THE STATE OF THE COLONY.

Southland Times, Volume 2, Issue 82, 18 August 1863, Page 5 (Supplement)

THE STATE OF THE COLONY.

(From tho Cantcrhiry Press, 31st ju >•; .The' state^f affairs predictedby^ who knew tbe measure of ' power has \ em papers which am mim \ teem with accounts o^ . ■,^ measures in progre S^ a . kato country> advanced into the ■ tawiri c f eek has crossed the f^ k&to at the which runs into « the sou thward, elbow whew it tt' tlle • east bank of and were adv^<> jtQ in the the Walk.* £ «** acre pah built .^W* Thompson's territory and iime the Governor has • ■■' J a proclamation containing some.S£*'s£ a definite expression of his &Stion«. It is as follows ;- G. Grey, Governor. Chiefs of VVaikato, Europeans quietly imaj on tbe.r S ! ; taCes»ndcMld r have nation of some oi y " ' . . Soldiers were murdered at Taranaki. Others of you have since expressed app ovalofiese r -aider.. Cnmes have been committed in other parts of the • i a nr,r\ the criminals have been resvour authorityYou are now assembling in armed bands • you are constantly threatening to coffle down the river to ravage the settlement of Auckland, and to murder • peaceable settlers. Some of you offered a safe passa? c through your territories to armed parties contemplating such

outrages. The well-disposed among you are •' unable or unwilling to prevent those evil acts. I am therefore compelled, lor the protection of all, to establish posts at several points on the Woikato river, and to take necessary measures for the future security of persons inhabiting that district. The lives and property of all well-disposed people living on the river will be protected, and armed and evil-disposed people will be stopped from passing down the river to rob and murder the Europeans. I now call on all well-disposed Natives to aid the Lieut-General to establish aad maintain these posts, and to prescrte peace and order. Those who remain peaceably at their own villages in Waikato, or move into such district as may be pointed out by the Government, will be protected in their peisons, property, and land. Those who wage war against her Majesty, or remain in arms, threatening the lives of her peaceable subjects, must take the consequences of their acts, and they must understand that they will forfeit the right to the possession of their lands guaranteed to them by the treaty of Waitangi, which ■lands will he occupied by a population capable of protecting for the future the quiet and unoffending from the violence with which they are now so constantly threatened.

Auckland, 11th July, 18G3. This then is the policy. Military posts are to be stationed on the "Waikato river, and all who oppose the movement, are to stiff? r confiscation of lauds.

The Natives are called on to take the oath of allegiance and give up their #-ms, or to remove to the south side of the Waikato rirer.

The Natives have replied to this declaration of war by retorting 5n their own fashion — by murdering sttlers. The following 3s from the special correspondent of the Southern Cross: — Drury, Tuesday, July 14. I think it is best to il report progress" so far as I have gone, am 1 , so far as I can. obtain accurate information, to narrate the course of proceedings up to present time. On a subsequeut occasion I will endeavour to be more detailed in my letters, but at present I labor under the disadvantage of having no official source of intelligence-

As my readers are aware, the troops marched from Otaliubu on Thursday last, arriving at Drury the same day. The 65rh and artillery followed the next day. The first party proceeded to Pokeno on Friday, and the 65th encamped at Drury. On Monday the artillery proceeded to the front. The Drury camp is commanded by LieutenantColonel Murray.

On Saturday a defatchment of the :65th regiment, under Lieutenant Tabuteau, went to tne Mauku, where they are at present stationed.

'■' On Sunday a very successful moveImeiit was made by 300 men of the 65th iunder the command of Colonel Wyatt, |C.8., on Tuakau. Orders were received [from General Cameron to proceed at once to the Tuakau, in the vicinity of Cameron township, and occupy that important position on the Waikato. They were to proceed by the bush road, the [line of march being led by one of the [settlers, who acted as guide. So well [managed was the expedition that the psth surprised the Natives in their Esetllement, who were unaware of their fappioach until within sight and range. Ifhis will have a good effect, I think, as ■well on the troops, as on the Maoris, ■t will convince the troops that the Push, with proper guides, is not the ■mpenetrable thicket of forest and ■upple-jack they have been taught to ■egard it ; and it will show the Maoris ■to futility of depending for safety ■gainst attack on the great natural slid-

pr'whiclj the bush undoubtedly affords, [ii.lhe hands of an enterprising com-

lander, the British soldier will soon be 8 imieh at home in the bush track, and a bush warfare, as the Maori. This ruth has been demonstrated in Taralaki, where the natural difficulties of

he< country are greater than any we lave to encounter in Auckland.

VI understand a redoubt is being conducted at Tuakau, which is situate ten

miles nearer the Waikato heads than Maungatawhiri, and is the key to a large' extent of country. It will, in the meantime, be held by Colonel Wyatt and the 65th.

The Maungatawhiri creek was crossed by the General and troops at head quarters, on Sunday. I am not in & position to give any details of this movement, further than that it was promptly carried out under the immediate command of the General. No Maoris were seen in force.

' It is of course known to the readers of the Daily Southern Cross, that orders have been given to remove across the Waikato all Natives in this district who refuse to swear the oath of allegiance, and to give up their arms. In consequence of this the Mangarei Natives, and others, I believe, left their settlements, and appeared in this district, numbering from 100 to 1 50, last Saturday, and driving about fifty horses with them. They had fifteen or sixteen drays laden with goods. Instead of going on to the Waikato'direct, they joined the Natives in the vicinity of Papakura: and on Monday these were joined by another party, who came up the creek in canoes.

This " location being contrary to the intention of the Government, which, most properly, is to cause the Maoris to declare themselves, and to test the actual value of the " friendly" professions, steps were taken to warn them off. Lieutenant- Colonel Murray, and a detachment of the Csth, came down from Drnry to Papakura, on Sunday, at one o'clock, and were joined by a troop of the Colonial "Defence Corps, from Otahubu, under Lieut.-Coloncl Nixon. The forces went up to Kirikiri, and stopped short of the settlement, Colonels Murray and Nixon riding up to have an interview with the leading chiefs, and warn tluem to remove with their effects, if they do not take the oath of allegiance 'and surrender their arms. But Isaac was invisible ; he was at a distance, ill it was said, and so lie could not be seen. The Natives were ordered off however, but refused to go on Sunday, asking to be allowed to remain until Monday. They declined acceding to the terms proposed. The time for removal was extended, however, and on Monday morning they did remove, not from the district, but to a high bill at the rear of the settlement, and where they now remain. Their goods and ptovisioiis were removed thither in quantities, and whether they will remove off peaceably or not to-day — to which the time for removal was further extended — remains to be seen-

But the military commandant of the Drury camp, and his brother officer from Otahuhu were imposed upon on Sunday. Not only was Isaac snug and sound near the settlement, buthe occupied at the time a position from whence he could see what was going on iv the plains. Later in the day a settler saw him in the whare and counted twelve fowling pieces, twenty-four ammunition pouches, and about twelve pounds of sporting gunpowder, which the amiable but invalid old chief almost immediately concealed with his blanket when he saw it observed. He is suffering, I hear, from influenza or bronchitis.

The Bishop of New Zealand and the Revds. Messrs Wallace and Buttle, were up with the Natives on Monday, but from what I have beard, they do not seem to have been so successful as one could have wished. The arms have not been giveu up, the oath has not been taken ; and it remains to be seen whether they will remove from their king at the bidding of the Governor without giving us some trouble. A gentleman from the Native Office has also been up ; and to-day will decide the question.

To return to the narrative. On Sunday, after the unsuccessful attempts to see the leading chiefs of the hapu at Kirikiri, Colonels Murray and Nixon, accompanied by Mr Hay and Mr Chandler, rode down the stream for about three miles, where they observed a number of canoes and Natives, but they were shut off from communication by "the water. The cavalry returned to Otahuhu ; and later in the day Colonel Nixon and Captain Walmsley fixed upon the site of the cavalry stables, which are to be erected. The position is well chosen, on high ground close by the Drtiry road, and half a mile from the Slippery Creek bridge. The work has been begun. The stable will be 140 feet by 30 feet of corrugated iron. It will accommodate sixty horses. There are to he officers' quarters attached. At four o'clock, Colonel Murray and the 65th returned to their quarters at Drury. There are 140 attested militiamen in the Papakura, Drury, and Wairoa, districts, and about one hundred men remain to be attested. They are all armed with the long Enfield. Tin's corps is commanded by Captain Clare ; the subalterns have not yet been appointed. The settlers have patrolled the Wairoa and Drury roads for several nights past. On Monday night the patrols consisted of right mounted and twelve rank and file. The mounted men were furnished by the Wairoa settlers, and the same number are to be furnished to-night.

I believe twenty-five of the Colonial Defence corps, under Captain Walmsly arc to be stationed at Drury, and fifteen at the Traveller's Rest, on the Wairoa road.

Last Saturday a meeting was held at Pakura, Mr Chandler in the Chair, to consider the propriety of establishing a cavalry troop for the district. Eighteen names were enrolled, to which may be added eleven from the Wairoa who are certain to join. Carbines will be issued to this force as soon as embodied.

I passed the force of Special Constables on Monday night en route for Waiuku. They were fully armed. These

men remained at Papakura all night, and proceeded towards their destination today.

The Maku settlers have sent in their families ; the men sleep iv the church, which 'is put into a state of defence, and follow their usual avocations during the day. I hear that the stockade is being built there. There is, so far as I can gather, little absolute fear of depredations on the part of the natives. The settlers, as a body, will remain in their homes, and take measures for their mutual defence. This is the case already in the Papakura valley. It may just happen, however, that the nest of Natives in the ranges behind Papakura will give us trouble ; iv which case bush parties, on the model of those at Taranaki, will soon drive th°m out of cover, and rid the country of them. It will never do to allow the Natives to occupy such a position in our rear, and in the immediate vicinity of the most flourishing settlements in the southern district.

No movement is reported from the front, whither I proceed to night. July 15.

Having written a short dispatch this morning, I started for the front from Drury, and had only proceeded about a mile from the camp, when I received the astound ing intelligence that two settlers had been murdered by the natives half-a-mile further on.

I saw one of the three civilians who found the bodies, and described to me their condition.

It appears that the uufortunate men went out to work, as usual, yesterday morning, but as they did not return at night fall, their neighbours became alarmed, and search was made for them. The camp and hotels were visited last night, but in vain ; but it was thought by some that having been benighted in the bush, they would turn up all right in the morning. The morning came, however, but not the men ; and it was about ten o'clock, when three armed civilians went into Shepherd's Bush, and discovered the bodies, partly covered with fern.

The murdered men are Mr Meredith and one of his sons — men deservedly respected in the community. They were partially stripped. The old man had on a pair of drawers and shirt, and some trifling articles of clothing was on the body of his son. The party who found the body, hearing the natives in the viciuity in the bush, deemed it not prudent to remain, but returned to convey the intelligence to the camp. The bodies were brought in shortly after their discovery. An inquest is to be held. An escort of the 18th regiment was going "up with stores to the Queen's Redoubt, and occupied the road up lo the entrance to the bush ; and while 1 write, Lieut-Colonel Murray," commauding, is increasing the escort by 125 men. A mounted escort oi 40 men, commanded by Lieutenant llait, was to start for the front at twelve. A telegram has been sent to Auckland detailing the occurrence. The Hon. Dillon Bell, Mr Gorst, and the interpreters are up with the Kirikiri Natives, 1 do not hazard an opinion as to the cause of this bloodthirsty crime. The victims were harmless settlers, but it shows that the Natives mean to make this a war of races. It is almost impossible to commiserate them — although I do commiserate this seemingly doomed race. But there is one act of the Government, in relation to friendly Natives, which this event leads one to condemn, and on which it would bo as well to have the expression of a strong opinion of the public — namely, the permission to the Natives to carry awaj their arms and ammunitiou, to fight against the troops and murder helpless settlers. In the name of common sense let the Natives one and all be disarmed. Let them have food enough to carry them along their journey to the enemy's country, but no safe conduct while armed. It is carrying the policy of conciliation rather too far to do as has been done with men who can be guilty of such gross atrocities.