CORRESPONDENCE.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume II, Issue 58, 7 August 1862, Page 3

CORRESPONDENCE.

“ Governor Grey was thanked at a public meetiug by politicians of all parties, for settling the Coromandel difficulty.” —Scrap of Auckland News.

To the Editor of the Hawke's Hay Times.

Sir, —Is not this another example of the uncertainty ©f human nature ? According to the old saying, “ One man may steal a horse with impunity, and another will he hung for looking through the hedge !” This appears to he truer than we are apt to suppose. Let us “compare” the conduct of two Governors, and “ contrast” their reward. One Governor goes to Taranaki and states that “ Maori terrorism must cease, and its place he filled hy British protection.” A very good idea, certainly, if the Governor was able to carry it out. In attempting to do so he got into a hornet’s nest. He engaged to buy a piece of ground from the recognised claimants, and would not allow another, “ who neither had, nor asserted, any proprietary claim to the land in question,” to prevent its sale. A cry was raised, several of the public journals took it up, and the natives, ever suspicious and excitable, were stimulated to fever heat; the rights of their tribes, the “ raana” of their chiefs, the royalty of their great men, was being set at nought; Bishops, Archdeacons, and Priests vied with each other in the patriotic and Christian duty of abusing the Queen’s representative, and thwarting his views ; no mat-

to them that the blood of our countrymen would have to be shed more lavishly for their seditious and mischievous doctrines; they minded not that, so that the Governor who had dared to act contrary to their opinions should be foiled in his well-meant efforts to solve the “ great problem” .of the colony. Such was the treatment that fell to the lot of Governor Browne. Another Governor goes to “ Kikowakarere,” and makes ammgeinents with certain natives for the occupation of their laud by a number of diggers ; this arrangement, w'e are informed, is assented to by all interested except two individuals ; but these two happen to be — -first, a leading chief of the district, (:oho probably has no proprietary rights or claims to the land in question,) hut, second, the head man of the hapu, -.the representative of the late recognised chief claimant; he absented himself from a conference with the Governor, for the avowed purpose of avoiding being persuaded to consent; yet the Governor makes the arrangement with the other claimants, leaving out the acknowledged chief claimant himself; and for this Governor Grey is publicly thanked by politicians of all shades of opinion ! Where are the Hadfields, the Williams, and the rest of the fraternity, who abused Governor Browne for setting at nought the sovereign rights of him who they called a chief? Surely they will now show their consistency by falling foul of Governor Grey, who has disregarded, not only the rights of acknowledged chiefs, but also the guaranteed rights of a native proprietor. Yes, it is not merely the vague shadowy claim of the “ sovereign” that is set aside in this instance, but the acknowledged right of ownership, as admitted by the Government in all their dealings with the natives hitherto ! Has Te Hira (representative of the deceased Paora te Putu, principal claimant and head of the “ hapu” who occupy the site of the Coromandel diggings,) no spiritual adviser to flee to for comfort and counsel, while the land of his fathers is being desecrated by the pick and shovel of the foreigner ? Yours, July 23rd, 1802. A Saxon.