Feilding Star. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1883. The Central Railway Route.

Feilding Star, Volume IV, Issue 54, 11 October 1883, Page 2

Feilding Star. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1883. The Central Railway Route.

There was a great deal ol mutual congratulation over the s r tt>-n<nt of the difficulty raised by certain *<nt:vc* to the progress of the survey of the route for the central railway, and Major Kemp was much landed tor the part he touk in the alFuir. At the time we expressed our thankful aes-. but expressed a doubt as to the genuinenessof the truce, and stuced plainly that we believed that iiifi'ience.i were nt work which were not oi a purely Native origin. The events of the ! last few days have gone far to confirm ! us in our opinion. The Chronicle says Mr Uochefout, the surveyor eni gaged in the ceutral railway route, arrived in Wangauui on Tuesday I morning, having been turned back by an armed party of Maoris at '• c Papa, the place at which the surrey was stopped on his former attempt. 'I he armed natives were Hauhaus, Tauma'a being chief of tha hapu, and they {objec-ed to allow Mr Hochsfort to ! proceed unless he brought them a letter from Tavpkiao the>r King 1 - Ibe natives were armed, and they fired a volley over the heads of rhe survey party. Mr Roche tort's party consisted of about .30 men, partly Europeans and partly friendly Maoris sent up by Kemp to accompany Mr Kochejport. They were not intimidated by the first volley, but wenton towards the Hauhaus, who fired a second volley. Mr Rochefort and hi.companions walked up within a short distance of rhe Hauhaus who formed up in o line, with their guns nt thp present, evidently determined to offer a stubborn resistance to further progress. One Hauhau said that he would rather die than allow the survey party to proceed ; and another said that, had it not been for the Lord's will, he would have killed the first European who came on the spot. Mr Rochefort addressed the obstruc tionist3. He told tli in that it was both foolish and use! *.*>•• *o try and stop the railway, as, if t/i v killed or injured him, Government would serai up a fresh party with an armed f >rce to push the survey through. The Hauhaus still declined to allow the party to proceed, and Mr I'ochefort, leaving 1 hie companions on the spot, returned to Wanganui, and yesterday afternoon telegraphed to the Government for instructions. Jr is freely stated that unless a party of Armed Constabulary is allowed to proceed up the river, it is impossible for the survey to proceed. In our opinion, if this alternative is adopted. the Hauhaus will accept it as an yet of war, ani valuable lives may be j sacrificed in the attainment of an end I that may be accomplishfid by peaceful j negotiations.