Who Originated the Slanders?

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XIX, Issue 1829, 7 May 1886, Page 2

Who Originated the Slanders?

In reading over the report of the BryceBusden Libel Case in the London papers, we notice that Mr Rnsden, while under crossexamination, gave a good deal of information as to how he came to write the slanders about Mr Bryce. On this point Mr Busden stated

“ He had not, when he originally compiled his history, heard of anything abont the slaughter there of women and children, but he had carefully studied the public documents of that period very closely. Subsequently he had received a letter from Sir Arthur Gordon, the then Governor. (Letter dated 23rd January, 1882, put in and read). It was therein stated by Sir Arthur Gordon;—

“I enclose a note of Bryoe's antecedents which will interest you and upon which yon can rely. My informant was Bishop Hadfield. Have you noticed how completely the English press has been humbugged in all that relates to West Coast matters ? One would suppose from the paragraphs in the Times, Daily News, Ac., that there was every symptom of an armed insurrection, and that the utmost alarm prevailed in the colony. Yours Ac., A.H.6.” This letter ppofainoci a note by Sir A. Gordon on Bishop Hadfield’s statement, to which be referred in the above letter, it ran "On Ist December, 1886, the pah of Tanratiga-lku was being besieged. A number of women and children - youog children—came opt of it and began to gather food. No men at all were with them. A party of mounted men headed by Bryce and Maxwell rode among them and cut them down. Jjr Featherstou expressed his horror to the Bishop in the strongest terms. Major Kemp, was fighting,on our side, was greatly disgusted and said he would not have joined ue had he supposed we were capu Mw doing such things. Hence his strong antipathy to Bryce. The pah was taken the following day and Maxwell was killed, which the Bishop supposes to have been the cause why the matter was never further gone into Bryce’s name among the Maoris is • the murderer.' "

The whole story is a falsehood from beginning to end. We (the present writer) were on the scene both before and at the time that the Tpurapga-Ika pah was taken, and can declare that the alleged events never took place. Apparently Bishop Hadfield had in some measure been misled by receiving false information from Native sources, but it would appear that Sir Arthur Gordon, (the then Governor of the colony) deliberately set to work to get up false charges against Mr Bryce. It is to be hoped that Sir Arthur Gordon may be made to answer for his ipfamoua conduct iu a Court of Law.