THE NATIVE DIFFICULTY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2705, 19 November 1881, Page 2

THE NATIVE DIFFICULTY.

The Canterbury, Nelson and Marlborough Contingents were to embark at Opunake for home to-day. Yesterday 377 Natives in all were arrested, including 40 members of the Waikato tribe, who are not so well known as the others. Each Native when called on came out without the slightest resistance. It is expected that some trouble will be found in picking out the women and children belonging to the Waikato tribes, but this morning the Waikato men who have been arrested were to be marched to the front of the marae and the women were to be called upon to join their husbands. This it was expected they would do. It has been found necessary to handcuff Titokowaru, and also to keep him in solitary confinement, owing to his threatening manner. Mr Bryce has decided to detain him as he is sure that the settlers on the West Coast will be very glad to hear of his being under arrest. There are several charges on which he could be indicted, and it is not improbable that he will be brought before the Court. These charges are —taking up arms against the Queen, murder, sedition, and other minor offences.

Zereopa, who was arrested yesterday, will be required to give evidence in the case of Hiroki at New Plymouth on Monday. Two other Waitotara chiefs will be sent to New Plymouth to give evidence in the case. Mr Bryce is of opinion that the evidence of Mr Charles Messenger will be sufficient to establish a jn-ima facie case against Hiroki, and that on Monday he will be committed for trial.

The people of New Plymouth had a new excitement yesterday. This was the passing through the town of 408 native prisoners, under escort, for Waitura. They wore marched iinto town at ton in the morning, and rested in a paddock until one. in the meantime being given a good feed. They were then marched to the railway station and placed in a train, the women in carriages and the men in trucks, and despatched to their own districts. They were in capital humor and cheered the people who assembled to see them off.

The “Lyttelton Times ” special at the front telegraphed last night:—There is, so far, no new development of the “dispersing policy.” The Maoris aie being arrested indiscriminately in many instances, neither their names nor that of the tribes to which they belong being known. To-morrow a novel experiment is to be tried, with a view to identifying male prisoners. They are to be paraded close to Parihaka, in the anticipation that their wives and other female relatives v-ill come out and speak to them. If I understand the arrangement aright, the object is not only to identify the male prisoners, but to trap the women and children, and thus render their wholesale arrest more easy. It is due to the Armed Constabulary to say that in private conversation most of them express themselves thoroughly disgusted with the work they are called upon to perform. Among the men Mr Bryce is most anxious to arrest are Te Tiki, Patuawairua, and Whakawiria, belonging to Titokowaru’s hapu. The last mentioned is the man who defied James Mackay in the Mount Cook barracks about two years ago, when your correspondent was present, and when it was feared they were going to break gaol. The arrested Maoris are making no secret of their intention to return to Parihaka at the earliest possible opportunity. They are not in any way bumptious, or even sulky, but say, as though it were a matter of course, that they will come back. Parihaka presents a most melancholy appearance, A large portion of the village has been torn down, without the slightest regard as to whether the owners had committed any offence, and homeless Maoris may be seen searching among, the ruins for such of their household goods as have not been ruthlessly destroyed or stolen, I do not desire to oast any reflection upon the Armed Constabulary. As a body probably they are morally as good a force as has ever been gathered together in the colonies, but amongst such a large number there must be some black sheep. The special correspondents at the front are beginning to return home. Those left have invited the telegraph operators attached to the force to meet them to-night and dine, in recognition of the uniform courtesy with which they have been treated, and the untiring efforts they have made to send off long despatches at all hours of the day and night.