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Hawke's Bay Times, Volume II, Issue 93, 27 February 1863, Page 3

To the Editor of the Haivlces Bay Times. Sik, —The occurrence of Tuesday last is one which I have no hesitation in saying, will not be forgotten by the people of Napier for many a long day, and will never bo remembered but with feelings of humiliation and pain. It is another sad and striking proof that the British law is, day by day, becoming more and more despised, and broken by the natives, in defiance of the authorities, and this too, be it remembered, in a town garrisoned by British soldiers. I have often thought that things would, sooner or later, come to this pass; and now all my former suspicions have been confirmed. The breaking up of the lock-up at Clive, and the rescuing of the prisoner confined within its walls, was bad—very bad, —but the Napier case is decidedly one of far greater importance,— occurring, as it did, in the very centre of our town and in the very presence of our Resident Magistrate. Where and when will all this end ? Will Sir George Grey allow himself to be deceived, imposed upon, —yea, and even defied, —any longer P He is aware—he must be—that they will never give in to British supremacy until they are made to feel the power of it; he must know that they will never give up their favorite King movement, and accept his—(may I be excused for saying)— “ peace-at-any-price ” concessions,—concessions which every true Englishman in the Colony cannot but look upon with feelings of indignation and wounded pride. We in Napier are very badly off, and have much to complain of, —how much more then have our unfortunate neglected brethren in Taranaki to complain of, —yet are they silent in all their suffering. Generous, noble-hearted souls, may kind Heaven in duo time send you relief! Alas! ’tis sad to think that the “ Garden of New Zealand” should be transformed to a perfect desert, merely because of the caprice of the Maori population! But are the Maories alone to blame in this matter ? I think not. Sir George Grey, and the Missionary party (with, permit me to say, ajfew honorable exceptions) with Bishop Selwyn at their head, are also to blame—greatly to blame ; and I doubt much whether the Homo Government are not to blame too for appointing Sir George to the governorship of the Colony, or at any rate for allowing him to hold that post now they see that he has done no good, nor in all probability will ever do any. Why did they not permit Governor Browne to stay? Assuredly,

he was the best man of the two. Yes, Sir, they are all to blame, and with them too a portion of the British press. Alas, that it should be so. Time presses, and I must conclude, hoping that, at no distant dale, a permanent settlement will be made to that question which is generally known in this Colony as the “ perplexing native question.” Yours, &c., ENGLISHMAN. Napier, Feb. 26,1863.

To the Editor of the Hawke's Tat/ Times. Sib, —Through the medium of the columns of your valuable journal, I beg to ask the Editor of the Herald the following question:—“By what authority did you, in your issue of the 21st inst., inform your readers that ‘Edwards, Fitzgerald, and the retiring member' were in the field for the Town of Napier ?” Perhaps your “ worthy ” friend of Tennyson-street would kindly answer the above query, and oblige, as well as many others, Your obedient servant, XYZ. Napier, Feb. 26. 1863.