MAORI FENCING, PATEA COUNTRY.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5708, 16 July 1879, Page 3

MAORI FENCING, PATEA COUNTRY.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NEW ZEALAND TIMES. Sib, —Referring in a late issue to the telegraphic report of a consultation between Tawhiao and leading chiefs in the King country, their disclaimer of any connection with the evil work of Te Whiti, you remarked that the fear of war shown by them was the result of the arming of settlers and the concentration of forces by the Government on this coast. Few persons knowing anything of the natives will venture to assort otherwise. The mere show of force has brought them to their senses. So it would have been on this coast had the Native Minister but kept one tithe of his promises, or even had he when he rushed with such precipitation to Wellington after being bearded by Te Whiti, returned as promised within a week with a force of 200 armed men. He has never ventured to show his nose this way since. Every promise made by him to and in connection with the natives has been violated.

“ Immeasurable liar” was a quotation made use of by Mr. Sheehan in the Assembly in debate on the Hawke’s Bay land transactions. How aptly it applies to himself, Europeans and natives alike, unfortunately but too well know. A very Prince is he. His first visit to this coast was marked by a vigorous speech to the natives of the results which would follow any aggressive acts or breaches of the law. At an interview with a full deputation of members of the Patea County Council (regretting at the same time that no accredited representative of the Press was present to record his words) he caused Major Brown to be called into the room that he might express to him before the deputation the great confidence he had in his ability to deal with the native difficulty. He stated that ha gave Major Brown carte hlanche to act, and would back him up by money and men if required in the settlement of the Waimate Plains difficulty. The necessity for an armed force has always been insisted on by those whose desire and business it was to see the plains surveyed and occupied by Europeans. Honi Pihama for several years past has been ready at any time, with but a few armed men, to guarantee the peaceful survey and occupation of the plains. The active support of the Government was promised. All who have followed events during the last year, know how the promises have been kept. The obstruction to the survey of the Momahaki Block, vigorous though it was, was completely subdued by the firmness and patience of Major Brown.. He did what had never previously been ventured upon—that is, deducted from moneys long before promised to the former native owners of the block for loss of time and damage to survey work done by the obstructionists. The sum was not large, but the effect of the Civil Commissioner's action on the natives was great. They were not slow to see how great losers they would eventually be if deductions for damages and loss of time to survey parties, was in all cases of obstruction insisted upon. Special messengers were sent from the Waimate Plains to ascertain the truth of the report which had reached the natives on the plains. Several other long standing differences as to particular blocks were almost immediately afterwards settled, ■ and money which had been held back pending agreement of differences between the natives, some being for obstruction, others against, was accepted by them. The result on the plains natives was such as to make Mr. Titokowaru and other like celebrities more civil than they had been previously known. The aforementioned cannibal began to see that civility might secure him a larger share of reserves than bounce and obstruction. Rapid progress was then made in the adjustment of differences as regards the Waimate Plains. It was known Mr. Sheehan bad himself specially visited Titokowaru on the plains, to tell that worthy that the action of Major Brown would be backed up, and that the plains would be surveyed, sold, and occupied, and that his share would depend very much upon his behavior. Not long after it leaked out that the money which Major Brown had successfully insisted on deducting for obstruction on the Momahaki Block had been actually paid over to the natives by order of the Government, Thus the influence of the Civil Commissioner was undermined. The promised backing up by Mr. Sheehan had been backed out of, and so promise after promise has been violated, and the present mess has resulted, and one of the finest and moat prosperous and progressive dsstricts in the colony has been blasted and made a sacrifice through the weakness and unreliability of the Native Minister, and the spleen and almost criminal obstructiveness «f Sir George Grey. At the time when armed men were most wanted, Captain Blake afid Mr. Mackay were commissioned to undermine the influence of Brown and Williams. There was the spectacle of Mr. Williams, by authority, telling the natives that if Major Brown would not be allowed to settle the difficulty, Colonel Whitmore, with armed forces, would ; while almost if not at the selfsame time, Blake and Mackay, with Sherrin as a political advance agent (the latter asserted to be also in the pay of the Government, and actually parading letters, signed by authority, giving him free use of the telegraph), these were, the latter most active of all, instilling into the minds of the natives “the illegality of the confiscation”—notions which have resulted in the present trouble, and what Sir George Grey is believed to have been directly and indirectly aiming at: to get the matter into the lawyers' hands. The monstrous proposition which at one time gained currency that Mr. Rees, M.H.R. (Sir George Grey’s tool), would be appointed to arbitrate on the Waimate Plains question, but affords another evidence of how little respect for the European settlers the. Premier has. How ho has been forced by the action of

the settlers to make a pretence of pr.'t cling them by agreeing to the arrest of the ploughmen is also well known. It has been rumored here that he is now about to make capital of the action he was forced to assent to by taking credit for caring {for the safety of settlers by causing the prisoners to be taken. How then about the Maori fencers ? They have been at work several days on Finlayson’s land, fencing in that portion lately ploughed. Gateways have been blocked up, and new ones put in in other parts of the ground. Karaka trees, planted partly for ornament, partly for shelter to dwellings, have been chopped down, and other damage done. Is it by Government orders that no restraining action has yet been taken 1 la it thought the settlers who had been driven from their holdings by the aggressive acts of the followers of Te Whiti and other Parihaka prophets are going to rest satisfied that a portion of the law-breakers have been taken charge of. Many settlers have been driven to the verge of ruin, and despair has set in. Loss of home, destruction of property, the labor of years ruthlessly destroyed, and no likelihood of redress, and small chance of safe occupation of land which comprises some men’s all. The thought of these matters leads to despe:at.ion, and Sir George Grey may show so great love for his dear Maoris as to entirely overlook the claims and desperate condition of the men of his own color and blood. It is nothing but the hope of immediate relief on the meeting of the Assembly that has led to so great forbearance. The strain is now great, and is not likely to be much longer borne. To reason with men who deem themselves very gods whom the power of the pakeha cannot harm, is out of the question. Their illusions should be dispelled, and the murderer-harborer, murderers, and other peace-disturbing prophets who reign supreme at Parihaka, should have such a sample of pakeha power which could not fail to carry conviction. The mere arming on this coast has, according to your telegrams and own remarks, brought the King natives to their senses. It could more easily have been done on this coast had the Native Minister been hut moderately truthful, and shown a bold front after his hasty retreat from Parihaka. It can yet be done, but not by process of law. It would be better done by Government than by exasperated settlers. There is now little time to lose. Patience will soon be all exhausted.— I am, &c., One op Them. Carlyle, July 11, 1879.