3

G.—sa

compensate the Natives for lands taken from them. The instructions given by Sir Donald to Commissioners Brown and Parris to give "takoha" to the extent of five shillings, and afterwards seven shillings and sixpence, an acre for all lands relinquished by the Natives; passages on passages in the evidence appended to the reports ; and a whole chapter on "Takoha" in the second report, showing the manner in which the compensation promised by Sir Donald had been paid over a series of transactions, amounting on the West Coast alone to a very large sum —all these are given at length in the reports and the appendices, affording the fullest refutation of Mr. Hart's accusation that the country and the Governor had been misled by the suppression of all allusion to Sir Donald's promises. It would really seem as if Mr. Hart could never have read the reports which he has so unjustly criticised, and, to use his own expression, " misrepresented." Mr. Hart is entitled to respect for his desire to protect the memory of his relative and friend; but before he censured the Commissioners so severely he should have satisfied himself that the imputations which he alleges them to have made really existed. I can confidently and conscientiously declare that both Sir Dillon Bell and myself were as anxious to protect the memory of our former colleague and friend of many years, as Mr. Hart could be ; and that with that object we examined a vast mass of official documents, and many memoranda in his handwriting, and brought to mind many things only known to ourselves as his colleagues in office, to enable us to justify particular lines of action on his part, which, unexplained, might have provoked unfavourable criticism. "William Pox, Eangitikei, Ist July, 1882. "West Coast Commissioner.

Authority : Gboegb Didsbuky, Q-OTernment Printer, Wellington.—lBB2.