SIR GEORGE GREY AND THE NATIVE DIFFICULTY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XVI, Issue 49, 26 February 1881, Page 4

SIR GEORGE GREY AND THE NATIVE DIFFICULTY.

[Melbourne Argus'} Our New Zealand coirespondent communicates to us the text of the socalled appeal or remonstrance which has been forwarded to England by I certain adherents of Sir George Obey on behalf of the Maoris who were arrested and imprisoned for obstructing surveyors on the "Waimate plains. Between Greyism and Berryism there are, as we know, many points of resemblance, and not the least is tbe i readiness of both the parties in question to alternately denounce Great Britain and to appeal to her, irrespective of principle and just aa it happens to suit their convenience. In tbis instance it is clear that the Maories are simply used as a stalking-horse in order that the defeated Greyites may embarrass the Government of the day, and may enjoy a hit at Sir Hercules Robinson. The allegations of the memorial may be reduced to four — that the original confiscation of the Maori land was illegal ; that the Waimate plains were given back to the natives by the late Sir Donald M'Lean, the tben Native . Minister; that the imprisonment of the men who obstructed the Waimate surveyors was a wrong j and that " Sir Hercules Robinson has placed a minority in power in New Zealand." As to the , propriety of the confiscation policy it is too late to raise that issue now. It was adopted 15 years ago af f )r full debate, both in the colonies and at home, and with the sanction of Sir i George Grey, who was Governor at the at the time, and the arguments by which it was sustained then remain practically unanswerable now. The absurdity of the statement that Sir Donald M'Lean gave the Waimate; t plains back must be self apparent, bel cause no Minister has power to bind ( his colleagues and Parliament by promises of the kind, and therefore no ' Minister is at all likely to make tbem. Tho tale, our correspon--1 dent writes, is a mere figment. The I alleged harshness of the treatment received by the Maoris who were arrested ond thrown into prison for obstructing the surveys disappears when , we remember what the alternative was, namely, bloodshed. Ifc would have been veiy easy to have cleared the way ' and to have provoked a war of races. After anxious consideration, Ministers came to the conclusion that the wisest course would be to remove the most active of the obstructionists until the land had been sold and occupied, and the folly of resistance had thus been made manifest, and afc least ifc eannot be [ said that this course was dictated by ! harshness. New Zealand Ministers are ; face to face with a native difficulty of ' the first magnitude. They are confronted by a confederation of tribes who ' are unsubdued, and who decline to 1 recognise the Queen's authority, and it is evident that we who live at a distance muat not be too severe in our criticisms upon tbe means they are forced to adopt from time to time in order to 1 avoid war and to maintain peace. The character of the memorial is, however, best shown by the reference to Sir • Hercules Robinson. Students of the '' events of the past five years in New Zealand will admit tbat Sir G-eorge " Grey could not have received more 1 generous treatment than he experienced 1 from the ex- Governor. Nofc until Sir George Grey had appealed to the country and been defeated on a vote '■ of want of confidence afterwards was his • resignation accepted, and though the Hall G-overnment was not at first in a 1 strong position, yet Sir George Grey ' could carry no vote of want of con- '• fidence, and finally, instead of asking > Sir Hercules Robinson to dismiss his ■ new advisers, tbe Parliament gave them ' a large and effective support. But even if Sir George Grey had anything to ■ complain of in connection with his fall — ' which assuredly he had not— bow does 1 that concern the fanatical Te Whiti and > his tools? Sir George Grey's grievance • is not theirs. When the whole ; of the facts are before the British Parliament and people, it will be acknowledged that Sir Hercules Robinson and his Ministers i did well afc Waimate, for they carried '. out the law, and bo far their policy has , insured peace.