Hawke's Bay Times. NAPIER, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1863.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume III, Issue 144, 16 October 1863, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Times. NAPIER, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1863.

About two years ago we strongly advocated the necessity of providing the people with arms—in short, the necessity of organizing the Militia. That decisive course of action was ridiculed and opposed by the runholding interests as a visionary absurdity; notwithstanding that the Maoris at that time assumed a most hostile and nefarious attitude, and were, in fact, inclined to carry any matter of difference between themselves and us with a very high hand indeed. The Herald’ with becoming humility, counselled the necessity of bowing to the yoke, and of complacently preventing cheek No. 2 to be smitten by the enemy. The consequence of this respectable complacency, and quiet submission,

to a system of outrageous bullying, naturally was, that the natives, finding that we submitted without resistance to the taking of our waistcoat, proceeded to help themselves to other articles of equal importance, and we were within an ace of being left in a state of disgraceful nudity. This galling state of things lasted for some time and culminated in the forcible entry of the Lockup at Clive, taking therefrom a looseminded Maori, who had conceived a confused notion as to the difference between “ mine’ 5 and “ thine.” Finding themselves at liberty thus to break the peace and the “ Lockups” of her Majesty’s peaceable subjects* the next thing to do was to kick up a row in the very heart of the Town of Napier, and within the sacred precincts of the halls of Council and of Justice.

It would seem that at this point matters had readied the meridian of our toleration, and in combination with the renewal of hostilities at Taranaki, the Government, after its usual languid and tardy fashion, was compelled, to take steps to put a stop to these disorderly, disgraceful, and dangerously-dar-ing proceedings.

This long-deferred action was began slowly and with every appearance of a half-formed determination to break off in the middle and leave matters rather worse than before. Here, at the instigation of Mr. M'Lean, Major Whitmore steps in upon the field, and with characteristic energy and deficient judgment makes a flying visit round the Island in pursuit of the then itinerant Government, which, in a frantic state of helpless fear, was running about from place to place, seeking shelter and finding none, driven to the last stage of miserable imbecility, by the murderous attack made upon some of our troops and the slaughter of half-a-score of inoffensive and unprepared men. Having at last succeeded in fixing the proper persons to talk with in a place convenient for carrying on the negociation, and secured, for a brief interval, the attention of the “powers that be,” the indefatigable Major succeeds in extracting from the reluctant Ministry a promise out the Militia, and authority to raise a troop of irregular horse.

So far so good. But now comes the great question;—How is all this to he done ? No sooner asked than answered ! And a solemn proclamation under the hand and seal of his Imperial Highness the Superintendent, culls upon all “ good men and true,'" to come within a given period to a certain place, and thereat enrol themselves in the Militia. As is the wont of the Englishman when called upon to act, the call was responded to witli enthusiasm, and the people witli all speed got themselves enrolled accordingly. Here, then, the Government found itself in a position to raise a large and effective orce of able, active, and intelligent men, each more or less interested in the welfare of the Province, ready and willing to defend themselves and their properties against the onslaughts of the enemy. Under these promising circumstances and with the encouragement to bo derived from the enthusiasm of the people in the cause, it was very naturally expected by those people seeing they were themselves only too willing to suffer any amount of personal loss or risk rather than longer submit to the outrageous exactions and misconduct of the Maoris, that the Government would have taken such steps as would effectually nourish the spirit of the people, and secure their continual and cordial cooperation. This was easily enough to be done by a judicious selection of officers. But, at this critical and most urgently-im-portant point, the Government lost sight of the importance—the life and death nature — of the case, and proceeded to a course of job" bing and favoritism which is pitiable and disgraceful to behold. To be obliged to leave the peaceful walks of life, and to he obliged to take up arms in self-defence and in defence of one's rights and liberties is at all times and under any

circumstances, a very disagreeable and dis" tasteful proceeding to the peaceable citizen but to be compelled to do so under the command of inefficient and ill-chosen officers, renders matters already bad ten times worse. The Superintendent, and Major Whitmore, regardless of the tremendous risks involved, and the dreadful consequences likely to ensue, pass over several gentlemen, who had held service in the Queen’s Troops, and who had acquitted themselves with credit and had acquireda respectable reputation therein, andhad besides all the practical knowledge of the management of bodies of armed men there acquired, a large stake in the Province itself and proceed secundum artem, to pick out and place in positions of command men, with some exceptions, as mueh fitted (as far as it is fair to judge by general evidence), for the post assigned to them in the Militia, as to be Lord High Admirals or Bishops.

In this we find that the inveterate habit —the incurable desire to job is so strong upm the present Government, that not even the probability of the loss of many valuable Jives and much valuable property can deter it from carrying out its system of favoritism and patronage, and the consequence is, that now the drill of the Militia is over, the people have become but too painfully sensible of the tremendous risk they run in be’ ing called out on active service under such very doubtful commanders.