The Hawke's Bay Times. NAPIER, MONDAY, 29th MARCH. 1865.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume V, Issue 241, 20 March 1865, Page 2

The Hawke's Bay Times. NAPIER, MONDAY, 29th MARCH. 1865.

bixcK inir lust issue the arrival of the Queen from Wellington, ami the Lady Bird from Auckland via Poverty Bay, have brought us confirmatory intelligence of the sad tragedy performed by the cannibal fanatics at Tauranga, and of the danger that threatens this Province. The news of the awful affair hud reached Wellington da the West Coast, in the steamer Alexandra, and as may be imagined had excited the utmost horror there. The pen is powerless to convoy the feelings of the mind in regard to the hardly realizable truth that these wretches had so barbarously murdered their benefactor, and with so savage and revolting conduct treated his yet living and quivering body. The Queen, that was to Lave left Wellington for this port on the noon of Wednesday last, was detained by the governor in consequence of the evil tidings until the following morning, in order that some course might be decided on for the protection of this Province, the result being that plenary power to act according to his judgment has been placed in the hands of our Superintendent, who will raise a force in addition, or supplemented to the regular militia and supply the friendly natives with ammunition and arms.

We are sorry to have to withhold our approval from this course. We know that the case is one of the greatest emergency, and that the difficulties of the Government are great; hut we would rather have placed at the head of this affair, at such a time, one whose sympathies are less inclined towards the Maori race than those of our Superintendent; for this is no time for tampering with the Maori— it is a crisis that demauds more than ordinary skill aud uncompromising dealing with the natives. It is pietty well known that Mr. M'Lean has never possessed mip confidence in his method

of dealing with the natives, as his is bat that of the Governor tm a more limited scale, a system that is now exploded. For managing the natives, we beiieye no better man than he could be found, if that was all we wanted or needed. He has done this for us so far, and we only fear that the time is at hand when the rottenness of the system will he exposed to our cost. Neither can we approve of supplying the natives, professedly friendly as they are, with ammunition and arms at sueh a time—a time when the horrible fanaticism of the hau-hau is spreading like wild fire through that very district. True, the natives have at times done our cause service, hut only when they could thereby avenge themselves of some tribal or other grievance, real or imaginary ■ it is also true that they have oftener played the traitor to our cause. They are not to be depended on at all, except when they have sueh a feud, nor even then to such an extent as to warrant us in placing the means of our own hurt in their hands, as there is always danger of their pakeha antipatlfies overcoming their tribal differences.

Under tlie circumstances we can only hope that Mr M Lean is now able to see the inutility of the managing policy and its utter unsuitability to the circumstances of the Province and colony. None will be more forward than ourselves to hali the manifestation of vigorous and determined action against every appearance of insubordination and rebellion on the part of the natives, and to strengthen his hands in carrying out the good work. The strictest watch must also he kept on the quiet natives of this province, that they do not, as 11 1 ey are likely to do, aid the enemy with supplies, information, &c., from within, to our injury, any attempt at which should be immediately visited with all the severity the law will allow.