To the Editor of the Hawke's Bay Times.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume IV, Issue 196, 14 October 1864, Page 1 (Supplement)

To the Editor of the Hawke's Bay Times.

Sm, —At the time that responsibility in native affairs was forced upon the Colonial Government by the home authorities, you were among the first to expose the mockery and the wrong inflicted on us by a scheme which, while it threw the expenses of native (mis)-government upon the Colony—most zealously detained that (mis)-government in the hands of the Crown. That you were perfectly right in the view taken has been most abundantly proved by all that has since been done in these matters. The House of Representatives have been kindly (?) allowed to vote away the public money for native purposes, and to indicate the policy they wish to see pursued, but nothing more: any action approaching to the carrying out of this policy on the part of ministers has been quelled in its beginnings, and while the colonists are expecting results, they find the Government trammelled by the cross action of the representative of the Crown, and no sooner do they exhibit an attitude of firmness as intending to carry out the will of the people—the policy, to execute which they were placed in office—than a loud cry is raised by the Governor—Exeter Hall, the Missionary and philoMaori party are invoked to stay them, a great storm is raised, pressure is brought to bear on the Colonial office, and the bubble of mock responsibility bursts—the hollow sham is acknowledged to be such by its own authors. Yes, sir, there is no room for cavil; the Colonial Government are prevented from carrying on their work of reducing the natives to submission. The representative of the Crown will not do it; the season is passing ; meanwhile the rebels are not idle, but are replenishing their commissariat at our expense through the kindness of the governor, and when we are willing to meet them they will be prepared ; and Sir George Grey cannot be held back from his course by any check the Colonial Government can bring to bear on him. The recently published despatches of the Colonial Secretary tells him this, and not to trouble about the will of ministers or people, that he alone is the master of 10,000 troops, who are here to do his bidding though it bo against the settlers, who have nothing to do with the matter but to pay the bill. Of course the ministry refuse longer to hold so anomalous a position—let them go further and refuse to pay the cost of mischief they have no power to prevent. To this it must come, or should the Home Government refuse to pay their own servants for doing their work, let them take those servants away, from the Governor to the private soldier, and let us do our work in our way. Wo know full well that the rebellion can be suppressed, the colony peopled, and the whole expense defrayed by one and the same means—a permanent and satisfactory settlement of all the great questions that now agitate the Colony ; while the native race may be treated with all due consideration and benevolence, and placed finally in such a position that they will be able to enjoy all rights and privileges and to bear all responsibilities of genuine British subjects. Yours, &c., ARGUS.