NATIVE OPINION OF BRITISH AUTHORITY.

Auckland Chronicle and New Zealand Colonist, Volume 2, Issue 36, 11 April 1844, Page 2

NATIVE OPINION OF BRITISH AUTHORITY.

A few months since a Missionary Native Chief called at the house of a person with whom we are acquainted, armed with a brace of loaded pistols, having 19 men with him also armed with muskets and tomahawks, he demanded a quantity of tobacco, which at that time was worth 10s. per lb. cash, at that place, and much more than that as an article of native trade, there being not a bit in the place with the exception of about six or seven pounds this person had in bis house. The settler we allude to of course refused to give it up as he had some native boys at work for him fencing and putting in wheat by contract for this very tobacco, which was laid by in Tapu as they call it, until the work was completed. The

Chief however would not take no, * or his answer, and commenced a tussle wdh the settler, which lasted about twenty minutes ; finding he could not of himself forcibly wrest the box from the room, he called his men to help him, who ’til then had been silent spectators of the struggle, they then rushed in and dragged the box out, burst it open, and took all the tobacco.

The following day some of the white people remonstrated with him, and requested be would return it, telling him that lie was liable to punishment, and that he had broken the laws of the Queen ; at which he laughed outright, and told (hem that whenever he wanted anything he should rob any white man he pleased, and he should like to -see any of the Queen’s people that dared lay affiand on him, for he would shoot them dead immediately,; he saidihe was fond of blood, and the white people had better look out, tor he and his people could kill them all in one night, and they had some serious thoughts of doing-so. There are about 300 Europeans living there, and this was a Chief who attended preaching, and praying every Sunday regularly , The person who was robbed obtained a war-‘ rant from the Magistrate for his appre-; hension, there were about four Constables in the place who were looking out for an opportunity of serving it, but finding him : surrounded by his armed men, they of com se did not make the attempt. Be however heard they had the warrant, and dared them to serve it, and told them the first one who laid a hand on him should be shot dead.

He then went to the Magistrates house with his armed men, and coolly said “ well 1 (hear you have a warrant out to take me,” the Magistrate answered “ yes,” well says he “ why don’t you take me up?” the Magistrate said “ the Constables were not present then to do it,” but ‘why don’t you do it yourself?’ he answered, ‘ I’m come on purpose to see if you dare touch me, here I am, comb on, but lodk at these, throwing open hiv blanket and pointing to.a brace of pistols and a sword, and at the same time threatening to shoot him dead if he dared to lay a (finger on him. The Magistrate sent for a Missionary to talk to him, but the Chief justified his conduct; the Mis siouary asked him how he would like the Europeans to come and rob him of his pigs and potatoes ? he said they dared not attempt it, they were not strong enough, he could soon kill them all, but he should rob any white man whom he pleased, and he defied the Magistrate and his bit of paper with which he thought to frighten him, and he did not care for him or the Kawana, or the Queen either ; let them come on and he would serve them as they did at Wairoa; he said the white people were cowards andean away, but the maories were Kai nui maroro, and the Kawana was afraid to punish them, and he repeated much more in the same strain. But it must be recorded to the credit of another tribe of natives who were indignant at his conduct, that they then stepped forward and said “ they were ashamed of his conduct, and they would pay for the tobacco. He then said “ No you shall not pay, you are my Friends,! should then be ashamed, but as for the white people I will rob them whenever 1 choose, and I care not for them, or The Queen, or the Kawana, or his Holders ; but rather then you should pay for me, I will pay for it myself, but I wish it distinctly understood, it is not through.any fear of what the white man can do.” The Magistrate then asked him “ What security he would give that he would pay the money'?” He at once drew this sword out and leftfit as security, and gave his note of hand to pay the amount, but he has notyet redeemed the sword which is -still in the possession of the settler who was robbed. We can vouch for the truth of the above narrative, and furnish the names of the parties if required ; it took place a short lime before the arrival of his Excellency Governor Fifczroy, in this Colony. We shonld think there is not an Englishman who has a spark of loyalty in his composition. that does not with us feel indignant at the thoughts of such villainy going unpunished ; we who have been taught to honour our Sovereign, and revere the laws, are unable to account for the apparent apathy of the Government at the recital of such scenes as above

described. We counsel them to loo£ well to their position, their conduct Inst two years has impressed the natives with unmixed contempt; and unless a sufficient number of troops are sent out to vindicate the laws, and the honour of our Queeiij we should think they had much better abandon the country. The crisis must arrive, and we should not be at all surprised some day or other to hear of their .bearding the Governor, and defying his;authority in the same way fis they did tfye Magistrate. We have selected this case for publication, becanse it serves to illustrate two important truths, which have long been impressed on our minds from our experience of the native character.—First that they will never learn 16 respect our Government until we are in a position to enforce obedience by the certain punishment of all intractions of the laws:; and secondly, that the Christianity that most of them profess, is but as “sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal,” a mere mask assumed only to obtain a share of the blankets, &c., which are occasionally distributed by the Missionary. The whole work of conversion remains yet to be accomplished, they repeat the form of prayer merely as parrots without any corresponding emotions in their hearts, or in the least comprehending the importance of the subject. We fear the labourers in the Lord’s Vineyard have a great deal to answer for ; some of them appear to have attended much more*to their own worldly interest than to the vast importance of the cause with which they have been entrusted, at any rate they have signally failed to impress the nalives with a due sense of the nature and value of vital religion.