New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAITS GUARDIAN. Saturday, May 23, 1846.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume II, Issue 85, 23 May 1846, Page 2

New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAITS GUARDIAN. Saturday , May 23, 1846.

We announced in our last number an attack on a picquet of the 58th Regiment stationed on the Hutt ; and we have given full particulars relating to it in another part of the paper. We must not, however, omit to chronicle the facts connected with this outbreak of the Maories, and the most prominent among them is that full notice of their intentions was given to those whom they attacked. A fortnight before, Te Rauparaha informed Major Richmond of what Rangihaeata was going to do ; and indeed so widely had it been published, that no Maori was ignorant of it, and many settlers were also acquainted with it. The chief Epuni, a staunch friend to the settlers ever since their arrival in New Zealand, personally informed his Honor the Superintendent that the hostile natives were going to make an inroad upon the Hutt, and requested that he and his followers might be supplied with arms, in order to repel them. This application was" rejected by Major Richmond in a manner extremely offensive to Epuni, and an offer on the part of Colonel Wakefield to supply him with arms was treated in the same manner by the Superintendent. This intelligent officer was informed by other persons of undoubted credit of the mischief about to happen, and treated all his informants in the same manner, by appearing not to believe them; or believing them, not to care for the consequences'of neglecting to act upon their information. Cognizant as we must presume Major Richmond was of the intended movement on the part of Rangihaeata, not a single measure of precaution was adopted by him on the occasion, nay not an order was issued on the subject, and every thing remained precisely as it had been since the Governor left Wellington. The result has been that a fourth of the number of the troops at the upper station on the Hutt has been put hors de combat, and the whole settlement is threatened with destruction. Disastrous as this state of things most assuredly is, we are not disposed to throw the whole blame of the incapacity which has caused it on the Superintendent. His incompetency we have often exposed, and need not waste a word in trying to convince the" public on a point on which theii' conviction, is as strong as our own, and on this ground, that is, upon the notoriety of the Superintendent's incompetency, we feel forced to award a por. tion of the blame for what has happened- to him who appointed to, as well as to him who has retained so poor a creature in his present office. Captain Fitzroy, we know, . looked upon the Major as fitted, from the perfect nullity of his character, to be a willing tool for the furtherance of any plan that he the Governor might think proper to adopt, but Captain Grey has no such excuse. We do not believe that his Excellency could select a .public servant from any motive similar to that which actuated Capt. Fitzroy in the appointment of Major Richmond, and therefore he must have retained him from ignorance of his character. We must, therefore, in the most respectful manner, warn Captain Grey of the responsibility

incurred by him under present circumstances relating to this officer. He is worse than a nonentity, because his continuance in office must prevent any able man from acting, fie is not only miserably incompetent, but he is a wet blanket on the exertions of every competent person. The present crisis has placed this fact beyond all doubt in the mind of every grown up person in the settlement; and therefore let the Governor take heed in time. Before this paper reaches him, the Maories may have served 1 Wellington as they did Kororarika ; and if this should happen, Major Richmond's incapacity will have caused the catastrophe. Will not a Governor be liable to censure who could retain such an officer in his place for a day after learning what has happened?