ARCHDEACON HADFIELD ON THE WAR IN NEW ZEALAND.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 6, Issue 295, 7 August 1865, Page 3

ARCHDEACON HADFIELD ON THE WAR IN NEW ZEALAND.

The following extract from a letter written by Archdeacon Hadfield, of Otaki, has been sent to us, Nelson Colonist, by a correspondent in England:— Many people seem to want to know what the natives are contending for—what they are fighting about or for. They are simply fighting because they are determind to die and not have their land forcibly taken from them by anybody. They willnot live and see it forcibly occupied by others. And this is the way they are treated by the British Government (for 1 have no doubt that the Government acquiesce in it), after having sold millions of acres—more than the settlers have occupied—for a few pence the acre. War is now going on about seventy miles from this—a little to the northward of Wanganui. This is brought on because the Government determined to make a road. Of course the resolution to make .a good

road was to resolve on war in that particular place. An engagement took place about a fortnight since. The natives attacked the troops in the open country. The General was present with about three times as many as the native chief—a 'Waikato—Tikaokao had. The combat lasted thirty hours. The natives were of course defeated, I believe with severe loss, &e. We had nineteen killed and many wounded. What will Parliament think of this determination of Government, home and local, to resist its wishes ? I hope some member will move for a list of the killed and wounded in these wars. It would tend to open men’s eyes My district is perfectly quiet, but it is impossible to foresee when it will suit the plans of the Government to provoke a war here, which could be very easy for the reasons stated as above in reference to Tauranga.