THE WEST COAST.

Hawke's Bay Weekly Times, Volume 2, Issue 95, 26 October 1868, Page 258

THE WEST COAST.

. v:-.v sTTT*. <*» 'l»v£ (Tromitlip 7

"•^ftrroj^oj^TDr ; on Vim ;^S3M^i^b|S3KE§iteirtj;T v ‘dfii' •'•tike?raargin of the i> Jiara^tli^^^Ti 'and Ka’igra;'; il id o;aby attidiipt : df-miseliief, ; Whieli. •> by: prowling- about l With' :r.fj.i&dr uponalmosfcdaily, but no barm ! comes ••-'•Daade-a^s? r tie; ;:with«;abo‘ut thirty, mfia,/on •>^fie : 'fi^n^par|s-on < '-lViday!-iast> The latter ? =ran i for built bj ' troops)' /close’ to: the

i:i>iyfcr Orfptaiii Spiller’s force was too -iveafc to J att£ick tlie rebels there, f and they ‘-returned 11 to -their-post: A: cock-and bull ; story has been circulated- about Tito nsk •ihg'permissionmf-Oaptain;;Hawes, at Wai 1: -roaf-to ■ pass -'along.' The foot 'is ‘ that Tito and all bis hiob,'ten r times told, could pass -along any hour of t}ie day, without Captain * - Hawes -being 1 a bit * the -wiser, 'but this is -the sort df3thingAwhich' : Buits the ! ybse»ioej ■phesA ■ Captain Hawes is a ,brave man aiid doing the country gcod service where ho is. ■lt is unpleasant : to have his -name' mixed -pp-with'such nonsense.-' . , ;

‘ ’Matters are getting a little’ better at Pa(ear. There is still a considerable amount of drunkenness, but not so much as there was.-- Mr-Holland, however, drives a fine trade; and there is also a good deal of sly grog-selling. Colonel Saultain is there, and 1 the' ; intenlion of the Government,-as far as we have been able to learn, is to’disband gradually the various; nondescript -forces at present bearing arms, ; sueh*as the ‘Wellington Bangers, Taranaki Rifles, Pa -tea. Bifles, &c., (exception is to be made in ’ the caseof the Wairoa . Volunteers), and enroTone properly-equipped force to the number of-700 or 800 men, as a trained constabulary; : We need hardly say this is ■ jan‘improvement which at once commends -itself to public approval, and indicates that something has; at, last been learned from - past experience. : There are . also utteinpts at building a redoubt, but the enterprise is one of great difficulty, . there.being a want pf cohesion in the sand. <

, (Prom the Wanganui Times, October 17.) - The Defence Minister left Wanganui for Wellington by the Bangatira on Thursday morning. During-his short say—including a flying visit to Patea—no man in his position could-have done more than Colonel Haultain has done to perpetuate the “ Native difficulty-” upon the West Coast. We would riot, impute dishonorable or pelflah l motives 1 to- a man in-Cel. Haultdin’s

• position, but ; we unhesitatingly' say that his every act during his recent' visits to : "Wanganui and Patea. liave been fraught : with the most disastrous results to those ' (districts. He has abruptly disbanded some of thfe best men in tlie service, left the Colonial Field Forco at Pafea in a perfect 'ptate-oJ disorganisation, left aforoe of Wanganui loyal natives at Wereroa' without a commander, and adopted such other meapures as to compel Lieut.-Col. M‘i)onnell ' to resign ratlier than serve under a Gro r ivemmerit whose 'policy tends to sacrifice ■ the lives and properties of our settlers, and ■perpetuate this wretched “native difficulty.” In all- that,, perhaps,: in a political point of view-, Col.Hauliain has attained • - his object., and will.obtai-n the best thanks - of his^colleaguesm the..Government.' A> • ■ • to the ruined: settlers in the Patea : district. the destruction of the trade and commerce ‘’ pl Wanganui, and- the:victimised taxpayers . .throughout the colony—what: are tliby ? - -“Stafford governs all,.Titokdwaru frightens ; fthj gjud;. the -politically duped- taxpayers : pay for: all.” Serve them right. - Hitherto - it’lias been found impossible-' to arouse the •people;of this colony, or evenof politically vieti:rdaed:districtßi to a serise of their duty -to themselves and the Colony at‘ large,' but ,’.;ijt ismowipossible. that' the present native, policy-iof'the--Stafford.Ministry may do it - ,1 Certaimparties thought to abolish the De- > . fpnpe department, but did theyreally t'dnk ..that, with the power .then placedin Colonel Haul tain’s- handshe'was going: to quietly ■ give up his thousand a:year, with a house - toilive in,- and another- thousand in patrbhpge and.: perquisites ?■ His diplomacy duringjdiis': recent; visits..: to tWangdnui and • .Patea will, by this-time, have taught them - better. - Colonel - Whitmore has been ap v-pbiwfced to the ■■command, of the Patea Field-iEorbe, Ihe loyal - Wanganui natives, four -hundred ;of-whom are now at Were* ; rpa .on pay-i ahd -rations, .-wonlt-move an .inch, .foiv him.. ..Titoko war u <■.. and his- men ■: in ay t quiet ly; retire for a month: ortwo,to : plant their ;-potatoes, leaving 'a small' ma- , yauding party- to- keep = Whitmore on the , - alert the. terrible; Tito. should : return ~ and come-down upon.theml. To play-out: •that littleqjamo will occupy -the whole time to the neyt of Parliament-previous i‘ Jo.-.the, dissolution,,and:then a short bill for ;; pmother half* million:.loan . may open the ayes of-the-taipayers.. -,:c.