THE NATIVE DIFFICULTY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2696, 9 November 1881, Page 2

THE NATIVE DIFFICULTY.

The following extracts from a telegram received yesterday afternoon from our special correspondent, too late for insertion, will be found interesting : Heavy rains continue, but the Volunteers are in good spirits, and it is very satisfactory to hear songs of all sorts as one passes the different tents. The sentries have a rough time of it, and officers on picket duty have disagreeable work in this wet weather. Their chain of sentries extends along broken hills and gullies and the duty of visiting these entails considerable toil. Of course in such weather tents come to grief occasionally. About noon the canteen tent collapsed, causing considerable damage. There can be no doubt the Volunteers have been tried and found willing and enduring. It must be stated that on Friday night they were paraded at Rahotu at 8 o’clock to see that every man was complete. On Saturday morning they break! asted at four, paraded at half-past, and marched at five, arriving at Parapara about seven, where they were halted for a short time. To arrive at the locality ordered the men had to go through rough scrub and bush besides climbing Maori fences, and this in heavy marching order. When the advance was sounded at eleven all closed in, but until some time past noon the Volunteers were in marching order,a period of nearly eight hours ; add to this that the guards and sentries had to be provided for Saturday night, and all will admit that our Volunteers have behaved well, and proved that the Volunteering service is to be relied upon in case of emergency, I have kept from mentioning how your correspondent was enabled to report the proceedings of the arrest as an eye witness after being refused permission to be near the scene of action. I succeeded after considerable difficulty and toil in getting into such a position as gave a complete view of all the movements. This position might have easily been conceded ot first. 'The Proclamation which has been posted directs that all Natives are to return to their own neighborhoods, and informs those Natives who have claims on confiscated land, they must leave the settlement of them to the Government, It is not likely that the Maoris will disperse. A message received still later last evening from our special correspondent: runs —I have just (4 p.m.) left Parihaka. Nothing further was done during the afternoon, Mr Bryce and Mr Bolleston having left for Opunake. A redoubt is being erected on Fort Bolleston,as the hill over-looking Parihaka has been named. The Maoris say they know that Bryce wants them to strike the first blow, but Te Whiti tells them that no matter what indignity they suffer they are not to raise a hand, even if the shirts are taken off their backs. The Armstrong gun has frightened some. Pihana,. one of the New Plymouth Natives, left this morning. The Taranaki Natives are quite lively. The girls are skipping and the men laughing. Wi Parata is still there. Kemp sent a letter to his tribe advising them to leave Parihaka, but they would not receive it. Colonel Roberts is much pleased with the conduct of the officers and men of the Volunteers.

At the Supreme Court at New Plymouth yesterday, His Honor Judge G-ilh'es, in addressing the Grand Jury said he would be wanting in his duty if he ignored the circumstances of the position of the district, in which large bodies of armed men were now assembled on active service, and he took leave to remind them of the constitutional principle that the employment of an armed force was only justifiable either under the authority of Parliament in repelling armed aggression, as in aid of the civil arm of the law, when that arm had proved powerless to enforce the law’s mandates. In any other case the use of armed force was illegal and a menace to, if not an outrage upon, the liberties of the people. Ho entertained an earnest hope that the events of the last few days would have the result of maintaining peace and the permanent establishment of order within the dis* trict.

THIS DAY. [By Telegraph.] [prom our special correspondent.! Pungarehu, 9 a.m. Yesterday afternoon was devoted to settling camps and erecting a redoubt. The men were under arms at one, when Mr Bryce told Colonel Roberts to dismisstbe men. He rode to Opunake at once, I learn that Mr Park, of the Hutt Navals, is suffering from sunstroke, and another officer at that camp fainted yesterday. The small caps are much to be condemned. A number of men were walking about with faces looking as if they were just out of a prize fight, from the effects of the sun. Surely a felt hat similar to that in daily use, would save the men from the torture now endured. Captain Hamersley’s Battalion shift camp to-day. This comprises the Canterbury contingent, Wellington Guards, Rifles, and Engineers, and W airarapa Rifles. This is the third camp for them at Parihaka. I visited all the camps yesterday. The Nelson men complain about the tents. No doubt they are wretched coverings, but there is no grumbling in any Coips, although after a scorching day on Monday the Wellington Engineers had to hand over their great coats, wet as they were, to the men of another Company going on guard, 1 put in telegrams as early as possible,but the lines are frequently blocked. A report has been received of ploughing at Manaia. A party of A.C.’s returned from Stoney river yesterday. There are now three Battalions in camp, but no Brigade-Major. Matters would work more smoothly if one was appointed. It is unlikely that anj thing will be done to-day. A private of the Palmerston Volunteers was arrested yesterday by the police for failing to answer a summons as a witness in a case of attempted suicide. Could not this man’s evidence have been taken here and the expense to the country saved? Te Whiti and Tohu are both cheerful. The former’s niana is not lost, the Natives say. The arms collected yesterday were only pigeon guns; their fighting guns have evidently been planted.