TARANAKI.

Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume VII, Issue 5, 15 March 1860, Page 1

TARANAKI.

Since the issue of our last Messenger news has been received from Taranaki. We are glad to be able to inform our readers that up to the 14th, the date of our latest intelligence, no collision between the troops and the natives had taken place. The Airedale, with llis Excellency the Governor and the detachment of troop's, anchored off New Plymouth on Thursday morning, March Ist. H.M.S. Niger arrived a few hours later. The same day a message was sent to William King from the Governor inviting him to come into town and confer with His Excellency. His first reply was that he would take time to consider whether he would accept or refuse the Governor's invitation. Subsequently, we are informed, he wrote positively declining to come into town but proposing that the Governor go to the Tima pa to meet him. We are sorry that William King should have neglected the

opportunity afforded him of talking the matter quietly over with the Governor who would have heard anything he had to say and explained his own views and intentions so as to leave no room for misunderstanding. IfWilliam King were as anxious to preserve peace as is the Governor, or did he sincerely believe in the justice of his cause, why should lie be afraid to accept the Governor's invitation to discuss the question with him in person? We believe that William King knows himself to be in the wrong," and is therefore afraid of discussion. The'same conduct was observed by him twelve months ago when Te Teira publicly offered his land to the Government before a large meeting at which William King was present. On that occasion the Governor was prepared to listen to anything he might have to say in reference to Te Teira's offer, but nothing was said by him. We can now only suppose that he has nothing to say, and that his opposition to the sale of Tc Teira's land is founded upon no principle of right, even in his own mind. On Monday, the slb, the troops marched from New Plymouth to the Waitara to lake possession of the land sold by Te Teira to the Government, and the Niger, having embarked His Excellency the Governor, steamed lo the mouth of the river. On the landing of the men from the Niger, the natives occupying William King's pa abandoned it and retired. When the troops arrived they found the Niger's men in possession una the union jack flying on the pa. The following morn- : ing a pa built by Wm. King on Teira's land wasburnt by Teira's people. On the same day drays laden with provisions for the troops left town in charge of an escort of volunteers. They werftstopped on the road by a Waitara native, who : ordered them to return. This being refused, be stated'that William Kind's party, who during the night had built 0 a stockade at a little distance from the spot and thrown a fence across the road, would take what was in the carts as payment for their houses which had been burnt in the Kuhikuhi pa. that morning. It was explained that this pa had been fired by Te Teira's people, not by the soldiers. After a brief parley with the party in the stockade, who had discovered that a body of marines were posted a short distance ahead,

the carls were allowed to pass, and on arriving at the eamp, notice was immediately sent, by direction of the Governor, to the natives to vacate their pa, allowing them 20 minutes to. obey the. order, otherwise they would be fired upon. In ten minutes the place was abandoned and was destroyed by a party of soldiers and sailors. No attempt has been since made to interfere with the troops, who have taken up a strong position on the Waitara where they will wait for William King's attack should he be disposed to. try his strength -with them. Meanwhile U Is slated that ho has retired to a pa seaward of Kairoa, where.he is strengthening himself and. awaiting reinforcements from Taranaki and Ngatiruanui. We do not think, however, that he will find many ready to join him. It must be so evident to all who know any thing about the question that he is wholly in the wrong, that we cannot see how any can be induced to espouse his quarrel. Aware of his false position, he is said to be wailing in the hope that the soldiers may kill some! of his people, trusting by this means to obtain the sympathy ofother tribes. In this we believe he will be disappointed. Unless he or hispeoplebecome the aggressors, there will-be no blood spilt. As we stated In our last, the Governor's object in going to Taranaki is not fighting. He is most anxious to prevent bloodshed. It was William King's arbitrary proceedings in interfering with Te Teira's sale of his own land and in interrupting the survey which caused the soldiers to be sent. No w they are on the ground it rests with him whether they will be required to act. Unless further interference is attempted there will be no necessity for it. If one single drop of blood is .shed:it will be at William King's door. It 'is staled that Tiuuaii Wirciiiu. of ihe Poiiioko and. his party, numbering SO men, have intimated their wish to swear allegiance to the Queen and to assist the Government, as also the Moturoa natives under Poharama, numbering about 40. That the natives of Whanganui do not sympathize with William King mil-be-seen

from the two following letters addressed to the Governor at Taranaki by the chiefs Tahana Turoa and Noah Rauhibij Court House, Whariganni, March 8, iB6O. To Governor Browne. Salutations to you* We are listening to the reports that arrive respecting the conduct of William King, and have come to the conclusion that be is wrong to interfere with the occupation of land sold to you; We entirely disapprove of bis proceedings. From Tahana Turoa. Court House, Whanganui, March 8, iB6O To Governor Browne. Salutations to you. We have-beard of the doings of William King and yourself, viz., that you are at war. We all consider that William King is wrong in interfering with you upon your land. If you would like for us, Noah Raubihi, William Pukapuka, and Mete Kingi, assessors, to come and seeyou; write to us. From Noah Rauhihi.

Tile' Governor's Address to the Natives at Takanaki. Shortly after the Governor's arrival at Taranaki a large number of friendly natives waited upon His Excellency to welcome him. The Governor spoke to them as follows: \ . t r ; ' ' You have come with good and loyal words: you are welcome. Most of you are old enough to remember all the Governors who have beeh in New Ztaland. They have all been careful of the interest of the Maories. Governor Hobson made the Treaty of Waitangi, by which the rights and property of the Maori race are secured to them. Our Gracious Queen confirmed this treaty, and has instructed her Governors to act as guardians to her Maori subjects. Our Queen is s stttaiTG(lQileejy/ tfqg has more than a bu'n^

dred regiments, many of which are far stronger thau the 63th Regiment, of which you have only seen a small part. You know that she has lately subdued India, where the people, who are more numerous than you can count, had risen in arms against her. Her love towards her Maori people Is therefore entirely disinterested, and such as the Good and the Powerful feel towards the ignorant and the weak. She has deelai ed that ber Maori subjects shall be protected in their just and lawful rights, and she would dismiss with scorn any Governor who caused her words to be falsified. Should not her people rejoice in her protection, and shelter themselves under her shadow/ Yet William King presumes to say that he will not respect the Queen's promise to her subjects. The Queen says each man shall keep his properly if het pleases, and sell his properly if he pleases. William King says, Teira shall not sell his property as he pleases. Is thiswise? Isitright? If the Queen's words are not made good, siiu her subjects may canse her promise to be broken, why should not the Pakeha cause 5t to be broken, and call for more soldiers and take all the land their eyes desire!! This would not seem good to the Maories, nor does it seem good to me to let any man, whether he be Pakeha < r Maori, cause the Queen's word to be falsified. Listen, oh my friends; I told you last year that "I wo*ld buy no man's land without his consent, and that I would permit no man to interfere in the sale of land unless be owned part of it." I tell you the same again 10-day. Teira's litle to the land is a good title, and William King and you all know that it is so. I have given my word to Teira that I will buy his land. 1 have paid the first instalment for it. I will not go back from my word. I desire peace and hate war. It is with William King to choose between peace and war. If he chooses war the blood will be required at bis hands, and not at mine, and it is for him to consider ihe consequences while there is yet time; My last word to you is, Remain in peace arid no one shall molest you. In answer to a question the Governor said—

Lhave perfect and entire confidence in our native friends, more especially in Te Waka and Pobarama, and should be glad of an opportunity to prove it. I have, however, broughtmany strange Europeans; they might not know how to distinguish friends from foes, and if they heard a false report that enemies were in the town they might injure our best friends. I will not, however, sepa-rate-myself from our friends, but I propose to take them into Government pay while this question is being settled; not to fight, for I have plenty of soldiers, bat to lake charge of some places out of the town. Parr is will explain this and make arrangements with them about it.