THE Thames Advertiser. WEDNESDAY, NOV. 4, 1874.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 1886, 4 November 1874, Page 2

THE Thames Advertiser. WEDNESDAY, NOV. 4, 1874.

We have lately had a good doal of acrimouious talk and writing ou the subject of the way in which the natives are supplied with liquor. The laws ou the subject aro very stringent, and auy European, supplyiug drink to a native is liable to a sovoro penalty. This law, as we all know, is broken daily, and indeed in a district lileo this ,it would bo impossible to enlbroo suoh an ouactment strictly. But latterly accusations have beou made that the greatest sinners in, tho uiattou aro GovernI moat ofUcevs. Mv Ktp.k'sou, of Oovo*

mandel, who views the subject with a Good Templar's eye, lately made some statements respecting the distribution of spirits at a native meeting near Coromandel, and in return was met by one of the Auckland papers, not by proof that he was mistaken in his facts, but by a volley of abuse. The fact is, that drink can hardly by any possibility be kept from the natives, and it i 3 very questionable whether all our wellmeant efforts to keep it from them by legislation have not done more harm than good. It is absolutely necessary that we should buy their land. ,If we pay them in cash down, that goes for drink as soon as possible. The chances are that they do not purchase a single useful article; they do not improve their houses or style of living; the money is simply worse than wasted, and then they live in a most miserable mannertill they make another << viae." Very melancholy, no doubt, all this is, but what is.to be done 1 Even a John Howard would be discouraged, and would throw up the sponge; he;would become|a Fatalist, and let things drift. In connection with this' t subject, we have had a good, deal lately from Ohinemutu, a native on the edge of .Lake. Rotorua, loci amongst boiling springs.. It is a beautiful and wonderful placej and the surroundings are perhaps Inore fitted to minister to health and enjoyment,,than those at any other place in .ife'world.- But it has one great drawback. ..It is a nasty place' for drunken people.- Insteadof a man or woman simply tumbling into the gutter as* he or; she does in civilised localities, ; a stagger from the path may' precipitateinto a boiling spring. deaths, have occurred lately in this way- In Alpril last, a European named Quigley, who had been employed in the stables of the man who runs the coach between Ohinemutii and Tauranga,' slipped into ■a boiling spring'when drunk,,and was scalded to "death, and on the 20th of last month r a -publican'at'Ohmemutu, named Isaac Wilson,' was charged with supplying liquor to deceased while he was in a state of intoxication. The accident took place when a large native meeting wa3'being held to welcome the Governor and Mr Mackay, and the defence is, that defendant did not. dare to refuse liquor to drunken men, land that large quantities of rum were being distributed by Mr Mackay en behalf of the Government, "of which deceased might have had a share. The worst feature about the affair, is, that this liquor seems not to have been given in payment for land,; but; simply as material for getting on the spree and raising loyal.enthusiasm. From the report in the 'Bay of Plenty Times' of the charges against "Wilson before the Resident Magistrate's Court, at Maketu, we make a few extracts, to give an idea of the scene:—

William Matravers deposed: lam a mounted constable stationed at Maketu; I remember tlie 29th day of April last; I was then at Ohine.mutii; there was a large native meeting'h Id that day, at which Mr Mackay, Mr Hamlin, and his Excellency Sir James Fergusson were present; I remember John Quigley- being scalded on that day.—Leith Fraser deposed: I am a. mounted orderly stationed at Ohinemutu, and belong to the Native Contingent; I remember a large native meeting taking place at Ohinemutu; Mr Mackay was'present; I do not remember the exact date.—Alfred Warbrick deposed: I remember a native ;; meet-. ing taking place at Ohinemutu '''some time back; I was:there at-that time; Mr Mackay was thore; the meeting commenced on the 12th April, 1874; I think it lasted till, tlie 17th April; I know Constable Matravers; he was there at the time; I was acquainted with John Quigley; I have seen him at Ohinemutu; he fell into a spring, and was scalded; I remember the day before he fell into the spring; it was the 28th'AprilIsaac Wilson, in his defence, said that quantities of liquors were brought from Taurahga and elsewhere, and were being sold all over Ohine« mutu in Maori whares. Mr Miokay, jiin:; on behalf of the Government, distributed 16 gallons of rum; Poihipi, the native chief, gave the same amount, a3 did also Karaitiana, of Napier. The Maoris were giving it away' - to everybody—Europeans and natives.—ln reference to another charge, Pererika deposed: I live at Ohinemutu; I remember the ■ native meeting at Ohinemutu with Mr Mackay and the Governor; I, knew John Quigley; I saw John Quigley the day the Governor,'was there; it was on the 29th April, 1874; on; that day Quigley was scalded; I saw him previous to his being scalded, at Wilson's public-house; he was drunk.—Defendant, in defence, said that the natives themselves had quantities of liquor in the settlement, which they distributed to everybody. He had on several occasions' had his doors and windowsrstnashed open by natives for having refused them liquor when drunk. ■ He did not deny that he had often given drink to men who were not quite sober, simply beciuse, he had to do so to keep the peace, fle said the case was got up by a few parties at Ohinemutu who bad a bad feeling towards him. He reminded the Court that Ohinemutu was not like, Tauranga, at which latterplace a constable was always about the streets in ' case of being required; and left himself and.the result to the " honour of their Worships." He might 'add that Mr James Mackay, jun., on behalf of Jhe Government, was supplying' the natives with turn ad libitum during the meeting, Since then,. a native worJPhas fallen into a spring while drunk, and .been scalded to death,/and it; is said that informations have been laid which will lead to some' other exposures. We are not inclined to be too strait, laced, or to think that. Good Templar principles can be enforced amongst natives or Europeans, but it would be as well if Government officers, would not distribute rum amongst natives, either when purchasing land or when accompanying the Governor.