New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Wednesday, June 16, 1847.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume III, Issue 196, 16 June 1847, Page 2

New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Wednesday, June 16, 1847.

In treating of the policy to be observed towards the aborigines of this colony, Lord Grey appears to have issued contradictory instructions, for which a remedy must be supplied by those large delegated powers intrusted to his Excellency. His Lordship prefaces his instructions on this head, by

declaring he- has nothing to add to those of Lord John Russell to Capt. Hobson of the 9th Dec. 1840, and immediately proceeds to lay down a principle diametrically opposite, the establishment of an Outside Territory, — the bare idea of which was unanimously reprobated in this Settlement on its recommendation in the 20th Report of the New Zealand Company, and directs that those districts in which native customs are to be maintained shall be separated by well defined lines of demarcation from those in which the institutions requisite for the government of civilized man shall be established, and that even in these last, " in all cases, whether civil or criminal, in which the natives alone have any direct or immediate interest/* native laws and customs should prevail. If these views are strictly carried out, we fear they would cause the native race to retrograde rather than to advance in the scale of civilization. Although, as Lord John Russell observes, " there are certain native customs, with which, as violations of the eternal and universal laws of morality no compromise can be made," he expressly directs that with these exceptions, the native laws and customs shall be tolerated rather than sanctioned, until they be gradually overcome by the benignant influence of example, instruction and encouragement. lie proposes to establish "as far as possible barriers against the relapse into barbarous usages of such, as may be reclaimed from them," while Lord Grey would "by well defined lines of demarcation" prevent the natives from emerging from barbarism. In the Instructions above mentioned Lord John Russell refers with approbation to a Report on the Aborigines of Australia by Captain Grey, then Governor of South Australia, in which it is contended that all previous efforts for their civilization had failed because they had proceeded on the erroneous principle "that although the natives should as far as European subjects were concerned be made amenable to British laws, yet so long as they only exercised their oun customs upon themse'ves, and not too immediately in the presence of Europeans, they should be allowed to do so with impunity," and insists that the true policy to be observed towards them is that from the moment they " are declared British subjects, they should, as far as possible, be taught that the British laws are to ssuperr r sede their own, so that any native who is suffering under their own customs may have the power of an appeal to those of Great Britain, or, to put this in its true light, that all authorised persons should, in all instances, be required to protect a native from the violence of his fellows, even though they be in the execution of their own laws." This is the policy at present pursued towards the Natives; with this policy the great majority of them are satisfied, and desire its continuance, and though there are many portions of these Islands where colonization has not extended, in which the Natives are left to themselves, yet, as far as possible, the British law is made to supersede their own. To change this policy, particularly at the present crisis, would be attended with the worst effect. Formally to establish* their laws among themselves would appear to them an admission of weakness, and a withdrawal of our pretensions to supremacy. It would proclaim the law of the strongest, and place the well disposed native at the mercy of the turbulent or disaffected. These frequent changes would confound their notions of right and wrong and alienate their confidence. It would lead them to suppose that our laws were not-founded on the immutable principles of justice but were merely conventional. But more especially would these feelings operate, if, as proposed by Lord Grey, native laws and customs are allowed to prevail in the provincial districts. If for example, a dispute were to arise between natives in Wellington (such as recently occurred at Te Aro) they might proceed unchecked to extremities, and the authorities would be compelled to look on without the power of interfering ; since it would only be a dispute between natives to be settled according to their own customs. British law would thus appear to have lost

its power and would soon become contemptible in their eyes. Such we fear, would be some of the consequences of an attempt to give effect to these general principles of separation ; in our next we will offer some observations on the principles laid down with regard to land, and at the same time take the opportunity of noticing the letter which appears in this day's Spectator.

His Excellency the Governor and suite returned on Monday in the Inflexible from Wanganui. During the Governor's stay at Wanganui several reconnoitring expeditions were made for the purpose of obtaining a thorough knowledge of the country, with a view to future operations. On these occasions the reconnoitring parties were sup- ! ported by strong detachments of troops, and skirmishing generally occurred between them and the rebels. On Thursday afternoon a detachment, about three hundred strong, left the Stockade and advanced to Tutaihika about two miles and a half higher up on the same side the river, when an engagement took place which lasted some time; no casualty occurred on our side, and it is not known that any of the rebels were killed. The rebels are supposed to be from 300 to 500 strong and appear to be very confident. Their main position is at Waipakaru about six miles from the stockade, and they receive their supplies chiefly from the interior by the river. They have not formed any fortified pa but rely on the broken and difficult nature of the country, and appear to receive very accurate information of the strength of the troops, their intended movements, &c. Captain Stanley and the officers and men of H.M.S. Calliope, who formed part of the expedition, returned in the Inflexible. Lieut. - Colonel M'Cleverty remains at Wanganui in command ; Captain Laye has returned to Wellington on leave of absence for a short period, and Ensign Barker has returned invalided.

It is reported that his Excellency will return this week to Auckland in the Inflexible. His Excellency's departure is doubtless caused by the expectation of meeting at Auckland Mr. Eyre, the newly appointed Lieute-nant-Governor, and the necessity for making immediate provision for the forthcoming changes in the government of the colony. But we should suppose that the precarious state of our present relations with the natives would occasion his early return and cause him to take up his residence in this district ; as the affairs of the South must for some time to come necessarily engage a large share of his Excellency's earnest attention.

His Excellency has given the liberal sum of £20 each to John Williams and the other Putiki natives (seven in number), as a reward for the apprehension of the murderers of Mr. Gilfillan's family.

Swan River. — Accounts have been lately received in Wellington from Swan River, giving a favourable report, of the progress of that colony. One writer states, that a copper mine was being worked at the Swan of which the operations had only been recently commenced ; a professional man from Adelaide had given his opinion that the ore was equal to the best Adelaide specimens. The following is an extract from another letter : — " Copper has been discovered at the Canning river, and plenty of coal to 'me North, near Port Grey. The colonial schooner Champion has been to the North exploring, and found the safe harbour that Captain Grey describes and the extensive tract of country behind it, although Captain Stokes contradicted Captain Grey's report.

Wellington Savings Bank. — Mr. A. Hort, Rev. S. Ironside, Mr. R. Langdon, and Mr. J. H. Wallace, the Managers in rotation, will attend to receive deposits at Messrs. Johnson & Moore's store, from seven to eight o'clock on Saturday evening, the 19th June, 1847, and at the Union Bank of Australia, from twelve to one o'clock on Monday forenoon, the 21st June.