The Patea Mail. Published Wednesdays and Saturdays SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1875.

Patea Mail, Volume I, Issue 87, 12 February 1876, Page 2

The Patea Mail. Published Wednesdays and Saturdays SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1875.

Tint very extraordinary manner 111 which native allairs are. managed nowadays, is a subject that must, and should he. fully opened up on Parliament meeting, Uneven the touching humility that the Native office has shown towards the Maoris of this island, for years past, must have its limits, and, unless the people of New Zealand arc prepared to hand hack all the lands, and give up all the advantages that cost so much blood and treasure to win, some radical changes must he made in dealing with the Maoris, in this part of the colony at all events. Through the obstinacy of the natives, and the weakness of the Government, the telegraphic line between here and Now Plymouth is severed by a gap of thirty miles or so. Only lately we were told that negoeiations were on foot, whereby this line would be completed, and, failing them, it would be constructed by the route of the Mountain Road. We wore also informed that the Mountain Road would he immediately available for stock travelling, but what is the case ? Only a week or so ago a settler gentling a flock of sheep along it, on the faith of such misinformation, had to turn back, by Maoris who were storing grass seed, and would not permit the sheep to cross the land. Could there be a greater proof of the huge incapacity of those who have undertaken to administer native affairs here, who are supposed to do justice between both races, but actually cringe and fawn to the Maori, and really appear to know nothing whatever on subjects, on which at least they should be well informed. But cases mnltqdy, and prove conclusively that the Maoris are becoming so emboldened, through everything that they ask for being granted, by their violations of the law being condoned or winked at, that it is hard indeed to tell where their demands will stop. We recently told of their coolly asking that the Ferry lease at Whenuakura should bo revoked, to allow a dozen or so of their ancestors 36 acres space, for final repose, and the case of Mr Riddell will be fresh in the memory of many of our readers, though it occurred comparatively long ago. Whether the lessee of the ■Ferry reserve wishes or does not wish to alter his location, and thinks he can better himself, has nothing whatever to do with the matter. If be desires to do so, he can, without wishing to make the abandonment of the reserve one of the leading ingredi -nls in the good

future terms he hopes to obtain. The Ferry reserve was set apart for Government purposes, and the causes that rendered it necessary may arise again : Hoods' may sweep it away, tin* may destroy it, or a host of circumstances may occur, to render it in the highest degree undesirable and impolitic to give up a title of claim, beyond just such space us the dead Maoris occupv. But tin; list of outrage is not yet concluded, for we learn from a vahvd correspondent, whose commmiieal inn we publish elsewhere, that a number of natives have taken forcible possession of a fifty acre section, belonging to Mr -fames Dickie, are felling trees, erecting whares, and declare their intention of keeping it. Tins is Maori insolence run mad, for Mr Dickie holds his land under no uncertain tenure, but under a bona fide Crown grant issued by the Government itself, who look the payment money. This should be the last straw, to break even the patient Government animal’s hack, and it is too (lag-rant tor even Sir Donald McLean, or his henchmen. in the shape of Native officials, to overlook. The probability is (hj it (he Native office will buy these intrmhrs off, by some means or other, and that it is with a full knowledge that they will he profitably compensated sonic way for the outrage, that the Maoris have trespassed as they have done. Sm-h paltering with them is sickening, is unworthy of New Zealand and ils inhabit,-mis,

and is destroying all confidence in the Native Department, from Donald the Great, down to the humblest clerk. Amongst those who are most troublesome wo are informed, are some of the murderous gang who justly forfeited their lives to the law for cold-blooded atrocities once, but were pardoned and petted, and who now. with the usual instinct of the savage, deem mercy weakness, and presume upon it accordingly. The whole progress of the settlement 0! this portion of the colony has been systematically checked hv the timorous M auri policy o! the Government, but even that is not enough ; spoliation, possibly viol nee and murder, may yet result, in which case, on the heads of the Department will rest the blame for fooling with savages. There is no necessity for it now either; (here might have hj mu in days gone by,'hut the pukelm has gut a foothold that ten limes the -Maoris in the province eouM not disturb, were, the worst to come to the worst. Speaking o: progress, look at the V\ uimalv pi .ms, lands that have been confiscated on pap' r, but are held by the Maoris yet, am! the p'ople are told that m-gociati'.ns, negoeiations, eternal m-gO'-lathm.:, are ml foot, wln-reliv they will he thrown «>]>■ n. 'The same song has lie n snug sim-e the so-eall -d confiscation took niece, but its realisation s -ems as far distant as ever, whilst on the other hand the insolence of the -Maoris to (lie white sAllers in-creas-'s day by Jay, foster-d by the sheltering care of the Native office. Were the Waimate lands Drown op-n, hundreds of settlers could find homesteads on some of the best, land that ever plough was put in, hut on the contrary they are lying waste. The stab' of native alT.drs in the district and the province, is both critical and unsatisfactory in the highest degree, as, we think, we have pretty conclusively shown. Whether any reform will come shortly, or whether the public can only hope for it through the intervention of Parliament, has-yet to he seen. We may say that not only here hut elsewhere, strange favor lias been shown by the administrative officers of the department, that will cause searching enquiry and investigation, likely to he exceedingly unpleasant to many of the parties concerned.