Hawke's Bay Times. Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri. MONDAY, APRIL 5, 1869. LAST MONDAY’S MEETING.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 13, Issue 670, 5 April 1869, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Times. Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri. MONDAY, APRIL 5, 1869. LAST MONDAY’S MEETING.

It will be seen that the report of the late public meeting which we give this morning occupies nearly the whole of our available space, to the exclusion of much interesting correspondence and local and general news. This is unavoidable, as the report of the meeting would have been much injured by abridgment. A careful perusal of the report will show the justice of the remarks made in our last issue respecting the several speeches. We may particularly instance Mr Ferard's "chronological sequence " where the defection of our representatives from the General Government ranks is made to follow and be consequent on the removal of Fraser and his constabulary from the East Coast, whereas it was antecedent to that circumstance, and arose, as Mr Buchanan stated, from the rejection by the Government of Mr M'Lean's proposals respecting the management of affairs on the East Coast, as was well known at the time, although an attempt was certainly made to represent the case as Mr Ferard has done. Further on, alluding to the defection of the natives on the East Coast aftei their first success, Mr Ferard attributes it to the return of Colonel Whitmore, whereas, in fact, it occurred prior to that event, and the bulk of those who had already left the field returned to active operations at hi? invitation. And, again, with reference to the apathy displayed by the Provincial Go rerninenton the receipt of the news of Colonel Whitmore's victory, and the striking contrast of the rejoicing just previously indulged in on account of a success on the part of the friendly natives, Mr Ferard very cleverly substitutes the public of Hawke's Bay for the Government of Hawke's Bay, which did not rejoice - } —the fact being that the absence of all demonstration on the part of the Provincial authorities led the public to fear that the news was -unreliable, and it required the arrival of the Blanche, with full con firmation ot the success, to remove that impression. But even then the Provincial authorities made no sign.

Most of Mr Ferard's fallacies were successfully cOmbatted by Mr Buchanan, whose address, notwithstanding continual interruption, was the speech of the evening ; and to refer to its strong points would be almost to reproduce it in this place. "We must, however, allude to his welltimed remarks on the effect of Mr M'Lean's act.on on the native mind. Ropata and his men had voluntarily enlisted and taken the necessary oaths; yet they were persuaded to set these aside, and on the General Government refusing to swerve from its matured decision in removing these men to the West Coast, actual disobedience was advised and carried into effect, —thus teaching the natives in a practical way that the highest authority may be treated with contumely, and its behests disregarded. With regard, too, to the employment of friendly natives, and the natural result of supplying them v-ith arms and ammunition, a striking commentary on Mr Buchanan's sentiments was afforded by the news brought on Tuesday and Wednesday last, from the Auckland Province, of protests by the public against the' continuance of this suicidal practice,!

as being but an indirect method of arming those who are in rebellion. Steps were taken to prevent the continuance of the practice there, and we submit —notwithstanding the remark of Mr Rhodes at a later period ot the meeting—that recent" events on the West Coast have proved that, in supplying arms and ammunition to friendly natives, we have been simply enabling the disaffected tribes to carry on the rebellion.