AUCKLAND.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 7, Issue 375, 10 May 1866, Page 5

AUCKLAND.

Submission op William Thompson, —An official telegram from Hamilton was received in town on Wednesday, intimating that William Thompson had had an interview with his Excellency the Governor, and had consented to accompany him to Wellington. They will proceed immediately by the West Coast, in H.M. Eclipse, lying in Kawhia harbor, with the Ahnriri, waiting the Governor’s orders. Having made inquiries in the proper quarter yesterday, we were informed that no additional information had been received from Hamilton. We never for a moment doubted that William Thompson would meet his Excellency, notwithstanding the contrary rumors. In fact, looking at the position in which Thompson stood with regard to confiscation, it was his best policy to submit with a good grace. If he had declined to meet the Governor in Waikato, after refusing to meet him at Tauranga, and inviting him to come to Waikato for the purpose of an interview, Thompson would have been guilty of gross contempt. His expressions of friendship might have been very well doubted; and certainly he would not hereafter have had any claim to consideration on personal grounds. Now, as Thompson has lost but little, comparatively speaking, in the. confiscated blocks, and as he has very large private interests at Tauranga and on the Upper Thames, his policy was clearly that of submission, when he found that he could fight no longer. Wehave no doubt whatever that very large concessions will be made to Thompson. We don’t say anything as to the policy of these concessions, because anything like a policy for establishing law and order, and ameliorating the condition of the natives, has not been dreamt of by our politicians for some time past. Hut one thing is cer-

tain, that whatever concessions may be made to the King-maker will have little effect on the great body of the natives. It may, and we hope will, detach him from the King party, and by so much weaken its strength. If the same thing can be successfully done with Pehi, and other chiefs in the South and West, the King party will be still further weakened; and so on, the work of “ digging round the King" till he is uprooted, may progress. But this is a work of time, and money, and patience; and meanwhile the Imperial troops will be all withdrawn, and the King, though weakened, is strong, and the colony is low in funds and worse in credit; and Eewi and his followers may take the field again, to make a last effort to assert the supremacy of the Maori race by force of arms. We ask—“ And what then?” Meanwhile, it is quite as likely that several of the native chiefs, having large landed estates, will follow William Thompson’s example, and submit in such a way as to retain their pres tige amongst their own people, and secure the substantial benefits that are certain to accrue to them from establishing friendly relations with the Government. Who knows but that the result will be that we shall have, before long, a huge “flour and sugar" department in the Colonial Government? More unlikely things have come to pass within the memory of living man. One thing is quite certain, however, that the colony has sustained ten times a greater loss in the death of William Naylor than it has gained by Thompson’s submission. The one was a chief of military reputation and great sagacity, who refused the Kingship as successor to Potatau. He was staunch and honest, and kept a large section of the natives quiet. The other was a plotting intriguer, without warlike qualities, and possessing less influence than many less prominent men amongst the tribes. His dealings with us, since he assumed the lead in native politics, have been anything but straightforward or conciliatory, and we think he is too diplomatic ever to do anything which would prejudice himself in the eyes of the native race, or make any concessions to the Government which ho could avoid. We are aware that personally his influence with the natives for good is not very great; what his influence for evil might be, were he to exert it, is quite another thing. The natives are thoroughly demoralised, and their only chance now is in peace and conformity to the usages of civilised life. That they are likely to do so we do not imagine; that William Thompson’s submission will influence them in that direction we do not suppose. At all events, the friendly relations subsisting between William Thompson and Sir George Grey are not without significance; and we sincerely trust that nothing but unmixed good will come of it.—Daily Southern Cross, 4th May.

Thompson’s Refusal to go to Wellington. — The Governor left Hamilton on Wednesday last for Raglan, to embark for Wellington, but failed to induce Thompson to accompany him—indeed, it is clear that there is nothing further from the thoughts of that wily chief. Te Ua and Te Heuheu accompanied the Governor to Hamilton, and of course returned with him to Raglan ; but the effect of their presence was lost by the rebels refusing to see the Governor. Two Waikato chiefs, Takerei to Rau and Te Aho, accompanied the Governor back to Raglan. Of the conversation between the Governor and Thompson we are unable to give any report through European sources. A native, who has had access to a good source of information, gives us the following “ The Governor asked Thompson to go on with him to Wellington, and Thompson replied, ‘ I will think of the matter; and, perhaps, 1 will follow on.’ Thompson, and the party of his tribe who had come with him to Kirikiriroa (Hamilton), said to the Governor, ‘ls it true what we have heard, that you are going to make war at Kawhia, Waikato, and the Thames ?’ The Governor replied that it was not his intention to make war at those places. The Governor did not consent to the Maoris fighting, but he consented that they should dig kauri gum. He consented that they should dig on confiscated territory. Thompson •aid he did not wish to fight; that ho was living quietly, and desired to remain so. Topaia (the Princess Sophia) wrote a note to the Governor, asking for some medicine. The Governor sent some. Rewi and Matutaera do not intend to pay the slightest regard to any assurances the Governor may make, because he has so often broken his word to them. They hold out in consequence of the confiscation. Thompson will not go to Wellington. He knows his position too well to move off there. He would then be called by the Maoris the Governor’s dog. If he were to follow the Governor he would be as bad as Te Ha, who is taken about as a captive. The tribes would look upon Thompson as a tangata maminga. (Our informant rendered maminga as * too much gammon.’) In saying that perhaps he would follow, Thompson was merely making an evasive reply, instead of giving a flat denial.” When Thompson asked the Governor if he was going to make war at Kawhia, Waikato, and the Thames, he must have been fishing for information, or poking fun at the Governor, for he knows quite well that there is now no means of making war at these places, if the Governor were willing. The Governor seems to have given leave to the natives to dig gum on the confiscated land, which is rather a dangerous concession, as the digging of gum for a while gives, according to the native idea, a right of ownership. The natives are also likely to come into collision with the Military Settlers. It is noticeable that although Rewi and Matutaera fled to the bush and would not see the Governor, they were near enough to get the Princess Sophia (who is with them) to write for some medicine, which the Governor sent from the medical chest of the Eclipse. The Governor’s visit to Kawhia has thus ended in utter failure. That portion of the natives yet in arms have refused to see him, and Thompson’s position is not altered in the slightest.—Daily Southern Cross, sth May.