A GRIEVANCE.

Westport Times, Volume IV, Issue 662, 24 May 1870, Page 2

A GRIEVANCE.

(To the Editor of the Weslport Times.) Sir, —I am not one of those who are always troubling you (as Jack the Bailor said, when he said his prayers in a heavy storm,) but, if you would be kind enough to insert the enclosed few lines in your valuable journal you will greatly oblige your humble servant— R. W. I find that Mr Reid has been kind enough to bring my petition before the Council, and it has been lost, I believe through certain remarks about a hundred pounds received by me from the Government, made by Mr Greenfield in his capacity as Provincial Secretary. Now, sir, I do believe that one half of that Council now sitting did not know really what the hundred pounds was for. The hundred pounds was awarded me for compensation for damages done to my station and for my cattle being destroyed, and for posts and rails taken to make the Government road. I had the assurance both of his Honor and Mr Greenfield that that £IOO had nothing to do with my getting compensation for the runs, his Honor even wrote down for me how I should act in the matter; I even hold the signatures of those that sat on the committee, that the hundred pounds were awarded me for the before stated damages, and not as compensation for the runs ; even if such was the case how is it that the Government has received rent for the runs from me since then. I hold nine thousand acres of land under license from the Government—known as Waite's Pakihis. The different Wardens have granted mining leases, farming leases, miners' rights, publican and business licenses, races have been cut in all directions on said runs and yet they, the Government, are mean enough to receive my money and give me no protection for my property. Mr Greenfield stated to Mr Donne's question asking what protection I had or how should I act in case of trespass ; that I had the same protection as other people. I want to ask you, Mr Editor, is that an answer for a Provincial

Secretary to give to a member sitting in the House, if bo, what is that protection ? It is all very well for him to say this, who is living at home in the wood at Nelson in luxury, where if a stray horse belonging to some poor individual comes near his place he has it impounded by the police (serve him right, how dare he eat the grass that grows on the roads, why don't he have paddocks like me for his horse) ; but here on the AVesfc Coast, where we are all on an equal footing, so I consider, it is not to be supposed that we are going to impound our neighbors' cattle; oven sup- - pose such to be the case, where is the public pound, or what benefit should I derive from it if I did so (which, God forbid, I must be very hungry first). In the next place, if I am not trespassing too fur on your columns, how am I to go to work to obtain rent from persons on my runs who have already paid the Government ? Would it not be unjust on my part —I believe every person in the district would say so ; and even if I did demaud rent from them I should get no satisfaction whatever from the Court. I cannot well blame the Wardens, for what they do is merely this: Waite's pakihis is within the proclaimed goldfield, and they > ave power to grant such things ; it remains with the Government to compensate me according to the merits. Even my pre-emptive right they the Government kept me out of till it was valueless —no, say they, he has got no money, he won't have the cheek to face the (shall I say) Government. And now, as a last resource to work me out of my just claim, they have published in the Government Gazette that my runs wi.l be forfeited if the rent is not paid in a certain "time, thereby acknowledging that I have paid, and I have Mr Harris's receipt to show for that, dated 29th June, 1869, for 12 months. It was, Mr Editor, by mere chance that I was told of this circumstance. Whoever thinks of reading a Government Gazette? Why is it not published in a local newspaper sothatthose interested might see it ? There is one more thing I wish to state, it is that when the West Coast was proclaimed a goldfield a Mr Pike got £IOOO from the Nelson Government for his run up the Grey that was neither a goldfield nor a township, but merely because it was within the boundaries of the proclaimed goldfield. What has Waite done that he cannot obtain compensation when it is well known, that his run is a goldfield, but I am not one of the chosen few.

Eeubetst Waite. Westport, May 19.