AGAINST MR. C. W. RICHMOND.

31

F—No. S

the frustration of the ambush as inimical to land purchases"; will you reconcile these statements?—l have already stated the part that applied to Europeans, and the part that applied to Natives; I did not state in my letter to the Private Secretary that the Europeans had been guilty of anything treacherous or dishonourable, but that I had been censured for refusing to countenance such conduct. 169. Do you not make in your letter to the Private Secretary this charge, "that many of the Settlers were desirous of acquiring land by any means, and that they blamed and attacked you for preventing Wm. King and his people falling into the ambuscade because the frustration of the ambush was inimical to land purchases"? —I admit the statement in the letter, the expression " obtaining land by any means" meant any means that would facilitate the purchase of land. Mr. Fitzherbert wished, before the cross-examination was continued, to put a statement on record. It would be desirable that, previous to any discussion on the same, all persons other than Members of the Committee should withdraw ; and, on the clerk clearing the room, the following statement was handed in by Mr. Fitzherbert:—■ In reference to the objection made by Mr. Cracroft Wilson, Mr. Fitzherbert here wishes to state that, from his observation of the nature of the replies given by the Witness (Mr. Parris), the repetition of the same question (in different shapes), in order to elicit a reply, is, in his opinion, necessary. And on the Witness being recalled, Dr. Featherston continued his cross-examination of Mr. Parris. 170. Will you mention the names of some of the many Settlers referred to in the paragraph just quoted in question 169? —The then Editor of the Taranaki Herald, Mr. Richard Brown, was one; there were also some remarks in the Taranaki News (Editor, Mr. Finnic). I was also censured in the hotel, while taking some refreshments, by various parties, Messrs. Greenwood, Dickson, Woon, Finnic, and many others whom I do not now remember, neither can I remember who raised the question. I was also censured by some ladies in a store. 171. Are those some of the parties who were desirous of acquiring land by any means ?—Those are some who were desirous to obtain land by any means that would facilitate the purchase of it. Dr. Featherston called the Witness's attention to this reply, it was not an answer to his question, ho must put the question again. Mr. Parris stated, I admit what I have stated, and I endeavour to give satisfactory explanation of those statements as far as I can; on matters of opinion I decline to answer. If the Committee think my answer an unsatisfactory one, I will add a further explanation. The Chairman requested Mr. Parris (if possible), to give a fuller reply. In continuation of my reply to the last question, I have no hesitation in stating further, that as there were two parties of Natives contending in the District upon the question of the sale of land, the stronger were opposed to selling, and the weaker, for a number of years, had been endeavouring to sell to the Government; the settlors, not knowing my position with the two parties as an intercessor, very naturally were of opinion that, had the ambush been carried out, the question would have been very much simplified. 172. And those Settlers blamed you for preventing the ambuscade ?—I was blamed. 173. I lay before you, the Bishop of New Zealand's letter to Governor Browne, and direct your attention to paragraph 3, (i. c.) :— " Mr. Parris's letter was written to me on the 26th August, 1858, to give me a report of an effort made by the Taranaki tribe to obtain a clergyman to reside among them. In the course of his letter, Mr. Parris was led to state the anxiety of mind which he felt for the Natives of his District, and spoke of plans which had been suggested for the acquisition of the Waitara. I understood him to refer to plans of the same kind as those against which I had remonstrated in my Pastoral Letter in 1855. I have shown Mr. Parris's letter only to a few persons, and have constantly refused to allow it to be published. As, however, it has been publicly mentioned, it will probably be found to be the best course to allow it now to be published, but I shall not do this without Mr. Parris's consent. The only use which I have made of it has been to shew that the danger arising from the excessive eagerness of some of the Taranaki Settlers to obtain possession of the Waitara, was the same in 1858 as I had represented it in 1855." Do you admit the construction put by his Lordship upon your letter to him of the 26th August, 1858 ?—I do not : I did not mean to remark (that is imply), that any plans had been suggested ; I never denied the strong desire of the Settlers to acquire land. 174. Did you not, in that letter, refer to any plans that had been suggested for the acquisition of the Waitara ? —None whatever. 175. Did you not refer to the peremptory plan of Mr. Turton in your letter to the Bishop ?— ■ I did ; those plans were suggested three years previously by the justice of the case demanding William King and his people's removal to the District North of the Company's boundary. 176. I place before you the Bishop's of New Zealand's letter to yourself of the 2nd January, 1861, worded as follows:— " In compliance with the request contained in your letter of 28th December, 1860, I herewith <- ' furnish you with a copy of your letter to me of August 26th, 1858, and transmit it as you desire, *' through the Private Secretary. " You will see from the tenor of the letter, that it was not a private communication to me, nor " written at my request, but a public document-written at the request of twenty Natives of the " Taranaki tribe on a subject of common interest, and forwarded by you, not as a private friend, *' but as a member of the Church in the absence of a clergyman able to confer with the Natives." " Your incidental mention of the state of feeling between the English Settlers and the Natives ■"contained nothing new or private. It related ■ only to the plans of Mr. Turton and others, the

Mr. Parris. 17th August, 1861