THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1877.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2539, 24 February 1877, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1877.

A notice appeared in a contemporary yesterday morning which we should imagine must have caused a considerable amount of surprise to all who read it. It was to the effect that martial law, not proclaimed by any recognised representative of Her Majesty, was in existence in some parts of Her Majesty's dominions in the North Island of New Zealand, and that " the roads in the vicinity of the fortifications will be closed to travellers between the hours of 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. until further notice." The same notice, however, which intimates that this portion of martial law is to come into effect, is graciously pleased to intimate that it is not the intention of their lordships, or chieftainships, or whatever name they go by, to prevent steamers going up the river, as that is to be open day and night. Is not this kind? Half-a-dozen men take upon themselves to close certain roads which they have no moral or legal right to close for a third of each day of four and twenty hours and yet leave the river open, though they have as much right to close the one as the other, viz., none at all. Apart from the consummate impertinence of the advertisement, which can only be excused on the ground that those who sent it knew no better, it is a matter that ought to be taken notice of, and those men who seem to think that they have power in their own hands to proclaim martial law be at once decidedly and firmly made to understand that no such power exists, ere worse things happen from this piece of presumption being overlooked. The Maoris may quarrel as much as they please among themselves, and if they choose to retire into some spot over which Her Majesty does not hold sway they are perfectly at liberty to settle their differences in their own way, but as long as they are fellow subjects with ourselves they must be taught, and, if necessary, made to obey the laws which are made to guide and regulate their conduct as well as ours. The law certainly wonld not allow any European, or any body of Europeans, to block up a road made for the public convenience, simply because they happened to be at feud with their neighbors, and if such a thing were but even hinted at the authorities, we believe, would be very soon down on these martial lawyers. Why, then, should Maoris be allowed to transgress P It may be argued that the land is theirs and they can do what they like on it in the way of building fortifications or closing it up altogether. But this principle of allowing a man to do what he will with his own is now no longer lawful in the eye of the law, but in what a man does with his own he must consider not only how his actions will affect himself, but how they will affect his neighbors also. For instance, a man might have a piece of land in a town : it would be absurd to suppose he could go and store gunpowder or other combustibles thereon, even though the land was his own. Neither would he be allowed to practice with a rifle in a field of some few acres in extent, especially if such field be near a road; while if a road passed through his land, he certainly would not be allowed to close it up, even for ten minutes, if a right of way had been once established. Why then should Maoris be allowed to. do these things because ifc is argued that they don't know any better ; that they have been accustomed to do these sort of things, and therefore will keep on doing them ? Consider what the principle once admitted — that they might place any portion of their own land under martial law—would lead to, or at any rate might lead to. If, for instance, a man having important business, —it might be a constable in pursuit of an escaped murderer—should find himself brought to a sudden stop on the road because it was past nine o'clock. He I -"Mild have to wait patiently and allow 1 the objei7 f ' of ■■£" Pursuit to Put ci Rht hours' journey > tween them' °f t[ ,he persisted in forcing his T ay on ; ™*J* l $ c shot for so doing, the result J 1*0 a being that a great deal of bad feeling would be engendered, with a considerable possibility of another man escaping, because these acts were not nipped in the bud. It does not seem a very bad thing to stop a road little used at night during the hours of darkness, but that is not so much the point to be considered as is the question, to what will this lead ? Casuisti say that a bad principle once admitted worse results are sure to follow; and

those who indulge in parables and proverbs warn us against the wedge's thin end. Perhaps when Stephen gave all his Barons leave to* build castles he did not think that much .harm was likely to ensue, until his successors found out that the erection of these fortressesfortifications the Maoris would call them —caused the Barons to laugh at the law, and take the matter into their own hands, and Henry 111. lived to find out that one result of a foolish concession was, that he was a prisoner where he had been king. We hope the matter will not be allowed to remain unnoticed. Things of this discription are best put down with a strong hand, and the wiser plan is to refuse the gift of an inch if the taking of an ell is likely to follow.