WANGANUI.

Colonist, Volume IV, Issue 338, 15 January 1861, Page 3

WANGANUI.

(From the Wanganui Chronicle.) The Natives.—Two meetings of the I^gatiaukawas have been lately held at fyangit^ei^ the first on the 21st ult., being of a m,oi;e formal character for the discussion of $,c vvar, anji the Maori King questions, an<J ( \hs seqpnd, on tlie i9f h inst., being partly lof a ijeatiy^ nature. It appears that they are i unanimously opposed to. the King movement. The old. QhM (J^clared, with re&reaw to, n, pro-

posal that has been made to hoist the King flag at Otaki, that he would not permit it. The Wanganui river natives seem as a body determined to remain quiet, although attempts have been made by some of the Waikatos to induce them to rise, the last attempt being founded on their representation, that the man killed at Paturaahoe was murdered by a European, and on the assertion that the Waikatos intended to ask compensation for the murder from the Governor, snd »F that was refused, to march on Auckland. Our Resident Magistrate has received a letter from one of the up-river chiefs, stating that it may be very well for the Waikatos to ask uiu, but the Wanganui natives desire peace. This feeling has no doubt been confirmed by the true account of the Patumahoe affair sent down to the Putiki natives by Mr. M'Lean. A meeting was held sixty miles up the river a fortnight ago. Some of the Wanganui having expressed a desire to go to Taranaki, Pehi and Hoiri Patene, two of their head chiefs, told them that they might go if they pleased, but that if they did so they must take their wives and children with them, and remain there, as they would not be permitted to return to Wanganui. Another chief declared, that they would most likely never have an opportunity of attempting to do so, as their blood would fatten the pakeha's land at Taranaki. Pehi said he was determined to remain quiet, and that he would send his son Topia down to Waiaganui, to live there till tranquillity was restored.