F—No. 3
24
CHARGE PREFERRED BY DR. FEATHERSTON
Mr. C. W. Richmom 9th Aug., 1861.
id The following is the passage in the Report which contains the accusation to which I refer :—- -"Now take these facts : that Mr. Parris wrote to the Bishop in 1858; that a combination to "exterminate William King from the land at Waitara existed ; that at the same time the Colonial " Treasurer binds himself with the purchasers of land from the Now Zealand Company to get " possession of the land at Taranaki, and three or four months after this negotiation with the " Colonial Treasurer, that negotiations for the purchase of Teira's block commenced. I can come " to no other conclusion than that the present Ministry (i. c., the Stafford Ministry) is in some way " responsible for the conspiracy which Mr. Parris charged against the Settlers ; that they are not " only responsible, but that they are themselves in the conspiracy, and that there was an undue "pressure both by the Settlers of Taranaki and the Colonial Treasurer." I reply that it has been fully proved before this Committee, or before the Committee on Private Grievances— First, That Mr. Parris did not write to the Bishop in 1858 that a combination existed to exterminate William King from the land at Waitara, nor is there the slightest ground to say that such a combination did exist; Secondly, That I never did bind myself to the purchasers of land from the New Zealand Company, or to any other persons, to get possession of the Waitara, or of any other land at Taranaki; Thirdly, That the negotiations for the sale of Teira's block originated with the Natives, and not with the Government. The whole fabric, therefore, of the accusation falls to the ground. I have made my defence so as not to involve any consideration of the merits of what is known as the Waitara Question —the merits, that is, of the pretensions advanced by the Chief Wm. King. If King has been in the wrong, as I believe he has, all ground for the charge of conspiracy is cut away. But, by affirming my political integrity upon the grounds which I have laid before them, the Committee will not pronounce upon the merits of the Waitara Question. • My condemnation would, intleed, prove that the Crown had been betrayed into the commission of a great wrong, but my acquittal will establish nothing beyond the political good faith of myself and my late Colleagues. To the subtle insinuation, that I, in some unexplained way, exerted an undue influence or pressure, I have replied in the only possible manner, by subjecting every Officer concerned to the most searching examination which I could devise, and by a frank and complete disclosure of every circumstance within my knowledge connected with the subject of investigation. Ido not feel it to be necessary to, comment upon the evidence thus brought under the consideration of the Committee. I could never have anticipated the necessity for such an investigation; but lam not ashamed of anything which it has brought, or can bring, to light, inasmuch as I know that, in the most secret transactions, I have never betrayed the honour of the Colony. On motion of Mr. Speaker, the Committee adjourned until Tuesday, the 13th August, next, at 10.30 a.m.
Tuesday, August 13th, 1861. Committee met pursuant to adjournment. Present:— Mr. Cracroft Wilson, C.8., Mr. Creyke, " Russell, The Hon. the Speaker, The Hon. Mr. Crosbie Ward, Mr, Fitzherbert. " " " Henderson, Mr. Weld in the Chair. Minutes of last meeting read and confirmed. Mr. C. W. Richmond and Dr. Featherston in attendance. Pk'.'h examined.
Mr. Parris 13th Aug., 1861
108. Mr. Cracroft Wilson, C.8..] Will you have the goodness to explain what the " trying circumstances of a most painful nature" were, you referred to in your letter, August 26th, 1858, to the Bishop of New Zealand ? —These remarks had reference entirely to the ambush which was planted in the Karaka Pa. . 109. You are certain that those remarks were without reference to any proceedings on the part of Europeans? —They had no reference whatever to any European. The Committee adjourned until Thursday, 15th, at J-past 10 a.m.
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