THE ESCAPED PRISONERS.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume IV, Issue 204, 9 December 1864, Page 3

THE ESCAPED PRISONERS.

[From the Southern Cross , November 22.] " The Governor haa despatched another ambassador to “the Babes in the Wood’' of Mahurangi. The person on whom the Governor’s choice has fallen this time is a, missionary, well known to most of the refugees, and, wo also believe, generally respected. This fact may ensure him a better reception than that accorded .to the pastor loci at Omaha. On that occasion they said they “ wanted no d d ministers but admitted laymen to the pa. Their, knowledge of the rev. ambassador, however, may ensure him a civil reception.

Ho is commissioned by his Excellency to promise a safe convoy overland as far as the Maungatawhiei, and during their journey they will be accompanied by his Excellency, if they desire it. Such is the message; their answer we can anticipate : —“ Kakino the Governor; the Governor is an old woman.” They have promised to eat their Christmas dinner with Te Hemare, and to think of going afterwards and we do not imagine that any message from Sir G. Grey will alter their mind.

It is worth remarking the limit of the safe conduct—to the Maungatawhiri. Does hia Execellency mean to make the Waikato our frontier line, and leave the Maori kingdom (so called) intact ? Or does he meditate another stroke of policy, and mean to capture the refugees when they penetrate farther into the country ? He has the means of doing so at his disposal if he chooses to use it. We protest againt anything like duplicity in this matter. Anything like foul play would have an extremely bad effect on the natives all over the country, and if is expedient that these captives—amongst whom are men accused of murder—should be enlarged, let it be done unreservedly and openly. We are strong enough to be generous, to say nothing of being just; and let us never again hear of a scheme conceived with the view of entrapping men into our power whom we are either afraid of, or believe ourselves unable to capture or subdue. The Victoria schoonerscheme stinks in the nostrils of the settlers of Auckland ; and they will protestagainst becoming parties to anything similar to it, under any circumstances whatsoever.

We have our opinion with regard to the Maori refugees; and we very much fear that they will not leave the North until they embroil us with the Northern tribes. They might have been recaptured at the first without a shot being fired ; now, it would take all the disposable force the General lias at his command to do it.