THE HAWKE’S BAY TIMES. NAPIER, THURSDAY, MARCH 6, 1862.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume II, Issue 36, 6 March 1862, Page 2

THE HAWKE’S BAY TIMES. NAPIER, THURSDAY, MARCH 6, 1862.

Misrepresentations of the aspect of the “ Native question,” calculated to deceive the unwary, and intended particularly for the home market, appears still to he the order of the day in the organs of the Government. A lengthy article of this description has recently appeared in the New Zealander (monthly summary for February), which it was our intention to expose in detail, but on the present occasion press of matter prevents our doing that justice to it which it deserves. Other papers in the Government interest are in raptures with the article, and foremost among these appears the Wellington Independent, which informs us that “ all that can be said” on the native policy “ is admirably said” in that article ; and compares the whole policy to the Great Eastern, an immense steam vessel, which our readers will remember was launched sideways, instead of straightforward, at a vast amount of expense and trouble, and which has since turned out a gigantic failure. Now, first, as regards the New Zealander saying in the article referred to all that can be said ; it does so indeed, and much more than can be said iu truth, especially as regards the working of the policy in our pro's ince. he give an extract as a specimen, and regret we have not space for the whole and a full exposure of its fallacies ; As soon as the serious aspect of affairs became apparent Mr. \\ arc! one ot the Ministry proceeded in person to the spot. He found both parties in the wrong. The Chief who had seized the flock of sheep he reasoned into their surrender and they ■were not only given up with their fleeces unshorn but driven back by the servants of the Chief to their proper run. * * ■# ® rpj le whole of the “ grass money” difficulties which a few weeks before threatened to lead to bloodshed and a serious rupture between the races were got rid of by a little patience, common sense, tact and justice.

A\ r lio could Lave informed the writer that Mr. TV ard a visit produced these very satisfactoiy results j that tlie sliecp were driven hack by the servants of the chief to their proper mu ; that the grass-money difficulties are got rid of, &c. ? we arc a loss to imagine. Pie certainly did not derive his information from tlie Napier press. The means used are described to he —a little patience, common sense, tact, and justice. These we suppose are attributable to Mr. TVard ; but we rather think tlie first, and not n little of it, has been tlie virtue the settlers have been compelled to exercise; a little of the second and third, we may allot to Mr. TT'ard ; hut as for the justice w e have not been able to discover tins ingredient in tlie medicine administered. Tv e lather think our physician must liave acted as another we have lately read of—that is, taken tlie wrong bottle, and given us its contents in mistake (?). However, the Hawke’s Bay question is pretty well known and understood by this time, and we think it hej oud tlie power of the Government sophists to make black appear widte in the case. But we can almost forgive the writer of tlie article in tlie New Zealander on ac-

count of the comparison drawn by his Wellington apologist—a comparison true in more senses than it would seem -was intended by the writer. We can almost smile as the parallels which might be drawn occur to our mind, and will doubtless occur to that of our readers. Let them but recall the history of this same Great Eastern steam VesselCommenced amid predictions of failure, Launched (sideways) after encountering an infinity of difficulties, that would not have attended the straightforward process, Built, launched, and kept afloat only by expenditure the most extravagant and even ruinous; and v to crown the whole a monstrous failure at last.