NATIVE AFFAIRS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 1, Issue 149, 7 September 1880, Page 2

NATIVE AFFAIRS.

The iVess’, "Wellington '■ correspondent, telegraphing on Saturdayj says .. . ; A‘ Ministers' have not received any iihfor* mation as to the alleged strike - Amongst the Armed; Gonßtabulary r -which- -isi.disbeliaved, --.received a -telegram- from the Native.iyiimiter-to-day conveying intelligence of a fresh native demonstration’opposite Rarihkka) Copies of the : ,Coast .Settlement- Bill, translated into Maori, . were I’disiributed and proclaimed at Parihaka on Thursday. Mr. Thompson,-the Government interpreter, who returned thence' yesterday,., reports' that the Act-was read before a laVgo meeting of natives.; -The oply thiiig, Jhat seemed to, excite any great interest ‘ was the final clause empowering two years’ imprisonment with hard labor for obstructing the Armed Constabulary. Oh- this being read Tohu remarked contemptuously, ‘‘That; he had hot sen£h|s men to be imprisoned for their own good,” implying that he, cared; ’little; what befel them, as the end he was working for was far more. comfort. He added that the only thing not to be . done is for tyro men not to iabuse one another," the meaning of which he Aid not explain. The first :: fruits.; of Settlement Act have, however, .been rather curious, v Mr. Bryce telegraphs to-day that early this morning no fewer than eighty-three Natives came down from Parihaka ahd began fencing. , ; This number comprised’ fifty able-bodied- : yf>ung men, twenty-three boys, and One old man. Notwithstanding; a warning they persisted in fencing across the road, and Mr. Bryce then ordered the-arrest of the whole number. ' This w& promptly carried into effect, no violence being used and no scuffles taking place; as was the case two or three days ago. • On that occasion, however, the Maoris were exceedingly violent and insolent, consequently, although no blows were struck, they were by no means so gently used as before by ■ the con- - somewhat roughly handled, receiving some considerable shoves; and shakings, -and altogether were very disrespectfully treated. It seems that they complained ;;to'! Tohu of this usage, and he cautioned them to behave more quietly nextstithe.) jSortce-day they were as peaceful as lambs, and submitted with the: utmost ; readiness ;)taab.o taken into custody. This being effected, Mr. Bryce ■ ordered the old .Maori and twentytwo hoys to he set at liberty and turned back. |to- j; Parihaka, , { but i < s the[ fifty-nine young men will be sent to New Plymouth, and being the first prisoners . under the West Coast Settlement Act, will be tried in due course under the provisions of that Act. One of the, prisoners is Mukua, a brother of Titokowaru.” . , ... ' srcyi '