THE NATIVES.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume II, Issue 50, 12 June 1862, Page 6 (Supplement)

THE NATIVES.

(From the Daily Southern Cross, June 5.) We noticed a letter in the New Zealander yesterday, from the “ Waikato correspondent” of that journal, without date, but which bears internal evidence of having - been drawn up by a person peculiarly intimate with all Mr. Armitage did, or rather did not do, in the lower Maikato. It is not our intention to bandy words with this writer; but we still rely upon the facts stated in our correspondent’s letter regarding the King's flag at Kawliia. We have had the statement corroborated by a most trustworthy authority, within the past day or two: nay, further, we have been told that Mr. Armitage, at the Kawhia meeting, expressed fears for bis own personal safety to those who were really friendly, and that he made no secret of being glad to get away. This latter statement comes from a Maori, who is not unknown to the government, and who is no stranger to the emoluments of office; but we dare say, like all other statements, it will be contradicted “ on authority.” It is a patent fact in Auckland (for we do not boast of exclusive information on the point) that the natives refuse to give up Mr. Chitham’s sheep, and the government have taken no steps to afford that gentleman redress. Indeed, it is often stated and believed, that the chief offence committed by Chitham is in providing a house for Mr. Gorst, the resident magistrate, and that the seizure for trespass never would have been pushed to the present extremity, but on that account. Our information leads us to conclude that unless affairs in Kawhia change for the bet-

ter, the old settlers will be forced to come to Auckland, or place themselves under the protection of the Maori King. We will give an instance which will illustrate what we mean :—A native at Aotea was summoned for debt before a native magistrate appointed by the Governor. Although the debtor had always professed himself to he a “ Queen’s man,” when he received the summons he treated it with contempt, and refused to acknowledge the functions of the native magistrate. Shortly afterwards, the King’s Magistrate called and told the settler’s wife, in her husband’s presence, “ you can’t get the £1: if you like I will get it for you.” The settler felt some scruple to acknowledge the jurisdiction of the King’s court, but on the advice of his wife, he accepted the proposal, and soon afterwards the £1 claimed was handed over to him by the King’s Magistrate, who appears to have acted as justice and bailiff of his own court. The only loss the settler sustained was 2s. 6d. for the summons issued by the Queen’s Magistrate. This case is sufficient to indicate the difficulty likely to arise by persistence in the present line of policy, which seems to serve no good purpose but to provide for a set of do-nothing officials, whose interest unquestionably is to write glowing reports to the Government, noting immense progress on paper. In the North the war is continuing. There is a rumour in town that fighting has been resumed near Kaipara, between the belligerent Ngapuhis, but the details are not sufficiently reliable for us to publish. We believe that a chief named Brown, and some of his people now in Auckland, are going off this week to join Mattin. They will he followed, in the beginning of next week, by Paiki and Manukau, two chiefs of importance, who declare for the aggressor.' These are all more or less supporters of the “ new policy"’ of peace, and the supremacy of law and order! There is also another fact which ought not to be concealed —namely, that within the present week the Oraki natives have extracted a “promise to pay.£l,ooo” from the government for a tract of laud in Oraki, (a few miles from Auckland), .many years in the hands of the government. We believe the original purchase was not duly perfected, and hence the present claim. Where is this to end ?