Hawke's Bay Times. Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri. MONDAY, APRIL 10, 1871.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 17, Issue 988, 10 April 1871, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Times. Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri. MONDAY, APRIL 10, 1871.

Mr. Puckey's interview with the obstructive natives at Ohineinuri, as described by the correspondent of the Thames Evening Star, does not appear to have resulted in any very satisfactory manner; but the report given of the meeting is such as to lead to the conclusion that the party itself is composed of a most ridiculously small number of natives, amounting altogether—men, women, and children included—to not more than 20 or 30 head ; even the emissaries of the King sent to lend them a hand in effectually opposing the carriage of the mails, dwindles from 12 or 20 men down to 2. Meri Kuru, the apparent head of the party, took great pains to impress Mr Puckey with the fact that they were so few and yet so able to cany out their obstructive policy, in spite of all his warnings as to the danger of their course. Yet this small and apparently feeble body are quite determined that the obstructions they have placed on the road to stop native or European shall be a permanent obstruction, and shall not, with their consent, be removed. If this view of the case be the correct one, what shall we say of the action of the Government which permits such a state of things to exist. If the obstructives are of the contemptible character described it would seem to be a most simple matter to over-ride its opposition, and scarcely to require the elaborate line of policy marked out by the Native Minister of " setting native greed against native obstinacy," and trusting in the vague chance that this clever trick is <'likely to prove successful." What a contemptible opinion the -toadied chiefs must hold of schemes so t]-ansparent, adopted to effect an object that appears so Yary simple, and which ought to be brought about" in a more vsrecj; way.