OUTRAGE AT ANAURA, EAST COAST.

Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume II, Issue 4, 30 April 1856, Page 10

OUTRAGE AT ANAURA, EAST COAST.

By what means shall that which is good be made to grow in this Country? By causing the Queen's laws to be respected, or by resisting them? How shall men be made afraid of doing violence and injury to one another ? By screening the man who coiimitsan offence of this kind, or by allowing him to bepunished ? Some time ago we heard that au outrage had been committed at Anaura, on the East Coast by a Native named Perenara Perehia of Te Aitanga a Hauiti tribe, who had speared a European in a quarrel. Now this is a case which ought to be dealt

with by the Queen's law because that law is impartial and does equal justice to all men alike. The Maori people have lately seen that the Queen's law does not set a higher value upon the life of a while man, than upon that of a Maori. Charles Marsden killed a Maori woman and the Queen's law required his life as the penalty. No one attempted to interfere or to say let not the white man die. Now if the Queen's law interferes to protect the Maori against injury from the while man, and the white man is compelled to submit to it, we ask, is it not just that the Queen's law should also interfere to protect the white man against injury from the Maori, and ought not the Maori to be compelled to submit? If the white man is punished by the law for injuring the Maori, the Maori ought to be punished by the same law when he injures the while man. Unless this is the case, who can the Maori and the Pakeha live in harmony together. Let the Chiefs of the Maori people think about this. We have been led to make the above remarks through hearing that the people of Perenara Perehia will not consent that he should be brought lo Auckland to be tried for his offence. We are very sorry to hear this. We think that is only by making the Queen's laws respected by all men both Pakeha and Maori that the Country can be at peace and men live in security. We think that the Maori Chiefs should come forward and assist the Governor in carrying out the first laws of the Queen over the Country. Those who are wise will do so, and thus increase their own influence and promote the good of their people. We will not say more at present, but wait to hear what Ihe Chiefs at Anaura intend to do in the matter. Where were they when the Resident Magistrate went from Turanga to enquire into the circumstances of the case? We think it is the duty of the enlightened Chiefs to assist the Magistrate and to carry his word into effect. The Chiefs should be hands and feet to the law to carry it everywhere and give it effective operation —while the Magistrate is the eye to see that the hands and feet go and do that only which the Law appoints.