OTAGO.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 14, Issue 699, 12 July 1869, Page 3

OTAGO.

► THE PROPOSAL to BORROW MONET k» WAR PURPOSES IN THE NORTH ISLAND. PUBLIC MEETING IN DUNEDIN. We learn from our late Otago files that a * public meeting of the inhabitants of Ounedin was held in the Masonic Hall on 1 he 21st June, "to take into consideration i he proposal to borrow a million and a half >f monfty, to be expended in the North [sland for the the prosecution of the war and native purposes." There was a largeittendance, and Mr Fish occupied to* oh air. Mr J. W. Jago proposed, and Mr Webb seconded the following resolution: —"This meeting views with alarm the proposal contained in the speech of his Excellency/ the G-overnor, at the opening of the pre* sent session of the General Assembly to raise a new loan for the purpose of creating and maintaining a highly organised force in order to overcome the determined hostility of the turbulent portion of the native race," which on being put, was carried by the meeting. Mr Bathgate moved, and Mr Sligo seconded the following resolution, which was carried:—"That the heavy publio burdens of the colony—unprecedented for <o young a country—involve an amount of taxation unequalled in any colony. This is now proving to be oppressive and detrimental to the prosperity of the colony by paralyzing industry and checking immigration. Under these circumstances, any ad* dition to these burdens can only be followed by wide spread ruin and disaster." Mr Redmayne moved and Mr Hughes seconded the third resolution, as follows: " That, in undertaking past liabilities for the North Island, the inhabitants of the Middle Island generously went beyond any existing legal or moral obligation, and it is not desired to repudiate their share of those liabilities; but the meeting solemnly protests against any increase of the burdens, of the Middle Island for the prosecution of the war or native purposes, and firmly declares thit responsibility on their part for outlays connected with the North Island, must now and for ever cease." Carried. Mr W. W. Wilson moved and Mr Bell seconded the fourth resolution, whicn was —" That it is believed that the means and resources of the North Island are quite sufficient, if properly directed, to maintain peace, order, and good government within its boundaries, and therefore all expenses necessary in that behalf must be borne by» all management in native affairs entrusted ro the North Tshind only, which will derive ail the advantages arising from a satisfactory conclusion of the present irregular war." Carried. Mr Murray moved, and Mr Sligo seconded the following resolution, which was carried :—" That this meeting views with regret the manner in which the Imperial authorities have withdrawn from their responsibilities, and abandoned the colonists to the consequences of wars begun under Imperial policy." Mr Dairyinple moved the following resolution, which was seconded by Mr Simpson, and cariied : —" That this meeting resolves to use every constitutional means to effect to the foregoing resolutions, and c;ills on the representatives of the people ro give them their hearty support. They dso invito the cooperation of the inhabitants of this and the other provinces of the-. Middle Island towards the end in view, by organising associations for that purpose, petitioning the Legislature, and obtaining the active assistance of their members in the Assembly."

The Waikouaiti Maoris. — Bumour has been busy during the past week respecting the result of a proselyting visit of i number of the Northern Maoris to their brethren resident at the Kaik here. Though it is believed that these visitors were chiefly from the Moeraki and Timaru districts, we have good reasons for stating that several were from the Northern Island, and that from the Province of Wellington. We regret to say thc.t tiiere can now be no. doubt that the pernicious doctrine of Hauiiauism has taken considerable hold of the minds of the hitherto peaceable and remarkably well-dis;josed Maoris at thisKaik ; and that instead of devoting themselves to tilling the soil as heretofore, tbey have absolutely done nothing this season towards securing crops—neither planting nor sowing—and it is positively asserted that they do not intend doing either. To jive an instance of the rapidity with which the aboriginal mind can relapse iuto its old barbarisms, we are informed that a wellknown and highly-respected aged Maori, whose wife recently died, under the influence o I tne teachings of those inculcating the doctrines of Hauhauism, as well as in accordance with ancient Maori customs, burned down during the past week the house in which she had died, containing everything in the shape of furniture and cooking utensils, which his habit, of assoeiating with the Europeans had given him a taste tor. On Friday last a number of Maoris went away, we understand in about two mouths there is to be a large gathering, from all the ICuiks, in Stouthern Canterbury. There is no doubt that regular correspondence is icent up by disaffected North Island Maoris with ail the Southern tribes, and though not in the least alarmists, we think that torekeepers should be very careful wliom ohey supply with ammunition. We may mention that we hear the name of Horo•uona Pohij (who is a Maori magistrate) nixed up with the doings of Southern island Hauhau prophets, in a way thab should at least cause an investigation to ba made.—Waikouati Herald 8 23rd Jiuo.

THE NATIVE DIFFICULTY (Fromths Wellington Independent, 6tu July.) Tse dangers of the North Island ariso primarily out of the organization called the King movement, its seat being Upper Waipa, but its spirit being disseminated in every part of the Island. It is not probable that any direct instructions have issued from the King to Te Kooti, Titokowaru, or Tikaokao ot Mokau, to make the aggressions they have committed upon the European settlers. It may be even that those leaders misinterpreted .the wishes of the chief of Tokangamutu in taking action. But the King organization really put in its best and therefore most dangerous form, all the suspicion and hatred of race which prompted the murders at Turanga, at Patea, and at the White Cliffs, and without the sup port which its very existence gives, the local demonstration would be very easily crushed. It is curious to observe in connection with the supposed grounds of hostility, that the three aggressive parties represent sections of the race which had, in the first instance, the least reason for jealousy and dislike. The Ngatiruanui, who, in 1860 and 1863 4, were foremost in the strife, had never parted by sale or otherwise with one rood of their beautiful coun try, nor had a single settler come uninvited within their borders. In 1865 the order of confiscation appeared, and between that date and 1868 a military settlement was formed at Patea. The same phenomenon repeated itself; foi Titokowaru's hapu, last to come in and first to revolt again, had their princi pal land claims outside the Military Block. The other two divisions of tintribe were hemmed in by alienated lands, and could not hope to re occupy more than their large reserves ; but the broad district from Waiugongoro bad not been traversed by the sur veyor's chain, and the herds of the Ngaruahine continue to fatten on the plain of Waimate, whilst the reserve actually set apart for the hapu was far larger and more valuable than that al lotted to the Tangahoe or Pakakohe. These facts deserve to be remembered as indicating the spirit of the aggressive tribes and the future prospect? ■which it implies. The Ngatiruanui tribe are now utterly prostrate ; the remnant who have not yet surrendered includes the whole of the murderous and cannibal party, and is known to be destitute of clothing and necessaries of life, lurking among a small, distant tribe—the Ngatitnaru—on whom they have conferred a share of their misery It wants but little to make the Patea district a safe and attractive field for settlement. Turn to the East Coast, and we find the same inverse proportion between the aggression and the pretext. Peace is there subverted b) a band of escaped prisoners united to the Uriwera tribe, whose rugged, barren land offers so few temptations to colonists that scarce half a dozen Europeans had up to April last ever penetrated its recesses. No aggression, no confiscation, had touched them. The lives of the prisoners who led the revolt in 1865-6 had been humaneh spared, notwithstanding the protest ol their own countrymen, and they had been held in mild banishment. They were taken in a most unprovoked war, which they themselves had begun against their countrymen, whose only crime was loyalty to the Government. Their la.ids ha\e never been bought or confiscated, and the European settlers on them were only such as tin y themselves had invited. Their campaigns, on returning to the main land, were directed against all within their reach who were loyal to the colony. At Turanga, at Whakatane, at Mohaka, their hostility wreaked itself on both races alike, and many of the friendly Maoris who were slaughtered by them had never lifted a hand on the side oi the Government. We refer particularly to the Ngatipukeko of Whakatane. The Ngatimaniapoto of Mokau have also escaped confiscation, and the small block of land they had alienated before the war had never been occupied. The only exceptions to this statement are a very narrow tiact at Kihikibi, in Upper Waikato—formerly belonging to Rewi's hapu—and a plaim at the White Cliffs of land taken from Ngatiawa many years but not occupied by the conquerors. It is curious that the settlers at Pukearuhe, Who had been unmolested for t\\ o years, should have been slaughtered almost immediately after the return of the

Ngatiawa emigrants from the Chatham Islands to re-occupy their old places, > The Uriwera and Chatham Island pri--1 soners have no doubt received severe chastisement; their haunts have been penetrated and much of their food and clothing destroyed and taken. But they have not succumbed, and their ) incurable hostility has been again shown since Colonel Whitmore's operations, in the slaughter of Taupo natives, who were only distinguished by ! peaceful loyalty. The murderers of ? Mr Whiteley and the Pukearuhe settlers have as yet suffered nothing for their crime, but have left the Europeans and loyal natives under open menace. The great meeting at Tokongamutu gathered together twelve hundred hostile Maoris under arms. Upon our side, we have a force upon the edge of the Waikare Lake, near Flawke's Bay, preparing to cross and attack a party of the Uriwera and their . allies. This force, it is rumored, Mr Ormond has gone to recall. We have two forces on the roads from the Bay of Plenty and llawke's Bay to Taupo, and a party of Arawa have gone to support the Taupo loyalists. The two European forces have been prevented from reaching Taupo Ly the severe weather and the absence of the energetic commander, Colonel Whitmore. We have a force at Patea, and another northwards of Taranaki, operating, or ready to operate, on the remnant of Titokowaru's men at Ngatimaru. We have also garrisons at Waikato and Opotiki. Along the coast south of Wanganui and in the interior at Wairarapa are bands of Hauhaus, comparatively insignificant in numbers, but ready organised if mischief should begin, and avowedly determined to rise should Tawhiao so order. The recent meetings of Mr Wilson and Mr Firth with Tawhiao and the reports of the loyal Waikato are anything but reassuring is to the intentions of the King. The well-meant letter of Sir W. Martin contained a reference to a restoration of land, which the King natives have interpreted according to their hopes, or wishes, to mean a restoration of all Waikato. The good eifect of the overture is thus worse than nullified t>y the impracticable expectation it has raised. Orders which no authority jan set aside or postpone have come out for the immediate removal of the 18th Regiment. This, as every one experienced in Maori ways of thought assures us, means much more to the natives and the colony than the loss of 750 men from safe garrisons —it is understood as the withdrawal of the Queen's countenance, and confirms the revival of hope and spirit in the King party. In this state ot affairs Mr Fox, with unparalleled infatuation, proposes to reduce the numbers, and to " demilitarize " the a'gaization .of our constabulary, and to retire from positions which are good in themselves, and the abandonment of which must strengthen the insane hopes of the King party. To recapitulate. We have four enemies against us. The King people, who have long watched for the departure of the last soldier j the Ngatiruanui, exhausted and requiring but the coup de grace; the Uriwera and ex prisoners, repeatedly beaten and crip pled, but still active and proselyting ; and the Ngatimaniapoto, almost unscathed. The three latter have been unprovokedly aggressive, and retreat on our part cannot be expected to ind ce moderation on theirs, but the very reverse. But a graver consideration remains. We have for several years largely employed several Maori tribes, They have identified themselves closely with our cause, and have suffered and risked much for and with us To withdraw from Taupo, from Opotiki, from Turanga and Wairoa, and from North Tarauagi, is to compel the Ngatituwharetoa, the Arawa, the Ngatiporou, the Ngaliawa, to make peace fur themselves with the eremy. This they can easily do. The King party are ever busy intriguing to bring abnit such a result. Peace between the loyalists and the King means war with us even more certain, and more disastrous than that which now threatens.' We are bound by every engagement, by faith, honor, humanity, and policy to treat the friendly tribes as essentially of our selves. We cannot talk of rebellion on the one hand and neglect the first duty of government to subjects on the other.

We venture to say that the silly scheme shadowed out by Mr Fox on Tuesday will be a shadow indeed over many a district, and will spread consternation throughout the country. If it is believed that so miserable a project and its projectors will be tolerated by the Assembly, an exodus will promptly and wisely begin from all exposed places. When Rome forbade her citizens to emigrate in times of public danger, it was because she was resolved to face and repel it with the spirit of a great nation. Nor let Southern politicians imagine that the exodus will be merely a migration from one part of New Zealand to another, improving the property in some districts of the colony, however ruinous to the abandoned places. Most of those who are expelled under circumstances so gloomy will quit shores that have been full of bitter experience for them. Every hour that a reactionary policy is persevered in must add to the burdens and weaken the strength of the country. We have suffered se verely from our bad military positions, the Hauhaus occupying commanding centres and covered retreats, whilst we have been exposed to the circumference. One foe, Te Kooti, or whoever may be the military leader of the East Coast party, has well availed himself of the advantage. Our arms have, however, been oreeping on to deprive the enemy of this advantage. The bush of Mount Egmont and the mountain gorges of Uriwera'have been scoured, ftnd our men have been drawn gradually toward the strategic centre of the island —Tanpo. From that point every band of the rebels can be dealt with. Holding that centre, the outlying groups of sympathisers in this province and elsewhere will be isolated and parlayzed, whilst an auriferous country south of Taupo opened to our men will probably relieve this at once ; and Tawhiao, the Maori King, between the force at Taupo and the settlers ami diefgess of Waikato and the Thames, will assail us, if at all, under great difficulty. If we do not occupy, it is evident the enemy will. Te Kooti's party, about 80 strong, are already on the Taupo Lake, and have obtained the alliance of about a hundred Taup<> men. The wreck of Titokowaru's party are within 50 miles, as also are the Mokau murderers and the violent men of the King party. A combination of these is easy, and if effected (as ii will be), would find compulsory allies among our present friends, and the last state of this wretched land be worse than the first. " Out of the nettle danger we pluck the flower safety," but ;he nettle has to be grasped. There never was a moment when bold counsels were more needed, and a coalition of extreme ideas in the Government it therefore most unfortunate. A summer campaign might easily end actual strife, and leave us only the duty of watchfulness for a few years. But if the summer p*sses without establishing our authority, no outsettlement of this island will be habitable, and the loss )f property may be reckoned by millions. It is madness to cry " the country cannot bear a war." It has not the choice between war and peace, but only between war, more or less disastrous ; and Mr Fox, directed by Messrs. Vogel and Bell, seems about to choose the utmost attainable disaster.