THE SUPERINTEFDENrs VISIT

Tauranga Record and Bay of Plenty Examiner, Volume 1, Issue 1, 15 June 1867, Page 3

THE SUPERINTEFDENrs VISIT

J To the Editor of the Tauaraxga REcrmn.

SlR, I hand you herewith an extraee from articl" in ihe Sourthern V>c*a" of the ->8r!i May. and requ st yo-t w 41 '•» nn good a« to pttli ish it in v'oin paper, i f ' yoo th'ink this letter -woV'i.y of ins» rtion. as it >s possiblc that somf of your readers nwy not have read the ar'icle, which I tii ukrequ r-s aa answer. The article d»3c»i'-ioa the v;«it of Hi« ! Hooor as antagontstic to tle ofliaar i.f | the General Goverimnt b eause ite -a!'ed ; thc.^see iftg of the tiatives without cokmj t- | in? the laiter- olficial. Thi* is ei'li-r a ; miseonceptio , or a, inisc'onstrtin'.ioti. Alr. plarke as agent for the General Governi raent conld not cd. a frtendlv nteettt!,' of : the Nativr'S. He in h s Official capac.it y had wag-o vyar >vi' h th ",/i. He had 'scnt but force-. .o attaca theni, aud h - b.- 'd warrants for ihe appreh" nsion of snnie of rti.etn. For hira to cotrc *.t :henu t-> co ne in ovou d have h««-n itpp oper, such •• steo ' vvoqid IjjVri. . seCiiied as if th - i,htrope,.U' were sueitig fo; peaco, while {he :■"«>■ tio. tenden; came as a i ti -htaton betw-. fi two j contending partiea. He wished to krpnv i whai hiii'lred t'ie setilatqeiit (if Tajtranga, ! aud for ttiis purpoae he sougi t to obuitn | tti.e opinors oi the ua i«es « a !'t-te«d.'v niee'ting. N o , ffettce was in en 'ed by His Hotior, or l y any tttd vidual cance tied in ihe ariangeinent ot tbe Bieeting, and an. accusatio t like the pno rwferr-d t > in the

article is unjusi ai d i.apoli ic. The meet ing was m i h'saiasnc, aod sr> fr m th» | ti ti ves hiaktng ugbt of the a-sui-aiic s th -y received. chev expre»»ed the g eatest eagerness to be seiit out to b-n g the Hauhais in. AV • have -ioce learnol that (Ite trif-es they went o s.e« were' wihing.t • cpnre in, if th6 -Superiuteiiileoi han re ■mained to meet them, but they were afraid to meet the . Commissioner, Mr. Clarke. Later still it appears that the king had cpmtnanded them to yefrain from figh'inggand fo 1 i ye with hitn i'or a lorig period. whicti com tnand many of.them have . obeyed, so the mediationhas been very saccessful.

In the article to whtch I am alluding, the writer expresscs regret that liis Honor ha : not " arratigod to comiuct Itis business in a way tnore suited to his object." Not to. ob-* tain his . object ! His object" was peace, anA peace was obtaineri. Can there be any reasotf for regret because the obtainment of peace was aceellerated by a happy thought and prompt action on the part of his Honor ? or catt it be possible that'the native Comtpissjioner regrets that the Superintendent did whai he couid not do ? The inhabitants of the district feel no sueh regret, and sentimenfs of thnt kind must be confined to

the writer of the arfiele in I'the, SoHlhern Cross. The objection to his Honor's action savors too much of red tape.^-Pftace must not be made without inst.ructions from the Tape ahd Sealing Wax Offiee.. .^rolo'igation of strife between tlie races, bloodshod, and loss pf property are neither here nor there. The prosperity of the district is a scco'ndary cousideration. ISettlers may leave b°cause they dare not stay, and the friendly ofiiqes of g neutral party are to be rcje'ete i beeause "they are not official. This remi.nds me of the Englishmar. in the Gtrinan play, who refused to help a drowning lady because he had not been introduced to. her. t , But his Honor had not come to make peace. He came in his individual capacitv to learn why peace couli not be made, and, merely promised his advocacy in procuring concessions from those who had the power to make them. There is .something rather sad abotit this misqpnception or'misconstructicn,- of a step that has spread caltn in thc native breast, aud securitv iti that ofthe Europcan, ;ind that should canse everj' well disposed ina.i to -fejoice. The king has banished thc re.bels, •".nd they have left the district. It would almost appear that there was something behind tliis accusation of tlie Superintendenf ; that t'ie general and spontaneous expression of welcome to one whom " the people delighted to honor " was not altogeiber pleasihg to Mr Clarke, and that therefore he held aloof from any part in the proeeedings. This is the onlv inference we are left 'o draw, frotn the concjnding senfence of tbe article to which we have referred, where it says : — " Thcn comes tlie Superintcndent of Ihe Provtnce putting aside the Cfiown, Commissioner, and yet after all with less power in the matter which alone the natives care for," I am, Sir. &c.. | iJKX.'»-:AOON.