To the Editor of the New Zealand Spectator. New Plymouth, March 11, 1848.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 276, 22 March 1848, Page 3

To the Editor of the New Zealand Spectator. New Plymouth, March 11, 1848.

Sir, — I did not expect, when, on the 28th of January, I sought information from you or your readers, as to whether Europeans and Natives, dying from violent causes in European districts, ■were equally entitled to investigation into those causes for tho benefit, satisfaction, and caution of the living, — that the magistrates of this settlement would themselves have afforded the required information by a striking example. The Native blind boy — the subject of my previous letter — was drowned last January in the Henui, in attempting to cross a rotten bridge ; at least the authorities have left us to form out own opinion, and that is mine. An unfortunate European boy, whose life had been deprived of reason for nearly two years, met with a similar fate in the Huatoki the other day. So, sir, within a short period of each other, loss of sight in one instance, and loss of intellect in the other, produced death by violent means; and to show, in elucidation of my question, that there are different laws for different races in these Islands, at least in the European settlement of New Plymouth, the dent Magistrate with a great show of solemnity investigated the particulars connected with the death cf the unfortunate European boy, called witnesses, and took copious notes; but the equally unfortunate Native boy, was, I presume, not considered entitled to a similar inquiry. Why I_ cannot conceive. Nor can I believe that this is an instruction from Captain Grey. I will, until explained, rather attribute it to a breach of positive duty, a negligent omission on the part of the authorities in the place. I am, Sir, Your obedient serrant, Katahi.