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Grey River Argus, Volume XI, Issue 940, 1 August 1871, Page 2

A number of prisoners were released the other day at Wellington. They are a portion of the East Coast followers of Te Kooti who were tried at Wellington a year ago, and at that time sentenced to death. So long as the Uriwera tribe remained in rebellion, it was thought necessary to keep these prisoners iv custody, but now that that tribe has been thoroughly broken up and located in the Bay of Plenty and elsewhere, there is no reason for continuing the custody of the less prominent, and not at all dangerous, members of the party. It has been decided, therefore, to pardon twenty-three of the number, and send them to the Bay of Plenty, where, like the larger number of untried prisoners taken by Ropata, Kemp, and Topia, they will be placed under bail of the friendly chiefs. Six, however, of the most dangerous characters and ringleaders have had their sentences commuted to imprisonment with hard labor for life, and will, it is believed, be immediately sent to Dunedin, to be placed in the gaol there.