TARANAKI. [From our Correspondent.] New Plymouth, 5th Dec, 1848.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume V, Issue 350, 9 December 1848, Page 2

TARANAKI. [From our Correspondent.] New Plymouth, sth Dec, 1848.

We have had a most cheering spring for the farmers, and all the crops are looking healthy and promising. A considerable num<ber of acres are about being broken up in the Omatu block, by working, men wh'p liave„either rented or bought -from , the jWanganui landowners : every fern section but two^'T believe, in that district has been ' selected, -and persons resident on roost, of them : some timber sections are also being cleared, Jn ,a more" northerly direction, between the Henui and Waiwakaio' river, there seems to be a favourite timber district about four miles from the Devon line, and from which a good road is said to he practicable ; I hope our friends who are busily employed in falling bush in that district, have not been too sanguine in their confidence in the facility of making good roads through a forest ; however, be this as it may, they are at work wholesale, 12 or 13 of the lately arrived Waikanae natives', and twenty five Ngalimaniapoto from Mokau, under the superintendence of the three chiefs Waitara, Te Kaka, and Te Kakaroa, are cutting away in amicable rivalry ; and, by the end of December, it is said that nearly 100 acres will be cut down and ready for burning. The block of land (1300 acres) between Mangati and Waita, acquired by the Company, was paid for last week, and that restless, noisy tribe, the Puketapu, seem tolerably satisfied, although, as usual, there has been a good deal of bickering amongst themselves as -to the division of the " utu." The overland :expedition of William King and his tribe' arrived from Waikanae a short time silica, I can tell you but little of their movements ; the Governor's continued. a.bsencefiom'Tai'&naki had* evidently done ha/m. The natives are very tenacious of authorities keeping their promises, added to this there is much jealousy beiween the former resident natives™ tr Tangata ote wenua," and the new comers. A great majority of the former are very well inclined to accede to the Government proposal c-f selling the south lank of Waitara, and have behaved very well in resisting an attempt that was'tna'de by a chief called Patu kakariki, to enforce payment from all vessels entering the Waitara. William King; if .he? did notactually sanction this proceeding, yet defended .the practice to the .remonstrating agent of the vessels. Amongst other unfair and impolitic steps that the Government has adopted, is the removal of Mr. Maclean to the Southward for an indefinite period. If Mr. Maclean is Inspector of Police, &c, &c, for this district, what pretext can be found for sending him on a mission not the least affecting this settlement, and at the same time leaving us in a very critical sta,te? I will, venture to predict that no further, land .purchase will be completed until his return, and if any slight disturbance takes place there is not one here, however "vrell inclined, the other authorities may be, who can control the natives with" any effect. I consider that the Government, does not attach due importance ~U> the peculiar position o£ this settlement with reference o tjP the natives. We are surrounded, hemmed in by natives, north; east and south, with nothing to fall back but a few hundred men who remain stockaded at Wanganui. It js abjsurd to say that English law can be administered here. An intelligent native from your Town, who has lately "arrived here; on a visit, was saying to us the other day 1 , "in Wellington there is no law but the Queen's,, buthere you havje three J^.^lQu,een>Ja'w|;Miss]ojaary law, and Native lagj^no wonder that there is always so much Jlissejisjon,'"^The^ answer was '" true j^butif, in ' Wellington,''" the.same'relative numbers of Europeans I ' and Natives were living w'UJhqut troqps, or<th%peans of enforcing .authority, you might, complain o? .the]' same grievance." "JVjejy rightj" said our Maori friend,- •-' and jthat being; the case* I hoj^Mny stay in Taranaki will be short." Hf^s*. ~ The land owners, have^had-a. preliminary meeting on the subject of compensation ; the general feeling is, that, according" iib Hheir lossesj~thVy "arena's much an e"qual share of compensation as* their. Wellington brethren^ and that "Mr v Spain's' award merely benefittedthe Company jarid 'ruin^^Wisettlers. We'all , sympathise with^you ifiypur heavy losses by earthquakes at Wellington' — here they did no harm at all.-'-not even to old ruinous clay houses. *';-<*- >i