The Patea Mail. PUBLISHED WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS WEDNESDAY, MAY 2, 1877.

Patea Mail, Volume III, Issue 215, 2 May 1877, Page 2

The Patea Mail. PUBLISHED WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS WEDNESDAY, MAY 2, 1877.

A tki/eguam, started on Friday evening, was received on Suture ay morning' last from New Plymouth, stating that the Premier (Major Atkinson) would pay this district a visit during the week, and that ho intended to leave Now Plymouth on the Saturday morning, anil travel hy way of the Mountain Road. The Premier has been so many times expected here, that, until he actually shows np but little iaith will be placed in the statement. Judging by the dissatisfied niurmunugs of many

persons in various parts of the district, i there are a heap of grievances to bring under the notice of the Premier. It is said that the constituency inis been treated with scant courtesy at his hands, ami that the North has been unduly favored. Of course it is acknowledged that the Premier was chiefly instrumental m getting Patoa constituted a separate County, and that the district is thereby placed iu a wonderfully advantageous position to what would have been the case had it been linked to Taranaki. Credit is freely awarded by Paten residents for that great boon. It is right that it should be so. Major Atkinson was subjected to much abuse and harvassment by the North through what was termed his undue favoritism to this district. It was stated that the division was effected from purely selfish motives, ami that ho was sacrificing the interests of the North for the sake of making his scat safe here. Besides the public attacks on the Premier for the unjust (from a Taranaki point of view) division of the province, there is reason to believe that he was most unmercifully harassed privately, by persons of influence in the North, who felt that in-losing control of, and benefits to be derived from, the rich lands ofPatea, their hopes of progress in the near future were, in a measure,

blasted. In spite of fill tlie influence brought to bear and the harrassment occasioned, settlers hereabouts have need to bo thankful that such a division of the province as at present exists was effected. In rating the Premier for alleged neglect, tins matter should not be lost sight of. Me laid a difficult task to T»'rfovm, and in the case referred to acquitted iiimseif well. That, howe/ver, should lie no reason for backwardness being shown in bringing genuine grievances under the Premier’s notice. It is rarclv, indeed, that he visits the district, and the best should he made of the present opportunity. It is reported that, at Normanby and Hawera deputations have been organised to interview him—more especially in regard to the formation of the Mountain Poad. Other j matters of loud interest will also bo brought under his notice. Mamitahi settlers will, doubtless, avail themselves of the opportunity of endeavouring to get the Post and Telegraph office grievance righted, and bettor arrangements as to sheep inspection. In Carlyle, there are a number of important matters affecting the interests of settlers in the whole County, about which the. Premier will be consulted. The Harbour Board will, perhaps, stand first in importance, as on the speedy and satisfactory carrying out of proposed works for river improvement, will the future, progress of thy whole district, from ’Normanby to Waitotara, depend. In any case, the district will move ahead, but if arrangements can be made for the speedy completion of the wlmle of the. proposed work, and it should prove only partly effective, the progress of this district will be most rapid. The County Council will also claim a considerable share of thePrcmior’s attention,whilst members of Hoad Boards will have suggestions to offer which are deemed to bo of the utmost importance to the interests of the particular localities. .Private parlies will, of course, have, private grievances to air, which, under thy benign smile ol the Chief Administrative owtAr of the colony, will, no doubt, speedily vanish. The Premier has been well interviewed during his visit to New Plymouth, the Waste Lands, Borough Council, sheep interest, public buildings, Pccreation Ground, and last, but not least,

Native a flairs were represented, and the views of the deputations discussed. Deferring to this matter the Taranaki Herald says; N a tivo affairs arc what may bo termed a rather delicate subject to deal with, at least so the officials of the department tell ns so. So nicely balanced are the truculent and aggressive feelings of the Maori by the sagacious gravity of the department, that any rude interference from without is fatal to the stable equilibrium of native affairs, and the whole concern rushes avalanche fashion to ruin. The deputation to the Premier, however, was not organised for the purpose of proposing a now policy. It only suggested little improvements in administration, such its the prompt settlement of native titles in cases of succession to land, and doing away with the system peculiar, we believe, to this district of Civil Commissioners, occasionally cm their own authority forbidding interpreters to interpret deeds in land leasing or purchasing transactions. The. Prwmicr promised that these matters would be attended to, and expressed some surprise with respect to the fettering of interpreters. During the mania for law making among the natives in the Waikato some years ago, one individual rod need the system to an absurdity, by decreeing laws for himself. The Maoris were sagacious enough to see that individual law making would not work, and the now laws, as a matter of course, speedily became obsolete. On the same system, and with like authority, our local Native Department occasionally make laws to control circumstances, hut the people of Taranaki do not like home-made law of this sort, hence the deputation.”

Since the above was in type, the Premier has arrived. He passed through Normanby on Sunday, arriving at Hawera the same evening. A deputation of Manutahi settlers were on the look out ou Monday, and had an interview with the hou. gentleman. Ho stayed at Manutahi all night, and arrived at Carlyle about half-past one o’clock yesterday. Major Atkinson, in response to an •invitation from the Chairman, attended the meeting of the County Council in the afternoon, and replied to questions on various subjects which were put to him. The Harbour Board will meet the Premier this morning, and other matters will also bo brought forward. The hou. gentleman is expected to leave Carlyle on his way buck to New Plymouth early this afternoon.