The Lyttelton Times.

Lyttelton Times, Volume V, Issue 295, 29 August 1855, Page 5

The Lyttelton Times.

Wednesday, August 29.

In His Excellency's Address on opening the present Session of the General Assembly, when treating of the Native disturbances at Tavanaki, he speaks of Government " assuming a position to insist upon the neutrality of the European population beingrespected." This certainly strikes the reader as a very strang sentence in the mouth of Her Majesty's representative, when speaking of a large number of Her Majesty's subjects, who are openly breaking the Queen's peace. The Maories are called our fellow subjects, —indeed, His Excellenc\l 'vith strange inconsistency, calls them so himself in the same Address,—and yet they are told to fight their quarrel out amongst themselves, and not to bother Government or those of Her Majesty's subjects who are not already engaged, with their disputes. In the mean time, soldiers are sent down to keep up the "armed neutrality" of Government. This is certainly a dignified position for Government to adopt! The Maories are keenly alive to the contempt which such conduct is likely to inspire, and

openly deride a Government which they would have respected if it had attempted to enforce law. The case stands somewhat as follows :—Certain of Her Majesty's subjects (we repeat this expression, as it is one incessantly paraded in the ejaculations and praj'ers appended to many Government documents, expressing a pious wish for " the good Government of both races of Her Majesty's subjects") certain of these subjects are desirous of carrying out a bargain which had been previously made with Government for the sale of land in the Province of Taranaki. Others of Her Majesty's subjects, however, who are turbulent and covetous, fall upon the well-behaved subjects and massacre some of them. The latter naturally apply to their Government for protection and the enforcement of law. Government says " no, we won't protect you ; but if you like we'll go down and patch up a peace between you all." Government goes down ; but can't patch up the peace. The turbulent and disaffected are still attacking and harassing Her Majesty's well-behaved subjects. They again beg for protection, and hint at the same time that if they don't get it, and if they are beaten by their enemies, they will fail back upon the town, and that then Government will, in defence of its Pakeha subjects, be obliged to protect its Maori subjects also. This hint, however, arouses the vigilance and determination of a parental Government. They immediately send down troops—not to enforce the law—not to protect the just and well-affected from the oppressive and illaffected, but (says His Excellency) to enable Government to assume a position to insist upon the neutrality of the Europeans ; so that the peaceable Native subjects of Her Majesty, when beaten and driven back by the rioters, will find Her Majesty's bayonets in their rear. Of course. What business have they to give trouble to Government ? What do they mean by not being strong enough to fight their own battles ? If we did not everlastingly hear about the parental care of Government for our Maori fellow-subjects, we should not so much wonder at these proceedings. We have heard of Governments, who, preferring policy to hnmanity, would have thought it a very good thing that a set of men who were likely to give trouble should dispose of their - selves like the Kilkenny cats, provided that they were only neighbours and not subjects, and that therefore Government might refuse to interfere without absolute disgrace. But it is hardly credible, thajaJtelepresentative of Her Majesty should JjPonly condescend to act as bottle-holder^KLjight between two parties of Her Majes^^ubjects committed to his care, and thafThe should keep the ring with bayonets ; but that he should, contrary even to the spirit of fair play which a well-regulated "ring" would display, force the smaller and weaker combatant to " come up to time" after receiving such punishment as to incapacitate him for further self-defence. How can we expect that the Maories will respect such a Government ? The turbulent and the peaceable, the White man and the Maori, despise it equally. With the Maories much depends xipon the attitude assumed towards them. Many of the tribes would help, if called upon, in enforcing law. We do not hear of the Natives being able to bring any large number of fighting men to bear upon one place. Five hundred soldiers engaged in enforcing law instead of " insisting upon neutrality," would do some lasting good, and at least not disgrace us in the eyes of our " fellow-subjects." But if after all Government is determined not to interfere—to wink at barbarous customs and to encourage oppression—let it at least give up the Un-English and nauseous hypocrisy of calling the Maories Her Majesty's subjects. Rajah Brooke, almost single-handed, amid a far more bloocl-

thirsty and barbarous population than the Maories ever were, declared that he would enforce his country's laws, and hang the first man who committed murder. The Borneans could not believe that he was serious in intending to put a stop to the " taking of and soon after the Rajah's proclamation a head was taken. The culprit was hanged by order of Brooke, and the natives respected the laws of a man who, though almost alone, ventured to enforce them. Let the inhabitants of Taranaki, however, enjoy as they best may, the prospect of " the noble savage" indulging in the amusements of his native forests. We have got a Government who look on decision as an imprudence, and on energy as a crime. And unfortunately although doomed, they can still be mischievous. Responsible Government has been conceded by the Home authorities, and if the Assembly had been called together at the time and in the manner it should have been, we might now have had an efficient Government, one at any rate under the control of public opinion. But by ingenious and intriguing mismanagement a Rump Parliament has been called together, and is now sitting with a knowledge that it is powerless, and that any Government it ventured to establish would be overthrown at the first meeting of a House really representing the people.