WAIKATO.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 8, Issue 434, 1 November 1866, Page 3

WAIKATO.

(Vroai the Southern Cross, 2Sth October.)

We regret that, through the action of the General Government, the defensive strength of the military settlements in Waikato has been so reduced that there is virtually no force to discourage a wellconcerted plan of invasion by the natives. The men of the 2nd Regiment of Waikato Militia have long since been “ placed on their land ’’—that is, rendered ineffective. The Government Las broken faith with the military settlers, and thrown every possible obstacle in the way of the men obtaining a legal remedy. All who can leave the district have already left it j and many, who have wives and families, have been forced" to leave, trusting to fortune to enable them to send assistance to those who are dependent upon them. In the midst of this unhappy state of things the Imperial regiments are withdrawn, and with them the Ist Waikato Regiment. There are, therefore, no men under arms in the Waikato ; but there is a very large, and in some respects, a defenceless population scattered over the delta.

To make matters more, pleasant, rumors have been prevalent of late that the Maoris contemplate a descent on the settlements. And from information of a reliable nature, which reached town yesterday, wo are inclined to believe that there is truth in these rumors. The natives intend to strike another blow for the Waikato, if the Colonial authorities afford them a chance of doing so with any prospect of success. And that the authorities are doing so will be evident from the fact that there is in Alexandra about 200 stand of arms, and 60,000 rounds of ammunition, without anv sufficient force to guard them. Indeed, there is no force at all; for as the military settlers are “on their land,” scattered over a wide area of country, or have left the district altogether, they cannot be expected to repel a sudden irruption of the natives. And what is true of Alexandra is likewise true of Harapipi, which is more open to attack and weather than Alexandra.

Kow, it must not be lost sight of that the headquarters of Rewi Ngatimaniopoto, and the Maori King, are within fifteen miles of Harspipi; and owing to the contiual intercourse of the natives with our military settlements, they know our weak points as well as we do ourselves. It is a misfortune that the Governor and Government of the colony are in a locality where it is impossible to communicate with them on an emergency ; but of course life and properly in Auckland province are not worth looking after. There is a scattered, discontented, starving population in Waikato (thanks to the Colonial Government) ; —let them defend themselves. Well and good: let them defend themselves j but, we ask, ought not the authorities to take steps to secure the arms and ammunition which are now unprotected, and so -remove a strong temptation to the natives to attack onr settlement. W© call uoon the Superintendent, as agent for the General Government, to take the steps necessary to secure these arms and ammunition,

(From the New Zealand Herald, 26th October.)

Gonsidebabliß uneasiness having been caused by certain remarks which appeared in our cotemporary yesterday respecting the defenceless state of the Waikato and a contemplated descent upon the European settlements by the natives, wo take an early opportunity of reassuring the public miud upon the subject.

The reported murder of the European Lewis, intelligence of which appeared in the Auckland journals on Saturday last, turns out to be entirely incorrect. No European has been murdered, though a man named Henderson narrowly escaped with his life. The aspect of the natives at the Eawhia would seem to be no more threatenin'* than it was a year ago, and the statements made by the Cross relative to the amount of arms and ammunition is, as that journal will doubtless in* form its readers to-day, only in milder terms, grossly exaggerated. It is true that there are arms and ammunition entirely without defence at Alexandra, but the writer in the Cross might have informed the Government Agent at Auckland of this fact without doing so in such a way as to apprise the Kawhia natives at the same time. He might also have stated the numbers and quantity of each correctly. There are at Alexandra 100 stand of arms and 20,000 rounds of ammunition, not, as the Cross states, 200 stand of arms and 60,000 rounds of ammunition. These of course ought, and no doubt will be removed, or guarded if left where they now are. At present there is no guard at any of the military posts in the Waikato. A return of the European population, able to bear arms, armed and drilled men, now living in the Waikato district, is, we believe, fully equal in number to any rebel force that could be brought against them.

The report published by our cotemporary a few days since that an attach upon the settlement of Waiuku was contemplated by the natives—absurd as the idea of any such a thing might bo—has caused no little uueasyness. Wc need not say that there was no foundation whatever for such an absurd rumor, but we would remind our cotemporary that however little effect such canards may have on the minds of people in Auckland, they are calculated, when copied into foreign journals, to injure this province, by driving away capital, and creating without due cause, a want of confidence. No, man believing these statements of the Cross to be true —and (here are many foolish enough to believe everything they see in print, regadless of the character for inveracity which the journal publishing may enjoy—would invest his capital iu the Waikato, in the face of such dolorous statements as that Contained in the Cross of yesterday. Had it been wished to invite a native attack, no better means could have been taken for doing so. The suicidal folly of any local journal, professing to have the interests of the province at heart iu pursuing such a course will be best understood when it is known that at the present moment the agent of the General Government is causing main lines of road to be laid out, and is classifying and preparing the Waikato lands, so that they may be offered for selection to capitalists desirous of investing, and that the offer of such lauds is to be made by advertising in the neighboring colonies. If sensational alarmist articles are to bo quoted elsewhere cotemporaueously with such advertisments, what chance, we should like to know, will there bo of attracting Australian capital to this province ?

We have good reason to believe that the Government agent in Auckland is quite as well up to the actual state ot the Waikato as our contemporary and that he needs no taunt “ that life and property in Auckland province are not worth looking after ” to urge him on to the performance of his duty as Government agent, for this is what is really meant by the Cross. It silly and‘ridiculous to charge to charge the General Government of the colony, as at present constituted, with any such feeling, and after all the charge is not intended bv the Cross to apply to the General Government, but to its agent here, for in the last sentence of tho silly article we have alluded to the whole onus is thrown upon the Government agent.

Nor need we look with any feeling of gloom upon tho state of native feeling iu the North. As might bo gathered from the speeches of the native chiefs present at tho late meeting held at Kaipara, a full account of which was published iu the New Zealand Herald of Saturday last, there would appear to have been a considerable amount of annoyance inflicted upon tho mind of the speakers by the Action of tho late Native Minister in cancelling native appointments, but there is no appearance of its having rankled into a feeling of actual disloyalty. On the contrary, an open respect both for tho Queen and tho Governor was preserved. There was a cause of grievance and a good one. We believe that the Government might very easily accomodate the loss of their dignity, not of the Salaries which they drew. Why should not these native gentleman bo appointed justices of the peace, an unpaid office, but one carrying an equal amount of honorable distinction as that which they previously enjoyed as Native assessors.

(From the Southern Cross, 27th October.)

Oete readers will remember that last Thursday we referred to the “ alarming state of the Waikato,” and mentioned the fact that in Alexandra and Harapipi there were 200 stand of arms and 60,000 rounds of auunition, without any sufficient guard. We likewise called upon the Government Agent to take immediate steps to secure the arms and ammunition, and so remove the strong temptation that was held out to the rebel natives to attack our settlements. We made that statement on the best authority; and although it has been partially contradicted, in a semi-official article in our coiemporary yesterday, we repeat it that we understated the danger. Before referring to the extraordinary article published by our contemporary (if, indeed anything could b.be regarded as extraordinary coming from that quarter), we will append an extract from a letter we received from Alexandra to-day, dated X6th October. It is as follow#

Tliero is on 6 thing, sir, the Government is responsible for. How comes five hundred stand of arms, and a drayload cf ammunition, to be left in .a rickety old store, outside the re~ doubt, and one hundred yards from, a state, without a guard T Are they left there as a present for the ilaoris to walk la for them, as some persons did a short time ago for ten bags of oats, rum, ha. ? And had these persons been inclined they could have got arms and ammunition, and few been the wiser.

That is a statement of facts, which require no comment from ns. The writer adds, that so diminished is the population, that one hundred men could not be summoned on any emergency. This is the settlement of the 2nd Waikato Itegiment, and of which the Defence Minister is Colonel. The case of Harapipi is worse than Alexandra; for there is there a large quantity of arms and ammunition', literally abandoned by the authorities to any body of men who cares to take them. And what is true of these settlements we sav is also true of the military stations on the Horotiu. In Cambridge there are several hundred stand of arms, and a large supply of ammunition, without any sufficient protection—without any guard at all, would be nearer the mark. And so also with regard to Hamilton and all the other posts. How, these ar efacts; and if the agent of the General Government is responsible for them as our contemporary says he is, our respect for that gentleman will not prevent us saying that he deserves the severest censure for his remisness. Our opinion was that the Defence Minister was responsible; but the public have been told tha; this is not the case. Our contemporary says :

(Sea paragraph from Herald, commencing "We hare very good reason," &e.)

—Our contemporary is doubtless much better acquainted with the intentions of the Government Agent in Auckland than we are. But it is rather unpleasant lor that high official to have himself and his Government identified, on all possible occasions, with the Herald. Do wo protest against the hole-and-corner arrangements of the agent employed to conduct the re-investigation of claims before Mr Beckham, and forthwith we are charged with “ offering factious opposition to the Provincial Government.” Do we venture to to suggest, in the interest of life, and for the peaco of the colony, that large quantities of arms and ammunition ought not to be left utgarded at our frontier posts, and forthwith our contemporary, writing in a slraiu which leads to the conclusion that ho has been taken into his Honor’s confidence, charges us with attacking tho Superintendent in his capacity of Government Agent. Now, we protest against this systematic attempt to shrink and stifle discussion. tVe yield to no one in respect for his Honor, but we do not think him infallible. We will not be deterred from commenting on questions of public importance out respect to any popular idol of the hour, whatever it may be ; and if our contemporary wishes to servo the Provincial Government, as we believe he does, ho will adopt an entirely different tone in future. We said nothing that could be taken as a reflection on the Superintendent; but his champion with his usual olumsiuesss and indiscretion has rightly or wrongly, fixed upon him a responsibility which we did not suppose pertained to his office. What we did think was, that the Superintendent ought to take upon himself to issue orders to secure the arms and ammunition, without waiting for instructions from Wellington, and thereby do much to ensure the peace of the province.

And now with regard to alarmist articles io general. We would ask our contemporary to refer to his issues of the 19th and 20th, and contrast his sensation articles with that of the 26th. He will find that he has entirely changed lus note —doubtless, by instructions; but if he supposes this will impose on Australian capitalists he will be greatly deceived. The truth is best at all times ; and we have told the truth. We believe our remonstrance has not been in vain, however, and that orders will bo issued iu regard to the arms and ammunition, which may have the effect of securing them. We trust the precaution has not come too late j and if so, however mortifying it must be to our contemporary and his patrons, the country will owe this also to tho Southern Cross. One word in conclusion. Tee authorities are aware, as well as ourselves, that the natives know exactly tho number of stand of arms, and quantity of ammunition, in each settlement, and the strength of the guards. The Kawhia natives, therefore, did not need to read tho Southern Cross to show them the way to so valuable a prise as, on our contemporary’s own statement, is at Alexandra unprotected. Ho admits to 100 stand of arms and 20,000 rounds of ammunition, at that place—more than sutliciont to destroy the lives of ail the Europeans in Waikato, four times told. ' We admit tho truth of his statement that Waiuku is iu no greater danger no w than it was a year ago.