WELLINGTON.

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 3, 18 November 1862, Page 4

WELLINGTON.

Native Outrage. — Great sensation has been caused by the violent proceedings of a number of natives against settlers at Wanganui. The Independent says : — " The sword at Damocles, in the shape of the native difficult}', remains continually suspended by a single hair over the heads of our fellow colonists in this Is'and. The wreck of the Lord Worsley, its purchase by the government, the detention of the Nelson mail box, and more recently still, the utter defiance of legal jurisdiction shown by the natives at Wanganui — are all pregnant and important instances, which which establish the truth of this assertion."

In our columns of to-day will be found two cases of recent occurrance there, which possess features of painful interest. The first has reference to an action raised before the resident Magistrate by a Maori against a European, claiming L5 as damages for two pigs, the property of the former, which are alleged to have been destroyed, by the latter. We have carefully perused the whole of the evidence adduced, and cannot find the slightest jot or tittle of legal proof that the defendant could be held liable for the amount claimed, and the court would appear to have taken the same view, and returned a verdict in accordance with the facts This decision, however, does not satisfy the Maori plaintiff, who forthwith proceeds up the river, and callsa meetingof his friends there, as the result of which a select party of fifty men, armed with gun?, come down tothe defendant's house on the following day, and as in the time of Col. Uold and the Taranaki war, coolJy take possession of two valuable horses worth LBO, and carry them off to their stronghold. This, it might be thought, bore hard upon the European settler; hut it appears further punishment was yet in store for him. K the report of the local paper be correct, on the same day, Atkinson, the defendant, was called into Court, and ordered to pay the costs of the case, on the understanding that he should takeoit a warrant against Ropana, the native plaintiff, for t lie amou at. There is something almost ludicrous in ihis decision. Here is a European settler who contributes to the support of the government as a taxpayer, has an action of a Maori against him, decided in his favor ; is consequently plundered by the native of sixteen times the amount claimed, and afcer all is required to pay the costs of the proceedings by the same magistrate, who only a day or two before pronounced them by hh decision to be unfounded. Verily, Jaw is law.

It further appears that no step whatever has been taken to vindicate the majesty of the law in this matter, and Atkinson, desparing of getting any redress, has resolved to pay the illegal demand of the native in order that is may get his horse back.