NATIVE AFFAIRS.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 17, Issue 908, 4 January 1871, Page 3

NATIVE AFFAIRS.

We learn from the Wanganui papers that in consequence of the recent occurences in the Waikato, and a little -domestic quarrel among the Wanganui natives, the proposed great gathering at Te Ao Marama is not likely to take place. " This," says the Chronicle, " must be rather a disappointment to some of our Maori friends, considering the preparations which have been made—the pounds of powder sold to the natives by special license, and the rolls of carpeting, enough to cover the floor of the great runanga house, presented to them by the Defence Minister, but for which the country has to pay. And this, by the way, is not a little loi -of carpet. The Pipiriki Maori Hall is about 100 feet long by 30 feet broad, and takes a good piece of cloth to -cover its floor. The cloth won't cover it long, however, if it ever covers it at all. Doubtless ere long we shall have the pleasure of seeing our dusky friends from Pipiriki arrayed in gay garments, hastily improvised from bits of the drugget so liberally supplied to them from Messrs. Taylor & Watt's store. And that is the way we govern the natives," On the occasion of the late visit of H.R.H. the Duke of Edinburgh to Taujranga a disturbance took place among the Maoris, which it was at one time feared would lead to serious results, but fortunately passed off peaceably in the end. It .commenced by a blow being struck on one side or the other, which was immediately followed by a melee between the Arawa and Ngaiterangi tribes, in which the most formidable weapons were used and some ugly cuts given and received. Matters at length looked so serious that the Constabulary were ordered out under arms, and fell in with fixed bayonets, when the exhibition of hostilities ceased. There was however an angry feeling between the two tribes when they separated for the night, and the Ngaiterangi challenged the Arawas to fight them the following day, which they agreed to. Accordingly many canoes full of natives, .armed with bayonets fixed on spears and poles, arrived from the other side, and two boats kept cruising off the shore, which were said to be filled with muskets and ammunition. The Arawa, however, refused to fight, having had time to cool, and Ngaiterangi insisted that they should go away to their own district. It was therefore decided to close the Native Lands Court, and hold the remainder of the sittings at Maketu. On hearing this decision, the Ngaiterangi went away peaceably in their canoes, and the Arawa prepared for departure. The Maketu correspondent of the New Zealand Herald supplies the following : On the 16th December our little community was thrown into rather an unusual state of excitement on receipt of the intelligence that the celebrated Hauhau Te Waru, and a number of his followers, were at Waihi, and were coming to surrender. Your correspondent, with a party of friends, at once started for Waihi to get a glimpse of him ; but judge of our surprise at seeing, instead of a fero-cious-looking savage, which from his deeds we expected to find him, a good-looking, middle aged man (dressed in a black Inverness cape, black coat and vest, and Bedford cord trousers), who, on our arrival, greeted us with the usual Maori greeting,- — " Haere mae, haere mae" — and, producing a bottle of rum, invited us to be seated, and help ourselves. His followers were fair specimens of the Maori savage —dark, ill-looking scoundrels. On arrival at Maketu the next day, they determined to wait for the return of Governor Bo wen, who was on a tour to the Rotorua lakes. On the return of the Governor to Maketu, he told them to stay in Maketu till he had consulted with the captain commanding the district as to their future place of residence, during which time they would be supplied with rations. The proposals, however, did not, meet with their approbation, so they left next morning for home, well laden with presents of blankets, prints, &c, from the Queen natives. What steps the Government will take jn the matter remains to be seen. Here is Te Waru in for the fourth time to take the oath of allegiance, and will no doubt break it as before. This Te Waru is the same scoundrel who invited that fine and loyal chief Kaitiani, of Poverty Bay, to come in and partake of refreshment, and, entering his ivhare, struck him on the head with his tomahawk, and killed him on she spot, ]Ee was also chief in command

at the massacre at Mohaka, which is, no doubt, still fresh in the minds of some of your readers. • When such ruffians as this are allowed to walk our settlements unmolested, it is near time the white population took some means to defend themselves independent of the Government. Had the same rigorous measures that marked the progress of Colonel Whituiore in the commencement of the East Coast campaign been carried out, we should now only hear of Te Kooti, Te Waru, and others, as murderers of the past, But the welfare of the colony must give way to the political jealousies of the party in office. The Wanganui Chronicle, December 24, supplies the following Native news: —" Mr Richard Woon returned yesterday from Pipiriki. We learn that he arrived there just in time to see Rewi, the great Waikato chief, who returned home on Thursday last, together with his fifty followers, all loaded with presents, given to them by the Wanganuis. They also took with them the greater part of the carpeting, previously alluded to in the Chronicle, which will doubtless be very useful for Taupakis, the name of the garment (the only one worn in battle), usually a bright-patterned square shawl, which is tied round the loins, leaving the upper part of the body, feet, and legs bare. Rewi has signified his willingness, contrary to the decision of the King, to allow the murderers of Mr Todd, if Caught, (but there is much virtue in this " if") to be tried. Nothing else of significance has as yet transpired." The Hamilton correspondent of the New Zealand Herald, under date 21st December, says: —I presume you have heard from another source that the native chiefs sent to the King have returned, and reported their want of success, the King party not receiving them with that courtesy usually given, and also positively refusing to surrender the murderers of Todd. What will the Government do now ? One officer and thirty men of the Armed Constabulary arrived to-day from Auckland as reinforcements. We shall now be able to judge of Mr Brauigan's type of police, those being nearly all of that gentleman's selection. The New Zealaud Herald's Raglan correspondent writes under date 21st December:—"On Thursday last Mr Frissell returned to R.iglan, and was heartily welcomed by every one. When the natives who were working for Mr Frissell heard of the murder of Mr Todd, taking advantage of the confusion that occurred, they decamped, carrying with them some of the property of Mr Frissell. and a European he had with him Most of it has since been recovered, but a few articles still remain in their possession. This shows what little trust can be placed in • friendly' natives, or at least in the younger portion of them. —Most of the principal chiefs have, I believe, received notifications from the Government that it is their intention to insist upon the Kingites delivering up the murderers to justice. The report from Kawhia is that the King will not give them up, and they even say that it is their intention to kill more Europeans. How will this end ? Perhaps this is the real beginning of the final end of the Maori trouble." The Ngaruawahia correspondent of the New Zealand Herald, under date 22nd December, says:—A detachment of the Armed Constabulary arrived here on the 20t,h instant, en route for Alexandra. It was at first believed by many that it was the intention of the Government agent to send a force to apprehend the murderers of the late Mr Todd ; but it now appears that nothing of the sort is intended until the decision of the Government is known. If the General Government had power to act in such cases, the whole of the murderers might have been iu the hands of justice within twenty-four hours from the time of the committing of the deed ; but such, I suppose, will be the case till the end of the chapter.