THE Manawatu Times SATURDAY, SEPT, ,20, 1879. THE NATIVE DIFFICULTY.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 76, 20 September 1879, Page 2

THE Manawatu Times

SATURDAY, SEPT, ,20, 1879. THE NATIVE DIFFICULTY.

" Wtjrfh.ore thin;??, and a drop of ipk fnllins Jiko uew upon a thought, produces that wiliah |nakes thousands, perhaps millions think," 1 ' i . ' —' • .

Tttebe can be no question that the time i of parletipg with the Ngateh'akps: over tfie Tukehangi outyage has passed, and that for determined aytiou arrived. _ Although, 110 doubt, chronic growlers may be found to a.Bserfc that the forbearance hitherto shown evinced a siijn of weakness on the part o£ the Groverninent, we can' by no means a» ree with suoh an opinion. Judging -from the latest news 4rom Pareora, there can be little, doubt that the Native Minister will be compelled to arrest the perpetrators, but by the conciliatory conduct adopted towards Tuktjkinx), the Government have made a staunch ally of that powerful ohief . A Native Commissibn has been held, the veralict of Which was that the criminals were amenable to the British jaw, and TijKtJKiKO. says that if the Ngatehakos do not:quietlv.suri>ender the accused to the hands of the Government, he will call all the Maoris into one settlement, and let the Pakehado as he likes with that tribe. Although at the outset the hapu to which Paea!tta and Tiptha belong were quite /satisfied to allow a committee of their race to sit m judgment upon the offence of the culprits, now that the; result has proved adverse to the offenders; they repudiate the authority of the court, and reply to TukukiWs threat, " Very well, let the Pakeha onrae and take them if he can. v Gn Monday last the runaiiga Was brought to aii end, old HoTERKSi Tatpab.v agreeing. .with the justice of its finding, when he was followed by " Pine ha, who maintained that his people' had not. transgressed the law. under the circumstances. Ho said they would now return to their settlements on the banks of the Waihau, and if the Europeans Wanted them they could go and tjvke tlietn by force. He advisedthem;noV tcTtake only Pak.vra and TTprHA, but the whole tribemen,women, ahdohildreu— and make awa.y with them, thereby blotting out the name Ngatihakos. He warned them. tha..t if tbe two ,'meri were lodged m gaol, 'the' whole tribe, when released, wbiild take up arms and devastate the country." Portunately the Government possessed a firiri'ally m TuKTJKiisrb, and through his influence Pnratrv waV brought over to abide by the. verdict of the. ! lMinanga; but it would appear that the tribe have dptermined to set both chiefVand Pakeha at Mofiance, and afford a similar protoetimi to P-akattv and TrprffA as- Tr Whttt has done to HobtktV We have TOaintained that the policy of the ISTati ye TDe partmen % \ n ; : gui etl y si ibmitting to the Waimate outrage, insf-pad of insisting upon the surrender of the assassin, wai open to. censure, and without doubt led to -the expense -to which the ennntry has been since rint to grapple with th e difficulty, "and it is to be tmstprl. that the experience gained will nrevent a recurrence of similar, aerinn. The Noble Ravage is sufficiently civiliaecl to be able to seize upon every little point' of law whjt'h is m his favor m his dealings with Europeans, and he should be no longer left m ignorance that he i«iiable to forfeit his liberty and his life if he takes the law into his own hands, and shoots down unoffending citizens m retaliation for some alleged grievances. The Native Minister; whether, rightly or wronglvVhas been saddled with much blame for his supineness, if not culpable apathy, m allowing tho murderer of M' TjEA.srfco.be still at larwe.'-i but could he come before Parliament and be able to state that m spite, VvjPi the defiance of the Ngatehakos, tile" maiesty of the law had been asserted and the; criminals were m custody, it would do more to silence the ont-

to the supporters of the Government, than any act which could bo performed during the coming Session. It is a very suggestive fact m those differences which crop up between the Natives and the Govern ment which threaten an appeal to arms, the Chiefs who have taken nart m pi Q t. struggles with the "Palcehn,, exhibit a most commendable disinclinntion to renew the experience, ami are always to be found amnn^sfc the counsellors of peace; while the advocates for opposition n.rfi invariably younsr men who have hithoffo not tester! the prowess of the White Man. We trust that the wisp counsels of the old warriors will have a restraining influence upon the effervescing: combativness of thft vonnsrer portion of the party, anrl the law will be no longer set at rlpfiance ; but shonlfl the reverse be the case, no hesitation should be nse'l m st-n.mr.inc: out the evil with a strong hand, undeterred by the consequences. Ev ? llf>^ a course the Govprnment would do much to r^sfain the support alienated from them by the mistaken policy pursued at "Waimate, and compel the thanks of the community.