If ho wants anymore pootrj, let him loo's in ' Ohilde Harold,' where reference is m?,r]e to tho mun who diod unwept, uncoffined, wm unknown, and who in any frco cou nlry would be held to justify another Tefivenco to another English poom, the * "\lorlo D' Arthur.'— l «m, Ac., "John Sr.EEHaN. • " Auckland, Deoember, 1882."

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