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The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 32

Auckland, New Zealand, October 7th, 1865 Captain George Beadon, R.N. Taunton

Auckland, New Zealand, Captain George Beadon, R.N. Taunton

My dear Sir,

No doubt you will wonder who your correspondent is,

Mrs. Coloned Chaoman.

but from circumstances which I will explain, I am writing for our young friend, Albert Jackson, 18th Royal Irish. Tour name is very familiar to me, as I am well acquainted with Mr. Edwards Beadon's family. The name of Chapman is too well known at Taunton for you to be a stranger to it. My husband is the eldest son of the late Mr. Chapman, of Bishop's Hall, and commands A. Jackson's regiment. When the latter received your letter of last December, ho was in the Held force in the Wanganui District, and there was a long delay after the mail arrived here, before letters were received in camp. We were all then living in hopes of the troops returning to Auckland, and Mr. Jackson put off asking any one to move in your business; but finding there was no probability of his coming, he wrote to me to do what I could; ho begged that I would single out the best lawyer which I could find to act for you. Every one speaks of Mr. Whitaker as the cleverist and most straightforward lawyer in Auckland, so I went to him, forgetting at the moment that, in your letter you had mentioned having put the case into his hands years ago, and having received no answer.

Immediately on reading your letter, he said he recollected your writing to him, receiving the power of attorney, acting on it, and writing you all the particulars of the case, and that he had the papers somewhere, and would hand them to me; at the same time, he assured me he feared your case was a hopeless one. He has several thousand acres of land in the same district, and would not give sixpence for his claim. The land is in the enemy's country, and if Cormack had not waived your claim, there is no ascertaining where the property is, as the surveyers will not venture into the interior; added to which, if this were accomplished, no one could be got to take possession of it, and hold the land. I wont again a few days since, and have now in the house the papers relative to the matter, your power of attorney, and letter from you to Mr. Whitaker, another from Messrs. Burnet and Kean, and the copies of the information he sent home to you in July, 1859. This letter must have miscarried, as I can vouch for more than one of mine since we came out here.

The reason of my now writing is, if I copy the information which Mr. Whitaker gleaned and sent to you, and enclosed the papers to Albert Jackson, he cannot get them before this mail leaves for England, time enough to write to you by this mail. To save time page 10 I thought it would be best to write to you direct, and write to him to inform him what I have done. If you think of going to law with Mr. George Graham, or Cormack, I am sure you may trust Mr. Whitaker, ho bears so high a character; and, since he resigned being Attorney-General, he has returned to his profession. Mr. 'Whitaker begged I would copy the papers relative to your claim, as he wished to keep the original, in case the matter is gone into again, although I am sorry to tell you, he considers it is sending good money after bad.

Believe me, my dear Sir, yours faithfully

Antonia M. Chapman.