THE WHAKATANE AND OPOTIKI

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 7, Issue 374, 7 May 1866, Page 1

THE WHAKATANE AND OPOTIKI

MUKDEKEES. (From the Hawte’a Bay limes, 19th April J Our Auckland files bring us the important intelligence of the dose of the ciimiual sessions there, and of the conviction and passing of sentence upon those of the rebels who have been tried for the murders -lately committed

at Whakutaue and Opotiki. The prisoners were thirty-six in number, of which twentynine received sentence of death ; and so far the law has been vindicated. Our readers will remember that the prisoners had been already tried by court-martial and condemned, but were afterwards handed over to the civil power, in order that the more regular forms of legal practice might ensue, particularly as a protest was raised at the time against the legality of that tribunal from several quarters. True, some dissatisfaction was felt and expressed lest they should through this course escape from the penalty due to their crimes; but on the due consideration of all the circumstances, the public are satisfied that the right plan has been pursued in this instance, as the verdict of the one court ha| been confirmed by the other, after the most lengthened and patient investigation, during which everything that could be pleaded or suggested in their favor has been done, leaving no room for the most violent Maori sympathiser to complain of their merited doom. We must admit that had the prisoners been executed in accordance with the sentence of the court-martial, this would not have been so much the caseNo doubt the Maoris would have acquiesced in the justice of their doom, but, regarding it from a false point of view—that of a retaliatory measure—they would have been confirmed in their own practice in such cases. But parties of the Fitz Gerald stamp, who regard such murders as merely acts of war, would have been loud in their outcry against the illegal arql unjust punishment inflicted on the patriots of the Maori people.