Hawke's Bay Times. Nullius addictus jurare in verba majistri. MONDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1869.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 14, Issue 729, 25 October 1869, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Times. Nullius addictus jurare in verba majistri. MONDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1869.

The Bishop of Lichfield has ap I peaved before the British House of Lords as the apologist of the Maori Perhaps, considering his antecedents, this is no more than was to have been expected; but still it is* to be deplored that views so erroneous as those held by the Bishop should be put forth by one whom the British public can only regard as an authority of the very first class. His address, if intended as he professes it to be, to induce the Home Government to afford aid to the Colony, must be regarded as a failure, as its only effect could be in the opposite direction. He stated that of the 30,000 or. 40,000 natives in New Zealand, more than half were attached and loyal subjects of her Majesty; of the minority a larger portion were neutral and ready to be made loyal. That those in actual rebellion were a "contemptible minority," committing acts of mere brigandage, for which the colonial Government was to blame. He attributed these " acts of brigandage '* to the "exasperatingcircumstances" under which Kooti and his followers were placed in having been carried off prisoners to the Chatham Islands, where they had, under promise of restoration to liberty in two years, behaved in a most exemplary man ner; but on finding the promise of liberty broken, and being seized with despair, naturally took matters into their own hands and escaped. That even after reaching their own country they were " followed up by a military force —driven into the woods —their places stormed and their houses burnt, and, most unwise of all. settlers were placed on the land just taken from them." He said they would not be like the Scotch, Irish, or Welsh, if, under such circuenstan pe3j they had not resisted. He

utterly denied that there was one cannibal amongst the Hew Zealanders—possibly under similar circumstances to those which led French women under the frenzy of revolution to lap the blood of persons decapitated by the guillotine, unler the influence of some fanatic, a native New Zealander might have committed a similar excess, but cannibalism had entirely ceased since the Colony was established. He believed Earl Granville's policy to be perfectly sound, and entirely concurred in its strict justice. He strongly advo cated the recognition of the Maori king upon the principles pioposed by Sir William Martin, and he believed ihat if a treaty were once made with the New Zealanders, there was nothing in our experience of the country to warrant the belief that a solemn covenant would be broken.

Another portion of his speech, in which he tiaces the troubles in New Zealand to the "unfortunate proclamation " that the natives might sell their land to the Crown only, we must defer the consideration of until another time. We have given the abo\e brief outline now because we; believe that it indicates the direction in which the present Government is working by the hands of the native minister, and we look upon it that theproposals made some months since on the part of the king and very pro perly rejected by the late Ministry, or something very like them, will shortly be announced as having been conceded. Our readers will remember that they were to the following effect—That the king should be recognized ; the confiscated lands restored; and that an amnesty be granted to all rebels. Then of co' irse follows the office of a British resident —a solemn treaty—and a " peace " highly gratifying to all of the Selwyn school, w T ho consider that the Colony was established primarily for the benefit of the native race.