He then proceeds :— It is rumored, I know not with what truth, that some of the native owners in one ot the Tahoraite Mucks before selling iheir Interests in the Umutaoroa blocks to Mr Smith for himself and his partner, the Hon, Mr Cadman, made it a condition of such sale that these gentlemen should obtain the passing of the Taho/aite Tall dation Bill, As a matter of feet their title to Umutaoroa was not completed until after the passage of the Tahoraite Bill, and the entiies upon the register, together with the documents registered, appear to make the truth of the rumor probable. The eagerness with which Mr Smith pressed the Tahoraite Validation Bill through Parliament and identified himself with it were the subject of general remark in the Honse of Representatives at the time, Whatever nay be the truth of the rumors alluded to it is ceitain that the great and peculiar influence possessed by a Native Minister, support !d by the active partisanship of a high political official, also directly interested, largely contributed to the success of a transaction which, instead of benefiting the public, whoae servant the Native Minister is, will place to the credit of these two gentlemen a very large amount of wealth. It is also believed in the district that Messrs Smith and Cadman are interested in other blocks of native land, a belief which is strengthened by the knowledge of the transactions in connection with the Umutaoroa and the Tahoraite blocks. Had the proposals ot the Commission been carried into effect us intended by the Cabinet and promised in the Governor's speech in the second session of 1891 it is difficult to perceive how the Native Minister and Mr Smith could have ac quired Hie freehold of such a large and va'aable olock of native land witbin one or owo miles of a growing town. Mr Kees goes on to contend that the sountry cannot have confidence in the administration of the Native Department on the probability of reform in the native land laws so long us the Native Minister and the Government Whip are able to amass fortunes from dealing in native lands. 