To the Editor of the New Zealand Spectator. June 19, 1845.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume I, Issue 37, 21 June 1845, Page 3

To the Editor of the New Zealand Spectator. June 19, 1845.

19, Sm, —A correspondent in your last number/*very properly inquired, why no intelligence from the seat of war had been received from Auckland ? As we are still without any, I would add my humble remonstrance on the subject. There must be some reason for the Government keeping back an account of what has taken place, and a perusal of the log of the North Star affords a clue for discovering it. I allude to the omission of any return of the number of rebel natives killed and wounded. Althongh a correct return could not have been made, some estimate might have been arrived at, for the private letters alluded to in your leading article, say that from one to two hundred natives we^ killed. I should conceive from the length of time during which the troops were engaged, and from the determined resistance they met with, that many more than even two hundred natives were destroyed, and therefore it might not suit the views of either the Governor or of Sir E. Home to make any return public at the present moment. These two philanthropists would not like to be called over the coals at Exeter Hall for killing the Maories. The necessity for doing it would be no valid defence for men who have always maintained that missionaries and protector? could do all that was required with the natives. Nor would it be pleasant to publish^, commentary on the infatuation of Captain Fitzroy, who was ■warned on his appearance in New Zealand, that his policy must end in blood in theshape of a return of five hundred

Maories killed, and a large unknown number wounded. The truth will, however, come out. We shall have news from Auckland some day or other, and I take the liberty of%ggesting to you the expediency of immediately establishing some channel of communication with that place. We might as well be a separate colony for any thing the Governor cares for us, and yet we have to pay a Superintendent supposed to be in communication with headquarters. The appointment is a perfect farce. As long as his Honor gets his quarter's salary, he is satisfied, but lam not. If his opinion is required on the most trifling subject, the answer is always the, same — " I must write to Auckland." Luckily for the settlement, the Maories do not seem inclined to molest us, but in case of danger, in what a state should we not be? Where are the arms, accoutrements, &c. of the militia ? Would his Honor act on the defensive, as Mr. Beckham did at the Bay of Islands, where all Heki's canoes might have been destroyed by one gun ? or would he push forward to the Hutt, and settle that question ? If the natives should oblige us to fight, I give his Honor warning that he will for once in his life be obliged to decide for himself. All the pawky answers in the world will not prevent the settlers from helping themselves. Aide toi le del t'aidera, ought henceforward to be our motto. The Local Government at Auckland is too busy in defending itself against its own pets, to think of us. Its representative here is, according to one of your phrases, nothing but " buttons and smiles to match ;" and therefore we must depend on ourselves. Your's, &c, A Grumbler.

We beg to direct the attention of our readers to the following letter which we have received from a respectable settler at Wanganui, whose statements are confirmed by other communications addressed to us from the same place. His Excellency's new way to pay old debts is peculiar, and we should imagine, if he thinks his proposal is any compensation to those settlers at Wanganui who are unfortunately the creditors of Government, that he must be as strangely constituted in principle as he appears to be in intellect.' Perhaps this is a feeler —an experiment to be repeated on a large scale itf accomplishing " the supernatural impossibility" of getting rid of the debentures^-when if this trial succeeds—His Excellency may gravely propose to cancel this deprecieted paper, and as a compensation to the settlers, pay the Government officials a twelve months' salary in advance — Quien sabe? I I 1 1 I