NATIVE AND DEFENCE INTELLIGENCE.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1660, 16 June 1879, Page 3

NATIVE AND DEFENCE INTELLIGENCE.

GISBORNE, Juno 14th, An important Native meeting, convened by Wi Bene, waa held at Pakirikiri. Every tribe in the district was fully represented. The meeting resolved to give an unqualified support to the Government in regard to Taranaki matters. The Natives _ strongly deprecate war, but are ready to abide by the orders _of the Government, The opinion of the meeting was that the most judicious course would be for a Native commission of chiefs from this district to inquire into the difference between Te Whiti and the Government; the commission also to include such Europeans as the Native chiefs would approve. Unanimous support was pledged for the return of Henare Motua for Parliament vice Karaitiana Takamoana, dead. HAWERA, June 14, The special correspondent of the “ Post” says the volunteers of Normanby have almost completed a block house at their own expense for the protection of women and children in the event of any attack from the Maoris, Many people are leaving the district in consequence of the troubled state of affairs, and buildings and other works are at a standstill. The great bulk of the_ settlers are drilling every night. The Maoris say that in the event of any accident to Te Whiti, his brother John is quite as good a prophet. The 18th, the day fixed for the Parihaka meeting, is anxiously looked for. If war is declared many more settlers will come at i town. WELLINGTON, June 15. Sixty Armed Constabulary are to be sent to Taranaki to-morrow or next day. PATE A, June 15.

A long letter from Kakehe, a staunch supporter of tho Government, on the Waimate Plains, has been sent to Major Brown and Mr Williams for publication. Speaking for Ngatirawa chiefs, ho says there will be no fighting by them, that the fighting evil will be at Parihaka. He ridicules Te Whiti’s pretensions to supernatural powers, and, in conclusion, advises Mr Sheehan to make good his claim by erecting a block house on the Plains, and to demand that both Hiroki and Te Whiti be fetched from Parihaka. Te Whiti has informed his followers that he had a vision on Thursday last, and saw Christ, who told him that tho bullets fired by Pakehas at Maoris would return and kill tho white men; and that in the event of war, Christ would come down from heaven and drive all white people into the sea, Te Whiti has made a call upon the Maoris outside Parihaka, and he says that those who refuse to rally round him will be killed by supernatural means. The position of affairs continues to excite the whole interest of the settlers, tho only topics of conversation being drill and fighting- __ OUTEAGBB AND TEEEAT3 BY THE TE PUNA NATIVES. (“ Bay of Plenty Times,” Juno 7.) We have been informed by Mr Stephen Dobbyn, contractor for the formation of the To Puna road, that ho has recently been interfered with by the Natives, who have declared the ground tapu, and peremptorily ordered tho work to cease. About a week ago he received a visit from Tannitu, a Hauhau chief, who declared his intention of prohibiting the further progress of the work, and insisted on the contractor and his men returning there and then to Te Papa. Mr Dobbyn did not give much attention to the order, thinking it was only a piece of jocularity, but a few days afterwards he was rather unpleasantly undeceived by tho visit of a party of Maoris, who pretty plainly intimated to him that, as ho had thought fit to disregard the chief’s mandate, and persist in desecrating soil which they held sacred, ho might make up his mind to encounter the vengeance of the hapu, who had decided to burn him out unless he and his men removed at once from the place. The order was delivered in such a threatening attitude as to place it beyond doubt that the Maoris were bent on mischief, and that very probably they would carry their threats into execution. Mr Dobbyn immediately came into town and reported the matter to the authorities here, who stated that they would lose no time in taking steps to protect him and his men from outrage. During Mr Dobbyn’s absence in Tauranga his men, whom ho had loft at work, were visited by four chiefs and members of their tribe, who insisted on the immediate abandonment of the work, enforcing their orders with a threat of wreaking a terrible vengeance in case of disobedience. The chiefs made no secret of their intention to drive off all Europeans from the neighborhood, and avowed that until they regained possession of their property, which had been unjustly seized by the pakehas, they would spare neither fire nor sword in tho accomplishment of their object. The unfortunate workmen were thoroughly frightensd by the hostile demeanor of the chiefs, and secured their safety by retiring

from the place. It is very much to be feared that, had tho men exhibited the slightest intention of resisting, the Maori chiefs would have been as good as their word, and the result might have been serious. By way of proving that they are not actuated by any cowardly fears of punishment at tho hands of tho authorities, the chiefs very obligingly furnished the men with their autographs, which they politely informed them they might hand to the Tauranga magistrates with the writers’ compliments. The four chiefs who took the prominent part in the proceedings are named Tannitu, Watu, Maniera, and Pene Taka. This interferencs with the progress of the work on tho Te Puna road might bo of comparatively slight importance were it an isolated case, but the subsequent conduct of tho Natives shows that their threats were not mere bluster, but that they had resolved on asserting their rights as they declared by the use of fire and sword. The conduct of tho Maoris gave rise to a good deal of uneasiness among the settlers in the neighborhood, and at length some of them received formal intimation that if they did not remove within a given time from the place they would be obliged to do it after getting their houses burned down. Nor did the Maoris confine themselves to threats, for a party of them proceeded to drive off the cattle of Mr Wm. Esdaile from his land at Te Puna, and their conduct and language were such as to lead him to believe that this was only a preliminary to outrages of even a more serious character. At the first interference with the formation of the Te Puna road, the ostensible reason for which the Maoris objected to its progress was that the ground was tapu, but as they grew bolder their real motives were disclosed, and they now aiser» that nothing less than the total abandonment of the country by Europeans and their reinstatement in tbeir rightful properties will content them. They also declare that in what they do they are acting under orders from Tawhiao and his Ministers, and what measure of truth may be in this sta f ement it is of course impossible to say. At any rate their attitude is most alarming, and Mr Esdaile, Mr Buckworth, Captain Clarke, and the other gentlemen in the neighborhood are very justly apprehensive that unless the Natives in the Te Puna district are made to feel that the law is too strong for them, they may proceed to acts of violence which may result in the destruction of life and property. It is unfortunate that tho Government should have decided on withdrawing tho greater part of the constabulary from this district at a time when of all others their presence here would seem to be necessary. The proceedings in Taranaki have excited the minds of some of the Hauhau Natives in this neighborhood, and the fact that tho whole district from Bowentown to Opotiki is left with not more than half-a-dozen members of the field force will have no good effect in allaying any disaffection that may exist. It is impossible to foresee what the Natives might do under the influence of fanaticism, and it would be wise in the people of the outlying districts to be prepared for any emergency might arise.