Colonial.

Lyttelton Times, Volume IX, Issue 561, 20 March 1858, Page 3

Colonial.

TARANAKI

THE NATIVE HOSTILITIES. (From the' Herald.') _ The removal of the Maori feuds to Maori districts does not, v/e find, wholly rid us of the uneasiness we experienced when they were carried on, in all their ferocity, near our own doors. That they are permitted to be carried on at all is a lasting stigma on the government, and one the Maories commonly reproach us with. It is inexplicable that, with the accounts which must have been before the Governor of the very critical time we have had of it, his Excellency has not thought fit to pay New Plymouth even the compliment of a formal visit—H.M.S.lris all the time in Auckland harbour. The government have shewn themselves equally indifferent for the Natives—their professions to the contrary notwithstanding, and this they are now brooding over. They believe that the government regard their bloody struggle with the reverse of disfavor, quietly biding their time to step in and buy the land—the bone in dispute—from the successful side. Mediation and aid under these circumstances are scornfully .rejected as insincere, and great pains are taken to insult us. The natives who fired at the Rev. Mr. Turton whilst engaged in his missionary labours at the Ninia have repeated the grave offence in the persons of the Rev. Mr. Whitely and Mr. Parris, for having visited Ihaia's pa in the discharge of their several duties. And in other ways the "friendly" natives manifest their growing dislike to us. After the sanguinary affair of Monday the acting Colonial Surgeon proceeded to the Waitara to attend the wounded as an act of duty and humanity. But Wiremu Kingi would not allow Ihaia's pa, where lay one man frightfully wounded, to be visited, and on being reminded by Mr. Parris that the government doctor's services were equally at his disposal for his own wounded, the chief persisted in his callous refusal, and. the doctor returned at once to town. Take another instance. Tahana, one of the assessors, in alluding to some settlers suspected, very unjustly, of conveying supplies to Ibaia, added with an insolent air that they would be tomahawked if detected. These examples taken from many furnished by leading men illustrate the state of the natives at the present time. The extensive commercial transactions carried on with the natives who supply most of our export produce necessarily bring the two races togeiher and expose the settlers tohavetheir visits misconstrued, though it should be. stated of the natives who entertain them that they receive similar visits which may in turn be suspected by Ihaia. The leading men of the Karaka pa, with their bullocks shot, their horses killed, and their homes sacked, find, themselves hopelessly embarrassed in their affairs. So' Tamati Tiraurau has made an assignment of the wreck of his property (principally consisting of the house and premises in Devon street) for the benefit of creditors, and his brother Ihaia is formally represented under a power of attorney. To return to the occurrence of Monday. A small party of Ihaia's men and women on their way to a potato plantation were surprised by a body of twelve men. The casualties were two of the party killed and two wounded, one of these reaching the pa with four bullet wounds, and dreadfully cut in various parts of his body with a tomahawk. The attacking natives had one man shot dead and two badly wounded, (one since dead), and before they quitted the ground they literally hacked in pieces the dead body of one of Ihaia's men. Tamati, for many years the native servant of Mr. R. Brown, and always considei'ed a quiet inoffensive man, was conspicuous amongst the attacking party for the unbounded ferocity with which he danced and yelled round his lifeless victim, burying his tomahawk in the body until there was nothing to cut at! The feud is now assuming gigantic proportions. Hitherto the Taranaki tribes (that is Taranaki Proper, comprising the coast line between the Sugar Loaves and Ngatiruanui) have kept out of the quarrel. Latterly, however, they have been observed to creep into town in small parties, with their arms concealed, notwithstanding the positive injunction of Major Nugent, whilst in command, that they would not be permitted to do so; and on Tuesday about 80 men, gaining courage from the success of the advanced stragglers, arrived with a long train of bullock carts conveying their arms and baggage. They resorted to a miserable subterfuge to account for their visit, unnecessarily as it proved, because there was no intention*whatever of enforcing Major N.ugent's prudent order, which, by the way,.has never been cancelled to our knowledge. They passed the town without difficulty-or obstruction, and oa Thursday threw off the mask by marching from the Paraiti pa through-the farms of the Bell settlers in fighting costume (that is nearly naked, and fully armed) the rear brought up by .the native assessor Tamati te Ngah'uru, better known to the settlers as Thomas Williams, Esquire (as he likes to be designated) of the Poutoko. • After naming this gentleman and Tahana. and >nowing that nearly the. whole.of the ■assessors are hotly engaged in-the present, feud,'We may appropriately remark upon the. .system peculiar to Taranaki of maintaining, a: long list ;of paid assessors or' native . magistrates:- \ In the other provinces they act, like om< own tinpaid Justices of the Pence, for the honor of the thing. A mere revision of the present list, without a complete reversal of the system would avail nothing. The whole list should be crossed out. After years of expenditure we find that our leading outlaws are the salaried

assessors, and the Government with this fact staring them in the face cannot continue it. To do so would sink us still lower in the native mind.

To connteract this accession to the ranks of his enemies it is reported that Ihaia and Nikorima are receiving aid from tribes who otherwise would have remained neutral. Already, the Ng;itnnaiiiapoto is furnishing contingents, and it is credily stated that a considerable force from the Whanganui is within a short stage of the Waitara. The north bank presents for Natives a warlike appearance. Each hill is occupied, and scarcely a track can be passed by the traveller unchallenged. If appearances do not greatly deceive, there is bloody work at hand, and dreadful will be the fate of the side that yields.

_ His Lordship, the Bishop of New Zealand, visitedthe Waitara on Thursday, and spent a little time with each of the contending parties. The Puketapus were as saucy to his Lordship as is their wont to humbler individuals. He gave them some severe reproofs for their savage cruelty to the wounded, and counselled them to peace. But none of them were disposed to pay any attention to him. Wiremu Kingi, Te Waka, and others crying out " Ekore matou c whak u-ongo"— i.e., We will not listen. At the Kara'ta, his Lordship advised Ihaia to exile himself either to the Chatham Islands, or Sydney, and then, perhaps, there would be peace. Ihaia listened attentively to his Lordship, and then r sing on his feet he made a most eloquent address, which would be too long for us to print, we therefore only give the part more immediately concerning himself and the present quarrel.

Listen, Bishop, Mr. Parris, and you Mr. Riemenschneider; do not mistake about this thing. The thought of killing Katatore was not mine. It was the thought of the men who are now trying to kill me. It was the design of Karipa, of Te Haeana, of Raniera, and the Puketapu. I had no wish for this. All I wanted was to sell the land to the Europeans, and receive the money for it. This is what I have wanted for years. Parris knows it. I have no wish to fight. I would rather sell the land, and then we should be quiet and trade. Who was opposed to this? Katatore! Parris knows all about it; and to prevent the selling of land, Katatore killed his relatives, Rawiri and the rest. Karipa and Te Haeana sought to kill kirn, and then Ngatiruanui came to his assistance. Karipa and the Ninia people were in danger from the Ngatiruanui, and they called upon me to come to them. I went to Ikamoana. Listen, Bishop, my going to Ikamoana was to save Karipa and the rest from Ngatiruanui. I did save them. If I had not gone, they and their pa would have been destroyed. Then they made peace with Katatore and wanted me away from Ikamoana. I said, sell the land to the Europeans, and then there will be peace. I did not want any of the payment. Parris knows it. I only wished to see the land sold and the money paid over for Karipa and Katatore to divide, and then I should come to Waitara and sell this place. Weil there was delay and difficulty; the selling could not be agreed upon, and these people, the Puketapu, were always urging me on, so I did what they wished, I carried out their own thoughts about Katatore. Well, then they turned upon me, these very people did, and they now want to kill me. Listen, Bishop, this is the very thing. I have no wish to fight, I want to sell the land and be quiet. When we were fighting at Ikamoana, Parris came to me, and Halse, and the missionaries, and advised me to leave Ikamoana and come to Waitara, and I came back, but no sooner had I left, than those people set fire to my pa, they burnt my houses and fences, my carts and machines, they killed my pigs, and they have destroyed all my property. Karipa and Te Haeana did this. I had letters there from the Governor about selling the land, and other papers, but they are all burnt. Those with whom was the thought that Katatore should be killed did this. Listen, Bishop, and all of you, These men are wrong. They are unjust, entirely so. And now they have followed me here. What do they want with me? I do not wish to fight. I want to remain quietljr at my own place. This is my land—my dwelling place. I shall not go away. lam told that I shall be killed. It is good; I will die upon my own land: my blood shall be spilled upon my own soil. I will fall, and be buried on my own land. If lam to die, it is well that I die on my own ground. This is all I have to say.