SETTLEMENT of the COROMANDEL QUESTION.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume II, Issue 52, 26 June 1862, Page 1 (Supplement)

SETTLEMENT of the COROMANDEL QUESTION.

The Cross of the 23rd says:—Sir George Grey having settled the native war in the North hastened to Coromandel, in H.M.S. Harrier arriving in that harbour abuuKSix o'clock? on Friday evening. The Harrier came to an anchor inside the point, and a boat was sent ashore with his Excellency's interpreter, Mr. J. White, the bearer of the Governor's letters to the natives. At a quarter-past 3 o'clock on Saturday morning Mr. White returned to the Harrier, steam was got “up by his Excellency’s directions, and at four o’clock the man-of-war was steaming up the passage to the Gulf of Thames. On? quiet but expectant citizens were suprised by the early appearance of the Harrier on the same morning off Fort Britoraart and rumour was as usual busy fahricing reasons why Sir George Grey should have returned'so soon, By degrees the truth became public property, that the settlement of the Coromandel question might be looked upon as an accomplished fact. The interested natives, with the exception of Te Hira, it was said, has assented to the permanent openingof Paul’s land, and also that the Governor was prepared to deal with them irrespective of '1 e Hira. From inquiries we made during the day, we learned that this was substantially true ; and that Sir George Grey had come up to Auckland at once for AIO,OOO to pay for the use of the land, fertile purposes of digging and reefing, in perpetuity. We heard that the arrangements were that the natives, to the number of 250 are to meet his Excellency this day, to conclude the bargain in the most formal manner and accept payment. The territory to be opened will extend from the Pigeon Cote rock, the boundary of the late Paul’s land towards the Thames valley, to Cape Colville including every acre across to Mercury Bay. This will open up to European enterprise the most extensive auriferous quartz country that has yet been discovered, and will supply constant employment to thousands of mi..A,, f m . + The Cross of the 25th says ;—Our readers will doubtless be anxious to learn the conditions on which his Excellency opened Coromandel to European enterprise, unawed by the frowning countenances of his dissentient cabinet. The conditions are these: Paul’s land has been leased for ten years at ASOO ay ear, and .£1 per head to be paid for every digger above 500. The reserve is now actually open. Mr. McLean, who was with his Excellency when the arrangement was made, returned in the Harrier, yesterday, to pay the first year's rent.

It will be seen from our advertizing columns that Messrs. Keven & Woo din have lodged a claim for the reward for discovering a payable gold-field, and certainly the statements published above warrant the most sanguine results. Some time since we urged on the government to proclaim the European territory in Coromandel a gold-field : will they do so now or will they wait until a large mining population is located there without rules or Governmental supervision ? The position is critical on the eve of the removal of the Governor and the executive of the colony, and we would like to know definitely in what position the European population will stand in regard to Coromandel when the power to organize and control lias been withdrawn from the province. —Daily Southern Cross, June n.