LATEST FROM TARANAKI.

Colonist, Volume IV, Issue 374, 24 May 1861, Page 3

LATEST FROM TARANAKI.

(From the Ly Helton Times.) [FROM OUK OWN CORRESPONDENT.]

--1 ■; . May 7v 1861. Since my last, New Plymouth has. to p. great extent returned to its former peaceful attitude. Waitara is occupied by two companies of the 14th and a few artillerymen and engineers. The town and neighbourhood of New Plymouth has the 57th regiment, about 800 strong, about forty artillery and engineers, and of course the militia, whom I suppose it would not be considered quite prudent to disband as yet. The loyal feelings of the l profanum vulgus ' of New Plymouth have been wonderfully refreshed during the past month by the extremely edifying deportment of the head of the Native Department and his subordinates. Hapurona and several of the southe £ rebels have been,paraded through the town; but as they were only settlers whose feelings were outraged by the spectacle, and as there were ample means at hand to put down a riot, you need not be much surprized at]the taste displayed on one side, or apathy under the insult on the other. Although some of us at one time would scarcely have believed that with a twelve months' drill we should become such complete machines, still a long continued experience of paternal rule under successive governors had, contrary to the expectations of many, disciplined our minds to receive wilh becoming meekness this last delicate attention. However, I merely allude to this *en passant.' I will go on to observe that in the Native Department of New Plymouth has been most fully developed the cowardly, drivelling, and short-sighted policy of mortally offending those who are disposed to be our best friends, by transferring advantages or rewards which clearly belong to them, to hose who are at heart our bitterest foes. The virtual ruler of New Zealand in native affairs has added si fresh W to his undying

chapletj by a remarkable stroke of policy of the kind I have described. Hapurona's notriety dates entirely from the cpmmence.r ment of the war. Before that he. was a man of so little influence in his: tribe, that nine-tenths of the settlers had never heaid of him. What little land he has is, I believe, about Pukerangioraand the other side of the river. Wellj in the true flunkey spirit, he is put in charge of the post at MatarikorikOj with the very inadequate remuneration of his services of £100 per annum. 0f course, as might have been foreseen, Teira, Isaiah, and the rest of the friendlies kick up a jolly row, make use of strong and improper language, and become generally so alarming and demonstrative in their demeanour that the poor native department helplessly succumbs. Scene ends by Hapurona being ignominiously kicked out of his snug little berth, and a staunch friendly by name of * Thomas wiih the Beard' being forthwith installed into the office and salary. Grand chorus of exultant friendlies. Act closes. Last bulletin about Hapurona " Gone to bush sulky ; threatens to join W. King in Waikato." Now the moral perceptions of the great native department are so blunted that it does not see what is plain to every body else, that this sort of conduct surely engenders in the native mind an inexpressible amount of contempt, - which a» surely will only be quenched in blood.

The events of the last two month's warn me that I have fulfilled my mission as your correspondent. The drama of tne war is removed at all events for a time elsewhere. In depicting a few of the episodes and penning my impressions of the conduct of the war, and of the miserable events which have made the smiling province of Taranaki desolate, I have not attempted to soar into the higher regions of literary thought. My object has simply been to inform your readers of passing occurrences, believing that as Englishmen they cannot but feel a deep interest in this the most genuine offshoot of old England in these seas, nay in the world. I know lam not mistaken; for besides the material aid she has so generously afforded us, Canterbury has done what the men of Taranaki appreciate far more. She has thrown her political influence into the scale for the vigorous prosecution of this most "just and holy war." (I must beg Dr. Featherstone's pardon for the liberty I take with his eloquent denunciation of the war). If in my letters during the last six months it may seem to you (occupying Horace's enviable position of watching the angry and tempestuous sea from the calm and peaceful shore) that I have been too severe in my strictures on that palladium of the British constitution, the War Department, consider the way in which for twelve long months we have been tied down and baited within our narrow fortress for the amusement of savages! Others than the old cavaliers may claim as their own some of the spirit shadowed forth in the memorable lines:—

Ouv loyalty is still the same Whether we lose or win the game ; True as the dial to the sun, Altho' it be not shone upon. .'

Yet I cannot accuse myself, after strict examination, of having exceeded the truth, or of having been led to say anything I would wish unsaid. In fine, I would observe that there is a growing opinion abroad among us that Taranaki has not yet seen the last of the struggle. Before long your readers may hear of me again; it may be from Ngatiruanui. One of the T. R. V.

[From the Wellington Independent.)

The visit of Mr. Pan is to the Southern natives has not yet been followed by any definite result. On the day previous to his arrival at Tauamoua, a large meeting had been "held at Kapoaiaia, at which men from all the Taranaki hapu were present. The Warea men took the tone of Ngatiruanui, refused to allow mails or travellers to pa«s or to accept any terms. W. Kingi Matakatea, Umuroa, whose place is south of Warea, left the meeting in disgust at this conduct, as did the Ngamahanga. The Umuroa*people talk of leaving their kainga for the northern part of the Taranaki district. Umuroa lying unpleasentlv between the Ngatiruanui tribe and the Warea men, both hostile. W. Kiugi Matakatea is very anxious for a settlement with the Government. The Ngamahanga form a considerable section of Taranaki. They will be at Moturoa on Monday when the terms will be presented foe signature, and some more definate notion arrived at as to the influence of their party. The chief at Warea is desirous of peace, but asks for it on the old terms of no concession.

The Warea natives have written to Mr, Riemenschrceider, their missionary, not to return, the war is not yet ended; others ol the tribe had invited him to come back.

Last Saturday and Sunday the rivers were flooded higher than has been known since 1843. A bridge near the Union Mill was washed away, and the footbridge near the Taranaki Inn was nnder water and displaced. The water was high in the cellars and outbuildings of the Masonic Hotel.

The Airedale passed on [Sunday to the northward to bring the mail for England. She could not land passengers owing to the heavy weather. The Corio and Tasmanian Maid arrived on Wednesday with refugee families from Nelson.

The rumour that Hapurona had gone to Waikato is quite unfounded. Wi Kingi has written to his adherents placing them under the leadership of Ihaia Te Wharepa, an old chief little known to the settlers. The ceremony of giving and returning the land at Waitera to the King by Wi Kingi and W. Thompson has altered a gieat many time 3, but at last it rests "in the hand" of W. Thompson.

[from our own ookuespoxdent ]

May 6,1861. In my last I noticed that some of the friendly natives had gone back into the

bush, clearings and helped themselves to the yarious Jive stock of' the settlers still remain ing on the forsaken farms, since, whtch arepresentation of the unjustness of acting in tail manner has been made to the leading chiefs, and the result has been that the natives have confessed their error, and moreover have subscribed amongst themselves the sum of six pounds six shillings and pence, which had been given over to the Native department as payment for the pigs &c, that were taken. The money lam happy to state is to be returned to the natives with an expression of satisfaction at the acknowledgement of the error coupled with a warning for the future. Reports are abroad that the Native department has been warned that if the Settlers visit the bush they will be murdered. I need scarcely tell you that this report is utterly without foundation, and I write now trusting through the medium of your widely circulated paper to stay the propogation of falsehoods whichj, if disseminated, may tend still more to unsettle this unhappy country. On Saturday last a public meeting was held at Taranaki for the purpose of nominating a Committee to open a correspondence with the English and other relief funds that have been commenced for the ruined settlers of this Province. The object of the proposed committee'wa"s not to find fault or cast doubt upon those who had been in power, but simply to shew those who had so kindly cpme forward to our assistance, our present position and future prospects.

It appeared the unanimous opinion of those present, that whilst the inhabitants of the Province were recipients of military pay, assistance from the relief funds would not be requisite, but that there was a time coming when we shall once again return to our farms, and then pecuniary assistance will be most acceptable. How anxious one and all are to enjoy once again there homesteads is evinced by the readiness with which, on permission being granted, the refugees returned from Nelson, and I feel certain so long as we act together in unity, assistance towards replacing us in our former position will not be wanting. There is no doubt that at some distance period from this, Government compensation will be given to the losers of property during this war. In the mean time by the kind assistance of those who have voluntarily come forward to our aid we shall be enabled so soon as peace is declared to rebuild our houses and erect fencing on our fauns. -

During this last week we '.have experienced the most inclement weather, for upwards of 3 days the rain has fallen in tor-

rents equal to those of the Tropics causing the floods to rise higher than they have been known for years, whilst the windß have been so powerful that trees of long standing have been either broken or swept to the ground. In a sanitary point of view the late floods have been of great benefit, as any accumulation of filth must have been carried into the sea by the rapidly flowing current.

On Sunday the Airedale passed on to Manukau from Nelson, the weather not allowing her to call.

Taranaki, May 15, 1861. As a recompense for the heavy rains and accompanying floods, we have for the last ten days been in the full enjoyment of the most beautiful weather, our picturesque roadstead remaining calm with scarcely a ripple to disturb its glassy surface. We are now daily drilled by the Officer Commanding the Militia and Volunteers in order to fit us for taking part in the grand military show on the 24th of this month, in honor of Her Majesty's natal day. The colors which had been woven in England are to be presented to us by the Ladies of Taranaki. They are chaste and prett}', both having embroidered upon them a view of Mounr Egmont enclosed within a double oval border containing the words on one, the " Taranaki Militia," and upon the other, the " Taranaki Volunteers,'' surmounted with a crown in gold, whilst in the comer of the flag is a Union Jack. Notwithstanding these grand colors, our uniforms will present such a varied hue that I doubt very much if our old friend Falstaff would feel inclined to march through Coventry with us. It strikes me that most of us instead of thus wasting our time in playing at soldiers, would far sooner be engaged in taking some determined steps that would enable us to demand from the Southern natives a permanent and honorable peace, so that we could once again settle upon our homes. The thistles are now spreading so far that in another year we shall almost be placed in a worse position than those, settlers who acted as the pioneers in redeeming that wilderness which but a year ago formed the garden of New Zealand. But this is not all the mischief that is engendered by the present inaction, the younger branches of our community are becoming reckless and idle, whilst the store-keepers and publicans by obtaining substitutes are introducing amongst our former industrious population a class of persons utterly unfitted for obtaining a living by following agricultural pursuits which, with few exceptions offers *hejj_^^ only legitimate means in Taranaki. Yesterday, May 14th, the Ngatiruanuis and Taranakis met Mr. Parris at, Moturoa, when the peace, question was discussed. The chief subject was that of the murders. The natives deny that murder has been committed, they say that we shed the first blood in our attack on the L pa. Another report is that Wi Kingi is about to return to the Waitara with some few hundreds of the Waikatos. Although we have no authentic account of such a movement, still there is a probability of Jan occurence of the kind, and it will be as well for us if we prepare ourselves so as to be in readiness if required. Many examples of by-gone days loom forth as warnings.