TARANAKI. [From our Correspondent.]

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 274, 15 March 1848, Page 2

TARANAKI. [From our Correspondent.]

H. M. Steamer Inflexible arrived on Sunday rooming the 27th ultimo, one day from Wellington, with his Excellency the Gover-nor-in-Chief and Mrs. Grey, accompanied by Colonel Bolton, Mr. Thatcher, and Captain Rough, all of whom iratned ately landed. His Excellency visited several parts of the settlement during the day. Next morning the following resident Land Purchasers and agents of purchasers, Messrs. Cutfield (chairman), Cooke, Flight, Halse, Davy, Chilraan, Devenish, Watt, and Gillingham, waited upon the Governor. They were associated with, and represented 20 other resident Land Purchasers and agents of purchasers ; and in their interview with the Governor confined themselves to one subject — land. They complained that, with the exception of the Grey block, the land acquired on behalf of the Government, since his Excellency's visit in February 1847, was outside the limits of Mr. Commissioner Spain's award ; and that in point of situation, and other ad-

vantages, the lands to the southward were not such as to satisfy the purchasers in exchange for what they claimed in districts included in the award, but withheld by the natives. They also complained that although the Puketapu and other tribes had divided among themselves on the subject of land, the opportunity of acquiring small blocks of 1 or 2000 acres in their districts had been neglected by the officers of Government, who were alone authorized to purchase. The Land Purchasers mentioned to his Excellency that they had associated themselves with Mr. Bell, the Resident Agent of the New Zealand Company, and asked the Governor to allow him to negociate for lands, as he had a direct interest in securing to the purchasers the sections they had originally chosen. And they reminded his Excellency of his promise, through the deputation, to the settlers in March last, that he would at least secure a portion of Waitara, that being by far the most valuable part of the settlement ;• and they requested his Excellency to give directions for confintng the purchase of land for the future within the limits of the award, and not to extend the settlement south of the Tapuae block. The Governor referred to Mr. Sell, who concurred in the request, in so far as it was practicable. He considered the Government were bound to do everything to secuie the land between Waiwakaiho and Waitara, in order to secure to the Company's purchasers the sections they had originally selected. The Governor declined to make any promise for the future, on the subject of land in this settlement. He would however enlarge Mr. M'Lean's authority to enable him to purchase north of the Waiwakaiho ; and he thought the expected arrival of Wiremu Kingi and his people from Waikanae, would secure to us some portion of the lands south of Waitara'. The Governor hoped to induce him and others to occupy the north bank, and that the influence of the above chief, with that of Te Whero Whero, shortly expected here, would even cause some of the natives on this side of the river, to abandon their places within a fixed number of years, and go over to the other side. The Governor consented to Mr. Bell at once treating with any natives disposed to sell land of large or small amount, and to do everything except the final completion of puichases which will fall to the duty of the officers of Government. Afterwards a deputation of the settlers, coxa posed of Messrs. Wicksteed (chairman), Groube, J. Hursthouse, T. Bayly, J. Smith, with Dr. Wilson, and Mr. Hulke late of Wanganui, called on the Governor, and spoke to him on the following subjects :—: — ' Ist. They thanked him for the land behind t e town (the Grey block) and south of the Sugar Loaf Islands (the Tapuae block), but reminded him that no land had been acquired, at or near Waiura, and while they asked for land there, they were ready to take it in any other direction. The Governor said treaties were in progress for securing further land ; and a body of Land Purchasers had that morning asked him not to buy out of Mr. Spain's award, and for the next three months he should only purchase between the Waiwakaibo and Waitara. 2ud. The Governor was asked that Mr. Watson, the present beach-master be made a Licensed Pilot, which was promise 1. 3rd. A good and substantial boathouse for the preservation and protection of the Government cargo and passenger boats was solicited, and readily assented to, the Governor remarking that it would be an absolute saving of money. 4th. An efficient boats' crew. The Governor objected to the expense. A portion of thr armed police for the purpose was suggested to him, and the Governor consented' to the employment of a certain number. sth. Roads and the very bad state of the bridges, formed the next subject* The Governor declined to entertain the question t)ftr bridge over the Waiwakaiho, as he considered it would cost £2000 ; but if the settlers and Company would each contribute a fair proportion of the expense of re-erecting the town bridges, he would supply the deficiency. Gth. Dearth of labour. It was mentioned by the deputation as by no means improbable that the New Zealand Company had discontinued, perhaps finally, emigration to the settlement, and therefore we could only look to his Excellency. That during the late harvest, great loss was occasioned by the scarcity of labour — as much as 7s. and rations a- day having been in some instances offered and refused. An additional reason which prompted the deputation to appeal to the Governor was, that the great outlay of Government money in the other settlements, in comparison with which their expenditure in Taranaki bore no proportion, had drawn away nearly all our labour. The Governor was asked, in case be had no funds for the above purpose, to send us a body of Fencibles ? The dreadful fate of our countrymen at Wairau, was instanced as an inevitable result of the reiort to arm* by men unused to them ; and our relations with

the natives present and prospective were far I from encouraging. The Governor concurred in tbe benefi: which would ensue from the location of Fencibles here, and knew no place vrjiere their utility could be better tested. In their identity of interest with the settlers, they possessed a great advantage over troops ; and the Governor promised, should another regiment be sent out, to forward a detachment to Taranaki. He could not let us have any of those in, or now on their way to New Zealand, as they all belonged to one regiment, which was not to be detached from Auckland. 7th. To a request made, his Excellency promised at once to recommend the opening of a bonded warehouse at this settlement. Bth. The Governor said he would proclaim the operation of tbe Impounding Act within such limits, as the inhabitants might desire. 9th. The deputation gave it as their opinion in auswer to his Excellency,, that the settlers generally were in favour of Taranaki being included in the Northern province. 10th. The Governor desired to ascertain the wishes o. the inhabitants in reference to proclaiming this settlement a corporate body. The deputation answered they were not then in a position to discuss this. They had a great disinclination to impose ta> es on themselves, as owing to their limited numbers, any tax to be serviceable must be oppressive, and they feared that the constituting of themselves into a corporate body would disentitle them for the future to the expenditure they were then receiving from the Government ; but his Excellency said it would not be so. The question remained open. In the evening the deputation reported themselves to the settlers, who all appeared to favour the arrangement, that Taranaki should be in the Northern province ; and the Impounding Act be in. operation within the town. On the following morning (Tuesday), the Taranaki natives, the late ownerj, of the Tapuae block, objected to the Governor, that a reserve (400 acres) had been made by the resident pfficers of the Government, to natives not of their tribe, and not parties to the sale. They themselves had neither asked for nor received any reserve ; and they refused to allow other tribes to remain on land they had disposed of absolutely to the Europeans. The Governor promised to enquire into this. They afterwards wrote to his Excellency to the san.e purport ; and threatened the natives, to drive from the reserve" any who might attempt to take possession of it, as they had previously ; driven the I'uketapu people from Omata, which is a portion of the Tapuae purchase. The Governor next saw Paora, an old and influential chief ol Puketapu, and others of his tribe who had all decided on parting with their land to the Government. On Wednesday morning Poharama and other natives of Nga Motu, endeavoured to obtain tbe Governor's sanction to their occupation of the reserve in the Tapuae block ; but bis Excellency declined to express any opiniou without having all the parties before him ; and he blamed them for having kept out of sight, instead of meeting the real ownera of the land when they came forward on the day previously. Several other natives asked for small concessions on account of lands already sold by them. The Governor referred them all to Mr. Bell, telling them the lands had passed from him. A section of the worst of the Puketapu natives was the last to see the Governor. Only three spoke, Raniera, the Huia, and Katatori. The Huia conducted himself with a considerable amount of insolence throughout. They all three told the Governor they would never part with the land, which should remain after their death for their children, and so on from generation to generation. And that no mistake might exist, Katatori catechised bis tribe in presence of the Governor, and the one general deafening shout of assent te each question decided that there was no dissentient voice. The meeting was broken up by the Governor. They left the ground old and young singing wild hakas, and ready for mischief. His Excellency proclaimed the town of New Plymouth to come within the provisions of the Impounding Act on and after the 31st of this month. He authorised the expenditure of £100 for a new bridge over the Huatoki; £150 for a bridge over the Henui, and £25 as a contribution towards a private scheme for throwing a foot bridge across the VVaiwakaiho. And he gave £5 towards the projected. Mechanic's Institute. Dr. Wilson received the appointment of surgeon to the native hospital at the Henui. This appointment has caused general satisfaction, the settlers recognising with pleasure the desire of the Governor to make some amends to Dr. Wilson for the losses he has suffered at Wanganui. His Excellency and Mrs. Grey, and those who arrived with them from Wellington, embarked on board the steamer during the afternoon, and left for Auckland.

The weather during the Governor's stay was very fine. One of the "Government cargo boats was employed nearly every day in taking off visitors to the steamer, between 60 and 70 having been not unfrequently conveyed to and fro in one boat. The advantage of the permission given Ly his Excellency to Mr. Bell to treat for land has not been lost sight of, and promises to be at once realized to a certain extent, as on the day following the Governor's departure, the friendly Puketapu natives, headed by Paora, had a meeting with Mr. Bell, who left on Monday morning the 6th instant with a surveyor to ascertain the various boundaries of their land. Tho change in Paora and his tribe since March 1847, has caused considerable excitement amongst the rest of the Puketapu natives. It is expected, with some confidence, thai Mr. Cooke's farm, so long vexatiously withheld, will be the first purchase effected by Mr. Bell. On Saturday last, Mr. BelUalledtlie Land Purchasers together, to whom he stated without reserve everything which had -transpired between his Excellency and himself, relative to the land question. Mr. Bell returned to town last evening, and confirmed the intelligence of the previous day, that Paora and his people true to their promise had agreed to part with Mr. Cooke's land, as well as 100 acres adjoining, and 10 or 1200 acres on this side of Mangoraka. A further sale of land might have been agreed to between Waiongona and Waitara, but as the hostile natives were somewhat excited by the concessions already made, it was not considered prudent to proceed further for the present. Bth March, 1848.