THE LATE MEETING.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 13, Issue 669, 1 April 1869, Page 2

THE LATE MEETING.

The following were the resolutions passed at the public meeting on Monday night last: — That, in the opinion of tills meeting, the confidence reposed in Mr M‘Lean, both by the European settlers and the native tribes in the East Coa«t and Tanpo districts, and his long experience find great success whilst acting as General Government agent on the East Coast, mark him as preeminently fitted tor the management of public affairs upon that coast during the present season of difficulty and danger; and that the withdrawal of the General Government agency from him at the present crisis has given rise to a general feeling of insecurity, and is likely to jeopardise the friendly relations at present subsisting between the colonists and many of the native tribes. That this meeting desires to express to Mr M'l.ean its grateful sense of the untiring /.cal and sound judgment with which ho has labored for the safety of the district, and the general good of the colony, in the nnremnneratod office of General ‘Government, agent; and to entreat him still to devote his energies for their good; and, in his capacity of Superintendent, to press upon the Government all measures which he may think essential for the safety of the province, in the full assurance that his conduct will not lie unappreciated either by the province itself or by the colony at large. That the general feeling of insecurity in the out-settlements, the spread of rebellion through the Island and the apparent inability of the present Government to suppress it, are matters which render it proper that the Government should ho urged to seek the advice and assistance of the Legislature on the colony without delay. j That Messrs Ferard, Kinross and Gowing be a committee to obtain signatures to a memorial to to his Excellency the Governor embodying the views of this meeting, and to provide for its transmission to his Excellency without unnccessaiy delay. The following h the amendment moved by Mr Buchanan to tlio fid at resolution, which was rejected ; That time has proved the cries of danger to this province by native insurrection to have been more numerous and louder than was needful, and they have also been most detrimental to its prosperity. That we recognise the great difficulties which are interposed, both by the natural strength of the country, and the scantiness of means and of trained men, in suppressing the native outbreak as rapi'by us popular eagerness may demand; and we consider it a lair and honorable practical aoku wledgmentof the curse of war, to give no countenance to any steps used to thwart measures held necessary by the Governmont, for the suppression of the native struggle in other parts of the colony.

The General Assembly has been further prorogued to the 6th May. France v. Buchanan. —This was an action to recover possession of a house in Coote-road, occupied by defendant. The plaintiff was represented by Mr Lee, and defendant by Mr Cuff. Mr Cuff showed that the house was above the annual value ot ,-E2O, and the case therefore beyond the j nrisdiction of the Court. Plaintiff was accordingly nonsuited, with costs ,£1 and solicitor's fee, £1 Is. •Mr Lee said the case would be taken into the Supreme Court.

Strange Case of Assault.---In the Resident Magistrate's Court on Tuesday a man named Boyle, one side of whose face was greatly bruised and disfigured, charged a native named Courtlin with assaTilt. The complainant deposed that he was a woiking man employed by Messrs Canning & Russell, and had come to town a few days ago, when he saw his wife, who for the last three years had been lhing with the prisoner. His wile asked hi in for money, which he gave her, and bought some clothing for her and his two children, after which, on the imitation of the prisoner, he remained in his house all night, sleeping with the children. Early next morning (Saturday), before he was awake, Courtlin came and struck him on the side of the face with a heavy stone as he lay in bed.—The prisoner stated that complainant had entered his hou-e on Good Friday evening, drunk, and had threatened him with a siieath knife, and alarmed him so that he laid under a neighboring house all night; that on returning in t he morning and tellinghi m it wastime to be out of the house, Boyle struck him ; and that he in self-defence had struck him three or four blows with his fist, which had caused the injuries to his face. The Resident Magistrate said that complainant was very foolish to enter the prisoner's house, as he might have expected a quarrel to result; but that he did not believe the injuries to Boyle's face could have been caused by a man's fist.— Fined £3 and costs, or one month's imprisonment with hard labor,

A New Defence Minister.—A. report is current that Mr Travers will take tlu office of Defence Minister in place oi Colonel Tlaultain—Wairarnpa Mercurj, : 6th March. SurPTA'ING POWDEK TO T«E KrBEI.9The following letter from n chief of tlu Neaiterangi tribe appears in the Thame) Advertiser March 20, and as there append f o be no reason to doubt that European! are employed on an extensive scale in supplying the rebels with arms and ammunition, we commenced to the attention of all whom it may concern : —Friends, this is a word from me to you. Stop supplying 'be natives who live amongst the Hauhauj with guns, powder, and caps. It is onlj arming them against ourselves. Never mind whether Queen natives or Hauhaui, do not supply them with arms or ammunition. Friends, this is true what. I say, 1 belong to Ngaiterangi; I am a c'defof that tribe; I have been a speaker of thoj words of the natives in the presence o! Governor Grey and Governor Bowen, Friends, be careful. Let tin* letter goto all parts of New Zealand. That is all.— From Hemi Te Eua, from Tauranga.

The Friendly and Hostile Natives. —The Daily Southern Cross, 2oth March, says:—We publish in another column the •eport of an important public meeting held on Monday, at Hamilton, to protest against arming the so-called friendly natives. The meeting appears to have been one of the m<~>gt numerous ever held in that district, 150 settlers being present. Letters were read from Mr C. Douglas, of Cambridge, and from Major Jackson, of To Awamutu, condemning in strong terms the arming of friendly natives as impolitic, dangerous, and likely in itself (o produce a war in the Waikato. Both these gentlemen are ir. a position which peculiarly fits them to form a good opinion on these subjects ; and when we consider their long residence on the borders of civiiiz ition in the Waikato, and the heavy stake thoy have in its prosperity, their remarks derive additional weight. The letters written by them to the chairman of the meeting and expressing their views on the subject to be discussed will be found in the report. Resolutions passed by the meeting to the effect that it is highly inexpedient to arm the friendly natives located in the Waikato, that such a step would excite the hostility of tho King natives, and that —as experience has proved—it would be and indirect method of arming the rebels. A deputft" tion consisting of some of the leading men of the district was appointed to wait on the Resident Magistrate, in order to request him to prevent the issue of arms to friendly natives until the Resident Minis* ter has been communicated with in W gard to the matter. A resolution was also unanimously passed requesting the Government to remove all friendly natives I'rom the Waikato, as their presence, W the event of hostilities, would be a sourcfl of weakness and embarrassment to ths Government and the settlers, Whilst on this subject, we would caution Justices of the Peace to exercise the utmost ca. lo granting permits for the purchase 01 po\T der and arms*