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Patea Mail, Volume IV, Issue 401, 19 February 1879, Page 2

Mr Sheehan gets credit for being the back-bone of the Grey Ministry. If he is, the said Ministry must be rather weak in the spinal column. The Atlas who was expected to bear the Native difficulty of the North Island, much as Samson did the gates of Gaza, is found to totter under the burden of petty difficulties in the South. Our readers may not be aware that a certain chief named Solomon, with about ninety followers, have, for a year past, been living in luxury on the freehold estate of the Hon. R. Campbell, at Otokaike, where they have devoured vast quantities of mutton at the bon. gentleman’s expense. All attempts to dislodge them have been met by threats of ridicule. Their ancestors bad seen this land from a mountain top, or had fished in the sea near the mouth of one of its streams, and therefore, ‘ will he ni 11 lie,’ the land is theirs. The lawless behaviour of tliese intruders attracted attention in the House last session, but Mr Sheehan made a joke of the whole affair. A few months ago he visited the South, and was persuaded to call upon Solomon. He did so ; but like a certain queen when she saw the glory of Solomon, Mr Sheehan felt that theie was “ no move spirit in him ” in the presence of the noble savage. He was very civil, and sympathised with them in their grievance. He told them, however, that they must leave Otekaiko by the end of the year. They are there yet, however ; and their unwilling host, who in deference to the wish of Hie Native Minister, has refrained from the ordinary course of law, seems as far from redress as ever.

Thus, there is allowed among us a privileged class that is above law. They may trespass, rob, and murder ; and the only result is the transmission through the post of numerous huge envelopes ‘0.P.5.0.’ Property is not safe in the South, nor life in the North. Lqt a European walk on the wrong side of a Hedge, use threatening language, or appropriate his neighbour’s sheep or lamb, and serious matters are in store for him. Lot a Maori occupy a run, and live on the flocks thereof, and shoot a man or so in sport, and he becomes quite a sacred personage, to be approached in diplomatic language only. He receives visits from Ministers of the Crown, and is politely invited to consider whether it would be consistent with his dignity to advise his descendants not to tread in the footsteps of their fathers.