WEEKLY BULLETIN.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5633, 19 April 1879, Page 2

WEEKLY BULLETIN.

(From the New Zealand Mail.) Nothing, or next to nothing, has transpired during the week which can be said to have shed any light on the state of native affairs. From official sources we hear of there being every prospect of peace, but from every other quarter we learn that the natives are strongly armed, and are prepared to resist forcibly and strenously any attempt to compel them to bow down to the wishes of the pakeha. Whatever Mr. Mackay’s report may be it is certain that his judgment is generally sound and his influence with the Maoris great, and we should hail with satisfaction any recommendation of his which would have the effect of delaying any final award until the matter had been laid before Parliament. The issue at stake is practically not only the retention of the Waimate Plains, but the upholding of our prestige in the eyes of the natives. If it can be proved that promises of a definite and binding character were given to the natives in respect to the plains, the whole country through its representatives would be prepared to ratify those promises, but we desire to see plain disinterested evidence of the fact, and as witnesses must be difficult to find, or to examine when found, there is no apparent likelihood of an immediate settlement. Prom our correspondents in the Waikato and in the Wairarapa, and from the “Waka Maori,” we learn that Te Whiti has been sending messages to the natives throughout the Island, warning them of the possibility of an outbreak, and probably at the same time demanding assistance in the event of war. He is astute enough to know that he was sure of plenty of volunteers from among the younger men of the tribes if war should break out. His “ mana,” or influence, is very great now that he has so successfully protected a murderer and defied the Europeans; and his means of communication with the Maoris on the East Coast, at the Thames, and elsewhere are wonderfully rapid and well arranged. There are many who believe that but for the unrebuked outrage of Tukukino and his fellows at Ohinemutn, who first set the example of turning off roadmen and surveyors, and were allowed to do so with impunity, the surveyors on the plains would have been left unmolested. The County Council desired to proceed against this old offender at the Thames, who had been repeatedly warned not to interfere, but all proceedings were at once stopped by orders from the Premier and the Native Office. Since then the gear of the snagging punts at the Waihoa river was seized by a number of natives in the same district, and the County Council were again said to be likely to proceed against the offenders. None of the initiated believed that there was ever the remotest possibility of the Council being allowed to attempt to recover their lost goods, and the report was no doubt only circulated as a “blind,” and to disarm criticism. We have been accused of acting as alarmists, but we have been simply anxious to lay before our readers the truth in connection with this Maori disturbance to the best of our judgment according to the information at our disposal. Our correspondents were numerous, and were unanimous in representing the danger as great. We earnestly hope that as the Maoris have had time for reflection they may in their calmer moments recognise the folly of pushing matters to extremities, and that a conciliatory and just desire on our part to inquire into their grievances and to act in accordance with result of this investigation may enable us both to avoid war and loss of honor also. We confess that we have no confidence in the finality of any arrangements which may be made by the present Ministry. When Mr. Sheehan found it necessary to withdraw from taking an active part in the negotiations, he must have felt that all his influence and authority had somehow been forfeited by what had passed. Sir G. Grey would delight in finding some sort of excuse for giving back to the Maoris the whole of the confiscated land ;—this would restore him to the post of honor which he has lost in the hearts of the Maoris, both friendlies and rebels, whom he has always favored at the expense of his own countrymen. A gentleman writing from New Plymouth to the “ Taranaki Herald,” who is known to be hand-and-glove with Ministers, says —“ The legality of this confiscation I “ have strong reasons for believing will “ be tested in the highest Courts of the “ realm.” . This smacks strongly of the phraseology of the great “pro-consul,” the idea of testing in a Court of Law the legality of a confiscation by force of arms would never have occurred to any ordinary being with only his own common sense to guide him. The rough measure of justice meted out at the point of the bayonet will hardly commend itself to the minds of Judges trained to believe that the law is supreme, and that it is only when all legal measures have failed to secure justice, that an appeal to force may be demanded. The first grievance against the Native Minister was plainly stated by Te Whiti —he called Mr. Sheehan a thief of the land. The first excuse made for his action was that in the 16,000 acres which had been surveyed no reserves for the Maoris had been made. Then came the report that Commissioner Williams had offered an ultimatum of which the terms had been peremptorily declined. The rumors that were next floated were to the the effect that Sir Donald McLean had made lavish promises to the natives, and had agreed to pay ss. an acre forevery acre occupied. Within the past few days it has been stated that Mr. Parris, formerly a Civil Commissioner, made promises which were neglected when the survey was made ; and Mr. Sherrin, writing to the “Taranaki Herald,” says There “ is the legend on the plains that Major “ Brown told the different hapus that “those who were willing to allow the “ Government to take possession of their “ ancestral estates should have some re- “ serves, but those who were not acquies- “ cent should have none. This statement “ is freely bandied about as fact. In the “ matter of these promises, two facts stand “ out distinctly : Major Brown either “knew, or he did not know, of these promises, whatever they may have been. “ If he knew of these promises, he should “ have informed the Hon. the Native “ Minister of their existence, who had “ never heard of them until lately ; and “when told by Mr. Mackay of their “ existence, failed to give credence to the “ rumor. If Major Brown was igno- “ rant of their existence the charge of “ incapacity must be laid against.his con- “ duct. There is no escape from this “ dilemma. To his action alone is due our “ present unfortunate position, and on his “ shoulders must the responsibility rest.” As the writer has been acting as correspondent to the Press Agency during the past month or more, he may be supposed

to be well up in the subject ; it is impossible to decide what truth there is in these contradictory reports. One thing only is very clear, there has been a great mess made, and those who are responsible for it would be only too glad to find a scapegoat. The treason of the pakeha-Maoris, the carelessness of the surveyors, the supposed unrecorded promises of a deceased Native Minister, or of a civil commissioner or of a native agent; each one and all of these excuses have been made, their multiplicity and contradictory nature recall the old French proverb—“ Qui s' excuse s' accuse. We have strong hopes of a peaceful issue to the Plains difficulty if the present delay continues ; but knowing the temperament of the Maoris, their quick perception of weakness, and their undisguised fondness for a war, provided the slaughter is not too heavy, we are convinced that the preservation of peace in the immediate future is sure to tax the ingenuity of the Native Department most severely. The withdrawal of the land from sale and the appointment of Mr. Maokay as negotiator are the only two crumbs of consolation in the whole business. Coupling these two facts with the present absence of news, which implies delay if not deliberation, the outlook seems to us somewhat more hopeful than it appeared to be a week ago.