THE WAR AT TARANAKI.

Colonist, Volume III, Issue 313, 19 October 1860, Page 5 (Supplement)

THE WAR AT TARANAKI.

(From the Nelson Examiner, Oct. 10 J We are indebted to the kindness of a gentleman from Taranakv for permission to publish the following interesting portion of a letter, written to a friend in England, being

the result of inquiries made on the spot: — Taranaki, Oct. 8. I have just spent thirty hours at Taranaki. The people are all very healthy, and the troops Idok remarkably well in every respect. The trenches forming the line of the town seem very formidable for an enemy, and they are well manned; indeed, looking at them in connection with the ten stockades which are built around them, at a distance of a quarter to half-a-mile, from them, it appears almost impregnable. On September 29th, about 500 men, of the 40th regiment, went out with Colonel Leslie and Major Nelson to destroy the rifle pits of the pah's burnt on the 11th, which they did, as is accurately described in the Taranaki Herald of October 6fch. They were returning to camp when the Maories followed and fired upon them from about one hundred yards distance, wounding three men of the 40th and two marines. Major Nelson, who commanded the rear, sent twice to Colonel Leslie, who led the retreat, for permission to fice, but was refused, or else he got no an swers. The howitzers were loaded, and couid have done great execution if they might have l-eennred. So rapid did the retreat become, that the bullocks were goaded into a trot. A young settler in the rear fired at a Maori, and the soldiers near him, thinking perhaps that an order had been given, fired also, and the Maories retired. For firing without orders, the soldiers' grog was ordered to be stopped ; but an officer ordered grog to be given them at his own expense. It was reported at the time I left, that five settlers had fallen into the hands of twentyseven hostile natives near the Bell Block. It was proposed to murder them, but one Maori, who had been a friendly one, proposed to let them go, which was accordingly done. It was reported that six natives had come from Wm. Kingi's camp, and given up their arms, being tired of the war. You will probably know the certainty of these reports as the mail which takes this letter will call at Taranaki, and I will take care you are informed of it from thence. An expedition of 1,200 men is intended to start for the South to-morrow, October 9. The principles on which the war is _ being conducted are almost inexplicable. Dissatisfaction seems universal. The military are silent, but the civilians express their unbounded disgust. General Pratt seems to follow precisely in the steps of Colonel (now General) Gold. That is he insists first, upon the necessity of leaving about 1000 men to defend the town, and second, upon the necessity of forbidding every man to enter the bush on any preteace whatever. To the settlers, on the other hand, it appears absolutely self-evident, first, that the town is in no danger whatever, and that even if it were attacked, the settlers now in it alone are amply sufficient to repel any attack that any number of the Maories can,, make upon it; and second, they are convinced that if they were allowed to try, they could cut large rides into and through the bush, with 300 or 400 men, so arranging them in picquets as to render the working parties quite secure. Officers of the militia have offered to go and do this, showing exactly their plan of operation, and their estimate of the rate of progress. This offer was listened to, but not accepted; it is doubtful if it was ever considered; and certainly no cause was ever shown why it should not be attempted. Hence the settlers feel justified in the belief that the plan is feasible, but that the General will not allow either settlers or soldiers to attempt it; and a very ill feeling has arrisen against the military for saying that they will neither do the work themselves nor let others do it. This has been still more bitterly felt in cases where settlers have seen from the stockades their own homes burnt and plundered, and their cattle driven off by a handful of Maories, while the officer in command refused to allow them to go and interfere. The militia are to all appearance as dashing a set of men as can be met\with, but the prevailing sentiment is one of dogged indifference. The military expeditions (called by them exhibitions) excite no interest whatever, for it is considered certain that if anything comes of them it will be only discredit; while some militia men threaten to defy orders and act for themselves, saying that if the mother country and her troops were out of the question they could hold their own without fear. No one attempts to explain the conduct of Colonel Leslie and his expedition of September 29th, and ill feeling has arisen between the men of the 65th and 40th regiments: the former taunt the latter with leaving their dead, and with running away on the 11th, leaving a gun with six artillery men unprotected ; the latter retort on the 65th for leaving militia men fighting at Waireka, &c. &c. The settlers feel indignant to see government stores of all kinds imported at an enormous expense (the landing alone, exclusive of

DUNEDIN, FRIDAY, OCTO

ER 19, 1860.

cartage or freight, is generally £1 a ton), while excellent firewood, hay, and green crops, are stored about four or five miles from the town and the General will not send escorts to bring them in; although extra parades are being ordered to keep the soldiers employed, and a baker, with a volunteer force of thirty men, succeeded in getting in a large quantity of firewood for his own use. The commissariat are said to be apathetic in this matter, but I believe they cannot help themselxes. When Major Hutchins reported from Tataraimaka that tne rebels were in force in a new pah in that district, General Pratt ordered him to return with the expedition, seventeen miles, to Taranaki, and two days after he was to have formed part of a larger expedition to attack this place. Can any one explain why Major Hutchins should not have been ordered to wait for reinforcements ?— and can any one be surprised at the settlers feeling discontented when no explanation is offered of such unbusiness-like conduct? The transport of the women and children from Taranaki to Nelson, by the general order of which you have read so much in ihe papers, would not have been resisted if any danger or any reason for the order had been apparent; but to put themselves to much inconvenience to obey orders which they thought unneces- ! sary and useless, and which seemed to be executed with partiality and harshness, was more than they would submit to, so they gave out that they would forcibly jresist any attempt to transport them, or else they would go to the bush, or to Tataraimaka, where neither generals nor soldiers would dare to follow 1 them. About 1250 women and children have however left Taranaki, and there are not 500 now iemaining. Nearly the whole of the former number have accepted the hospitality of the city of Nelson. The expedition (or as it is termed exbihition) of 1000 men against the Ngatiruanui tribe, fixed to start on the 9th October, has been discussed all over the province, and in Auckland since October 1, so that the rebels, who are very clever at a stratagem, have had eight days to prepare for it, or to retire from it, or to arrange their ambuscades on the road it must travel. In visiting Taranaki, one would think that the dashing appearance of such fine fellows as parade there, would of itselt be sufficient to destroy all hope and courage in the Maories; but on the contrary, it is now only to be hoped that the Ngatiruanui rebels will be so emboldened by what they fancy to be cowardice in our brave soldiers, that they will go a step too far, and learn too late what it is really to provoke British soldiers. If this hope should be realised dy this expedition, it would very probably put an end to the war, for the Maories, though very daring under the influence of hope and success, become demoralised rapidly by failure, or by the necessity for that steady perseverance, which, thank Heaven, has been recognised throughout the world as " English perseverance."

General Assembly, and the local action of the Colonial Goyerdment, working in harmony with the native race, and in conformity, as far as possible, with their oppinions and suggestions. " That the co-oeration of the Colonial Legislature cannot be expected towards any system of Native administration imposed upon the Colony by the action of the Imperial Parliament, taken iv the entire ignorance of the fact on the part oi its Legislature, and in opposition in many respects to its views. " That a copy of the foregoing resolutions be forwarded to his Excellency with a request that he will immediately transmit them to her Majesty's Parliamentary Secretary of State for the Colonies." Dr. Monro was to have called attention to the Wellington Council Petition, but he postponed doing so. Mr. Stafford was'to move on the 3rd—"For leave to bring in a Bill intituled 'An Act for raising a Militia within the Colony.'" Leave was also given to Mr. Gillies to introduce a Bill to repeal the New Provinces Act Mr. Fox had succeeded in dragging to light the Governor's " Blood for Blood " despatch, which we are told by a passenger per " Airedale" is of such a character, as will rouse the greatest indignation. The "Nelson Examiner" says the condition of the Ministry is most critical, the ' Native Offenders Bill,' which passed by a majority of two through' its second reading, was attacked again on the motion for going into committee by an amendment postponing the motion for six months. This amendment after a hot debate was put to a division, the result of whim was a tie—lß to 18, whereupon the Speaker gave his casting vote in favour of the bill, as usual. The Government immediately withdrew the measure, and no more has qeen heard of it. A few new bilis have made their appearnce during the past fortnight. The Government brings in a coiiple of measures to adjust the public debt between the divided provinces of Wellington and Hawke's Bay, and Nelson and Marlborough, respectively. The principle of both measures is the reference of all disputes to arbitration.