The Temuka Leader. SATURDAY, MAY 17, 1879.

Temuka Leader, Volume 2, Issue 146, 17 May 1879, Page 2

The Temuka Leader. SATURDAY, MAY 17, 1879.

Everyone who has read Sir George Grey's letter to Tawhiao, the Maori King, must admit that it bespeaks the writer to be a true, highbred, and honorable-minded English gentleman. Quite above, as he doubtless is, incapable of pandering to party, he with sorrow and regret tells the King party that they have put away from them the last chance of securing a lasting peace and comfortable homes for themselves without any chance of further molestation. Our contemporary, the ' Timaru Herald,' who sees no good in anything that it has not a hand iD, in its usual style of fault-finding, without being able to point out a remedy, gives an extract from Sir George's letter, without having the manliness to quote the whole, and laughs him to scorn. From week to week, and from month to month, its articles are tinctured with something against the present Government, but the whole web is so interwoven with threads of of personal spleen that it cannot but bo observed by the most careless reader. It would make a most amusing little volume to have the ' Herald's' articles, for the last eighteen months or so, bound together. We approve of a wholesome opposition to any Government, but we cannot admire an Opposition which springs from personal motives. It seems to us that our contemporary is prepared to sacrifice everything, even the life's blood of the nation, if it could oust the present Ministry. Take, for instance, the remedy it proposes to cure the evils arisir g from the present commercial distress. Nothing will do, it seemsto say, but to go through the Court—commercial men, Government and all, and because it sees the public do not care to act upon its advice or give heed to its ravings, it tries another course. It has found a mare's nest in some wortfless gossip about an informal Government cheque that had been very properly refused payment. It cares not if the whole country goes to smash if the Government goes with it. Poor Mr Sheehan, who used to be so good, so clever, seems to have lost Ids wits, and is now only able to amuse the Maoris with idiotic songs. Strange; isn't is, ii'..':.t our contemporary is not more yopukir,when it ia such, a great toaeher of

morality, and economies, and is so transcendency clever ; strange it should be so coldly received throughout the colony. To hear it talk of its own exploits, a stranger would be ready to think what a useful journal the ' Tiraarn Herald' is. "What a blessing it must be to have such a valuable, consistent, truthful journal, in a district. Mild and gentlemanly in all its articles, and so amiable aud sweet a creature its editor must be, it is a wonder the Government does not sacrifice everything to have him under its wing. Returning to the Native meeting, or rather what led to it, wo need only remind our readers that a meeting was held at Hikurangi some twelve months ago, at which the Government made some liberal proposals to the Natives, in order to put an end to strife, or worse—bloodshed. At that meeting the Maoris asked time to consider this offer. Those who know the Maori I race are aware that they are not ready to be caught in a trap—they always take time to consider. (Our contemporary might learn a lesson from them in this respect, but it is useless throwing out the hint.) Well, another meeting was called at T.e Kopua. During the interval, however, landsharks who had been accustomed to sponge upon the Natives, and who were successful in mulcting them out of their lands, saw that their craft was in danger, and that their little game would certainly be played out if they allowed Tawhiao and his party to accept the Government offer. They therefore set to work to poison the minds]of the King and his party followers against Sir George Grey and the Government, the result being : Tawhiao is indifferent about meeting Sir George fiinally Sir George having urged in vain the necessity of a yea or nay, sends his ultimatum. Even Sir George's friends must have felt relief at this decision of the Government, and if the Government party had continued further parley it might have been drawn into a compromise which would not lead to satisfactory results. Yet, in this even our contemporary sees something to find fault with. Why did Sir George bemean himself? If there had been need it seems to say, we would have called up all the military force in the colony and opened fire at once, upon what ? Upou a poor lot _of helpless savages, who are only acting as they are instructed to do. No, says Sir George, these savages are undeserving of expenditure of blood and treasure, and after all where would be the honor or the glory. Imagine to ourselves some ten or fifteen thousand of these poor aboriginals laid cold and prostrate upon the earth bv our rifle bullets. We ask again wherein lies the glory 1 Who could look upon that field of slaughter with complacency 1 We do not say our contemporary would not, but we do say the great mass of the settlers in the colony would cry out shame ! We do not know which to admire the most, the manliness or the forbearance of Sir George in his dealings with the Natives, but we feel confident he haß the sympathy of nearly ihe whole colony with him, -while other countries who can judge without prejudice will approve the conduct of the Government in this matter. It would indeed form a dark page in the history of New Zealand—a record of blood and slaughter, brought about by a disagreement amongst ourselves for a bit ot land, for it all amounts to that. The case reminds us of sundry calls we have had from parties who have been made unhappy by domestic quarrels, and the same advice we gave to them applies to this case. We told them it was no disgrace or degradation to let a wife have the last word in a quarrel. It pleases her, and it does not disgrace or degrade the husband. They are both one beef, as the saying goes, so that although she says she is the best joint or the best limb, it does not make it better although she says so. We could never see that it was worth wasting time for a husband to prolong a quarrel because his wife says she is the better half. A better plan, to our mind, is to do as Sir George Grey did—retire till the storm blows over. In the latter case an affectionate wife will feel more ashamed of herself than if the husband had put her down ; and after all, when a man marries it is for better or for worse, although in the case of the nigger it was hard when it was all worse together. He is in duty bound to bear with the storms and the showers, as well as the sunshine. Applying this illustration to the case of Sir George and the Maoris, it may be said, when we came and took possession of the hitter's country, we doubtless made up our minds for having a brush with them occasionally. Yet we elected to take them as our daily companions, in a sense. We married them, thus taking them for better or for worse. Old Humphrey's maxim in dealing with enemies is not the worst —to kill them with kindness. The law of kindness well and prudently exercised has killed more enemies than the sword or the spear, and although we do not believe in bribing the natives by gifts and presents, yet we think we have achieved sufficient victories, by forbearance to enable us to exercise it a little more, and must denounce the doctrine of our contemporary that a peremptory demand for the dose being swallowed, or by fire and sword we will compel you to swallow it. It is more then probable the King party, when they see there is no better terms to be got, will accept those offered. The Maori is a searching, penetrating, farseeing animal, and he knows, like Daft Watty with the sixpence and the penny, that the little coin is .the most valuable. They are also aware that it is not all gold that glitters. It is therefore more than probable they may come to see that their European advisers have only been throwing dust into their eyes. There is also a resemblance between the Maori and our contemporary : they are both ready at times to fly to extremes, and both ready to humble down in the most cowardly manner when the pinch comes. We therefore are prepared to hear at any moment that the King and his followers are ready to come to terms far less advantageous even than were offered.

Resident Magistrate's Court. —After his Worship had got through the business on "Wednesday last at the Resident Magistrate's Court he announced that he would like to consult -with the legal gentlemen present as to an alteration in the present arrangements of holding the Court. Ho thought it would be much better to hold weekly sittings instead of fortnightly one 9, and accordingly announced his intention of holding a Court at Ternuka every Wednesday in each week, at Geraldine every Thursday in each month, and at the Ashburton every Friday in each week. We are informed this alteration will take effect here in about a fortnight. It is the intention of the Magistrate to reside in the Ashburton. South Canterbury Coursing Club.— Tho Secretary of this Club informs us that intimation lias been received by the Club that permission will be given by the (3-overnor to Messrs Smith and Dennistoun to course upon their estate at Peel Forest. The Club, through I the kindness of those gentlemen, will hold their first meeting of tho season upon that estate next Tuesday. As tho dogs running must be licensed according to the Act, the fee being 10s each dog, the Secretary of the Club will undertake to obtain the requisite licences from the Canterbury Acclimatisation Society, if the name of owner, color and name of dog, with the fee, is sent to him. Quadrille Assembly.—We again remind our readers that on Monday evening next a meeting is convened for the purpose of discussing the advisability of establishing a class in Temuka. All interested are requested to attend. Queen's Birthday.—The storekeepers and business peoplo of Timaru have announced their intention of closing on Monday, the 26th, instead of Saturday, the 24th, in commemoration of the Queen's Birthday. We hope the business people of Temuka will announce as soon as possible on what day they intend to close. Temuka Magistrate.—Mr Guinness, tho new stipendiary Magistrate for the Ashburton and Temuka districts, sat for the first time on the Bench at Temuka on Wednesday last, and disposed of thirty-six cases, which had accumulated since tho departure of Mr Campbell. Auction- Sale.—At a sale of some 80 head of cattle yesterday, at the Temuka Yards, belonging to Messrs J. King and Co.'s bankrupt estate, there wero few buyers, and prices ranged very low. Good milch cows, in full profit, £2 to £7 10s ; one, newly calved, £8 10s. A lot of five cows, half fat, sold at £5 each ; steers, three years old and upwards, £2 10s to £3 10s ; 'one-year-olds, 25s to 30s ; calves, from 10s to2os. Nearly the whole were cleared out. Tenders.—lt will bo seen by reference to our advertising columns that tenders are required for painting the Crown Hotel, Temuka. They must be sent in by Friday next, 23rd instant. Music.—Mr Symons, tho well-known professor of music, has arrived in Temuka, and is prepared to repair pianos and organs on receipt of instructions from those requiring such repairs. All communications to be addressed to the Royal Hotel. Coursing Club.—A committeo meeting was held at the, Royal Hotel on Thursday evening. Present—Messrs Thomson (in the chah'), Hardcastle, Macpherson, Williamson, Kennedy, Burrows, and Dr Hayes. It was resolved that the first meeting ef the Club should take place on Messrs Smith and Denniston's estate at Peel Forest on the 20th ; also that tho time for receiving nominations be extended till 5 p.m., at the Royal Hotel, Temuka, and at 8 p.m., at the Grosvenor Hotel, Timaru, on the 19th instant, addressed to the sreretary. E. R. Guinness was elected a member of the Club. Several arrangements were made for tho successful carrying out of the programme. A member of tho committee, in moving a vote of thanks to Messrs Smith and Denniston for the very liberal manner in wliich they had treated the Club, spoke very highly of those gentlemen, and hoped others would take a leaf from their book.