Plains Gossip.

Patea Mail, 4 September 1880, Page 2

Plains Gossip.

[from our correspondent.]

Hawera, Friday,

Mr Bryce did not arrive ou Wednesday evening, although expected. The reports that he was ill are without foundation, but he has been waiting at the camp until the Governor had assented to the West Coast Settlement Bill. It was for this reason that the Maoris were taken to New Plymouth and there released, for until the Governor had assented to the new powers, the Maoris could not be dealt with as intended, and they would be the same troublesome lunatics as the prisoners previously taken. The last taking of prisoners was on Saturday, when eleven were arrested. These were afterwards released in New Plymouth. On Sunday twelve Maoris went fencing, again, or rather pulling down the fences which the constabulary had been erecting on each side of the road to protect Maori cultivations. Mr Bryce ordered that, should the Maoris pull down or interfere with this fence, the constabulary were to bring their carts and take the fence as firewood, so that when the Maoris pulled down this fence to make a ‘ tie up’ across the road they found that the timber for that purpose was taken away, and after a time, finding that all the wood had been taken away, indignantly asked why they were not taken prisoners. The A .Cs. had taken the wood prisoners and they demanded to be taken also. They wanted to know whether they were not as good as the other fellows that had been taken prisoners. Towards night they left, very much “down in the mouth ” at having to go back to Parihaka and tell their comrades their want of success. The next morning, Monday, the same parties came with an addition of about ten to their numbers. This time they broke off branches of trees arid amused themselves in tying them together with flax across the road. The scene is described as most ludicrous, and the amount of wasted energy something out of the common, even. with Maoris.

[ Towards dusk the A.Cs: made a rush and cleared all these obstructions away, and again the Maoris bad to go away disappointed at not being arrested, and their having a chance to eat the Government kai: , _ , p , . ~, ,T ; ' On Tuesday the same performances were enacted with an addition of 10 more Maoris. On Wednesday morning 46 made their appearance, each carrying a branch or twig of some sort, and commenced vigorously to fence across the road. This went on for some hours.. Of course there was a lot of bye-play, a scuffle now and again, but nothing to speak about, until one of the leaders attacked the butchers’ slaughter-yard to obtain rails to put across the road. Thebutcherman objected rather forcibly', and a scuiHe ensued, the JViTaorxs getting very excited until their leader told them to stop, and explained to them that they only came to fence and not interfere with the pakehas. Mr Bryce here gave the order for the constabulary to remove the erected fences, when a scene of the utmost confusion ensued, the Maoris all their force to prevent the removal of the newly-erected fence, the A.C.’s being quite as determined upon its removal. Some severe handling took place on both sides before the A.C.’s finally conquered. It is believed that yesterday a large batch would have been taken under the West Coast Settlements Act, and of course liable for two years’ : hard labor. Te Whiti is sending a great many boys and old men on these fencing expeditions. Nuku, Titokowaru’s brother, went up yesterday to form one of these parties.