The Auckland Chronicle. Thursday, February, 22, 1844. THE ABORIGINES AND THEIR PROTECTORS(?).

Auckland Chronicle and New Zealand Colonist, Volume 2, Issue 29, 22 February 1844, Page 2

The Auckland Chronicle. Thursday, February, 22, 1844. THE ABORIGINES AND THEIR PROTECTORS(?).

We olisfrw in the reply to the depute)' tion of gentlemen at Nelson, who presented an address to his Excellency containing some important queries; that tin- lies are rec< British subjects, but not under all circumstances amenable to the Laws of England ; the reasons his Excellency very juMly stated to be their ignorance] of ear laws and customs, consequently the injustice of binding them strictly in all to the d< four courts of justice. J. .-onable man wil| allow the wisdom and equity of exempting them from pains and penalties ! p transgressions where ignorapce Fiul not the wi i\\\ violation of the laws can be provt-d ; but until we ha th( ion«rb und. i • landing on this matter, and their position be clearly defined, their ambiguous relationship to the Queen's subjects, will be a fruitful source of difficulty and contention, never they comm.it aggressioi the property and persons or Europeans. It is well known there are inter, men in this Colony, who have m constant luwne-s in their writings and conversation to »i iif> the Eur character in order to illustrate their own importance id to uphold the Prot sche h <-on|s the some t.':< use ids i er annum, but we nave abundant evidence to refute these calumnies and t indicate the English character f o n their f.mla-persions only by taking a refro ut the ItJct of the Europeanand the Government, during the last four years, and it is hut justice to the settlers to do so, in order that such un;>led statements shall not pass current as truth. // e wVlfor examplestatc ex few instatu <itive alrotify since 1839. in 1840 one man murdered by a Native Jiear the Hay of Islands; the iken, hut escaped from the prison at Russell, was next taken, and about nine months afl In prison, Mrs. Robertom a widow lady and two interesting children, her servant man nameo Bull, i □ I a child belonging to Captain Brind, in all five individua s, were inhumanly hutc i one day by a native nam itu at tin of Islands. The Government authorities refused to take this Monste and he would have escaped but for the intrepidity of Messrs. Wilson and Spicer who risked their lives in order to secure him. He was tried and banged. Mr. Skey in consequence of ©ne of his children ignorantly gathering some firewood from ground said to be tabood, although it was sold to an •European at Munganui, had his house forcibly entered, and some blankets and a counterpane taken by a native named Apee and his. tribe, living at Wyhouin Doubtless Bay; they also attempted to burn down the house by growing fire ©n the thatch. Application was made to the Government for redress, but none was obtained. Several of the lettlers at Wangtti were openly robbed by a party of natives from Kiapara to the amount of several hundred pounds. Application was made for redress, but none is yet obtained by the sufferers, although it is said the Government have attempted to compound <hc felony by taking some land

which the natives have offered as compensation. Mr. Forsaith at Kiapara, now a Protector of Aborigines, was openly robbed of valuable property and damaged to the amount of several hundred pounds; application for rewas made, and referred to the Home Government, who have decided that he entit'ed to it, consequently this burglary and felony is to be compounded by the cession of some land. Mr. Stevens had a vessel built of ninety tons oritne/Wesl Coast, valued at £1(100, and she was destroyed on her first trip by a party of Natives near Kytayia, belonging to the tribe of Noble, who took out her masts, tore up her decks, and |eft her a total wreck. The reason the natives destroyed her was because in entering the harbour, she grounded at low water on a -and hank, although the flood tide would have taken her otf. This industrious man was ruined J application was made lor redress, but we have not heard that any is yet obtained, although we have been infer that an endeavour has been made to compound this act of piracy by taking some pigs and potatoes, which the natives have offered as compensation. Mr. Gummer at Munganui in Don had a new w oarded house burnt down by accident, which cost £3OO, and during the lire his fa rescued about £4<) worth of goods from the ilames, but a i imed Tookarede living at ra, aboul two miles off, came with a i Natives and with their tomahawk-, threatening death to any who resisted, forcibly took all the goods that were : >d from the flan fring Mr. ti., his wife, and small chi r!r-n. titute of clothing, or even a btankt they had no time to dress themselves, when the aiarm of the fire was given ;' application was made for redress, but none has been obtained. Mr. Gummer has consequently left the country in disgust The above are only a few caseg of aggression by the Maories that occur to as Iron memory. Our limits will not allow extend them, otherwise we could fill our paper uith similar facts, and indeed t o( all tli- ir robe published, it would be quite sufficient to shew that the Europeans needed a Protector, for (he Government has never acted towards then in that ' ;ty, or redressed their grievances. i of the boat atTouronga is the only case where a forcible attempt to obtain ss was made by die Ooveraneat, and aj upwards of £IOOO. abandoned the place witho it accomplish ing their object, in consequence of the highest judicial authorities in the Colony, declaring it to be illegal. The Natives are able: at ad times >o protect t!i Iron any open violence, and I defy the most malignant slanderer <>t' hi- own coonirynit . lU ce i>t i violence committed against tben by the Europeans. A n Polios Reports "ill satisfy every enquiring mitid that this is truth, and indeed they will find hut very few if any petty thefts committed on their property by the whites, while almost every week furnishes instances of ccadillos, and there is no doubt if lbs ;tftern Cross or ai y other medical gentleman were carefully to examine generally the Native head, he would bear testimony to the very large development of the organs of mis-appro-priation. Of what ust- thru I would ask, are these doughty champions' of ideal yclept Protectors—who fatten on the. gullahility of the humane and arall ncsuv iSg public that rewards them so munificently (be combating imaginary evils, the miir chinici.is ot an ovci grown fanaticism t —to be sure they have occasionally been employed as land jobbers to the Government, and a pretty bungling job of it they havo made Munganui to wit 1— but enough, the hare mention of that place is wor«S than a nauseous draught to I >iue of them. The Natives as we have said, are sufficiently strong to protect themselves against any encroachment on their rights and privileges by the Europeans, except iudeed the government oppress them, as they have already done by de-

priving them of the privilege of selling their lands to whom they please, or cutting timber for the Europeans, ami in that the Protector is of no use, all they require is an interpreter ; the Courts of Justice are open to them against any private individual who injures them, and they should certainly be provided with a Lega' Advocate, who with the Interpreter for the Court, and men of such ability and integrity presiding as our worthy Judges Martin and Chapman, would undoubtedly secure them the desideratum impartial justice.

We yield to none in the love of justice, both to Native and European, but it is not a necessary consequence that we should follow in the wake of every mistaken visionary, who may or may not be actuated by motives of humanity, or that we should approve the canting hypocrisy of those who thrive by upholding this public delusion. We are determined at all hazards fearlessly co advocate the c of truth, irrespective of consequences, and i it the challenge, we defy these dreamers to prove any single act of open linsl the Aborigines except perhaps when the Europeans were headed liv the Government. Let them make out ■■ if they can ? What, sot in tour rake up one single act of aggression !I I One solitary reason for retainitig their, lucrative situations !11 8u they would esteem it a charity if some evil disposed person would afford them a pretext for continuity their system o f humbug a little longer; but no, the eyes of the public are upon them ; they have long perfectly aware of the utter inutility pf these men who s** allow up so much of the li lie revenu I infant community Protector, indeed, —the very name is a liiiel on our Courts of Justice, and a stigma on die character of every European I

We should feel much obliged if our the public not sh us with everg case of open aggression committed by the Maories since the establishment of the Government in the Colony, g\ the names and dates with every particular, and aho per contra, if any case of Euro pean aggression can be found, as we are determined to publish them side by side to the world, in order that Englishmen may pause ere they emigrate to a Colony where their l ives and property arc so UtOe regard* the Government. Facts are stubborn things and carry com di them, and alt ho' iy not be able at once to overturn their expensive, and useless, nay mischivous system of extortion we shall at all evi nts reap as ample reward if we rescue the fair fame of our Country men from the unmerited vitup malignant icity upon which that system is founded.