The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 1879.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3174, 22 April 1879, Page 2

The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 1879.

In another column we publish from the Herald's correspondent at Opunake an account of the interview between Mr Mackay and the Parihaka natives. From it will be gathered that very little progress has been made towards the actual solution of the Waimate difficulty, other than an admission from all concerned that there is no inclination or intention to have recourse to hostilities. Te Whiti seems to have improved his position, and has scored a point as against the Government for; owing to his persistent assertions that certain promises were made to the natives by the late Sir Donald McLean, he has succeeded in getting it at least admitted that there may be some grounds for such assertions, as it is suggested that a commission should be appointed to inquire into the claims put forward by the natives to certain portions of the Waimate Plains. We fay that a concession has been made to Te Whiti, and he now holds the best position; for it will be remembered that the stand taken by the Government in the first instance was that the land was the property of the Crown, and would be dealt with as such; but if the suggestion of Mr Mackay is carried out that position has been so far abandoned. This course, however, will have the effect of putting-off the evil day, but cannot improve the position of the Government, nor facilitate the early sale of the Plains. The Taranaki News of Saturday last, writing upon the present position of affairs, says :—

The latest phase of the Waimate question is that of the supposed discovery of certain promises made by the late Jbir Donald McLean, but hidden until now in the archives of the Native Office. The ostensible revealer of these hidden and forgotten promises is a certain chief, but whether he should be regarded as the veritable discoverer or as a mere automaton in the matter, the impelling spirit of which is behind the scenes, we will for the present leave our readers to guess. Possibly the true discoverer may be unwittingly brought to light when Parlia-

ment meets. The cry of injustice to the natives whenever there is a dispute between the races is an old ; use of a certain set of traitors who hp.vo from the beginning opposed the settlement of these islands for fieir own selfish ends We fail to perceive how the smallest doubt as to the justica of the confiscation of the Taranaki and Ngatiruanui lands can be entertained by any reasonable person. We had no quarrel with the tribes residing in those districts; ws sought neither by force nor fraud to dispossess them of their ancient and fertile possessions; our artisans constructed mills for them and we purchased their produce in our markets at a fair price, and yet they ever evinced intense hostility towards us. Among them the mischief of the anti-land-selling league sprang up in the house most erroneously called Taiporo-Henui, " the restraining of the evil," and among them also devil-digging, Pai-maiririism, anJ Te Whitiism arose. When hostilities between us and Wi Kingi, of Waitara, commenced, these people in a most cowardly anA treacherous manner fell upon our rear, murdered peaceable settlers and their children, plundered their cattle, and wrecked their homes. We are now told that promises of restoration of the fairest portions of their ancient possessions have been made to these people. To this we reply that whatever promises of this kind may have be9n made they cannot be pleaded by outlaws. By sheltering the murdere: 1 Hiroki, Te Whiti and his people have rebelled against the Government, and they have intensified their rebellion by removing the Government surveyors from the Plains. By these acts Te Whiti and his peoplo have for ever forfeited all right to the fulfillment of any promises made on behalf of the Government by its officer! as an act of grace, and as an inducement to future loyalty and obedience. We assert that Te Whiti and his people by their present rebellion have virtually rendered themselves outlaws, and the consequence s of outlawry are in the lower grade, the forfeiture of goods and chattels universally, and in the higher grade, as for rebell'on and treason, altJnder and the forfeiture of real as well aa personal property. As this is so, we can see no course which the Government can pursue b,it that of an assertion of its right to possess the Plains and its power to maintain thai right, of its right to try murderers by its Courts, to hang them if found guilty, an^l of its power to enforce that right. By his act of driving the surveyors from the Plains, Te Whiti has contrived to maintain his prestige as a prophet. If the Government submit to this act of rebellion, they will raise Te Whiti in the estimation of his followers and of the natives generally, and sow abundantly the seeds of murder and rebellion, the resulting crop of which will be harvested in due time We think, therefore, that the Government should assert itself oven at considerable cost; and there is reason to suppose that extreme mc.;suvc3 are not likely to be needed, as the Waikatos are not likely to yield Te Whiti any support, and as even now the prophet ia in a state of anxiety concerning the strengthening of the military posts in his neighborhood.

Evidently the people most interested, and those who would suffer most severely in the case of war, seem of opinion that a determined action, on the part of the Government would be the wisest course, and probably the cheapest in the end. There is a great deal of truth in our contemporary's remarks, and, without doubt, at present the situation is in favor of the malcontents.

[Since writing the above our telegrams to-day irom Opunake «tate that Te Whiti has ordered the constables and seltlers to leave that place. This bears out in seme mer.sure the above

remarks, and goes to disprove the statements made that the difficulty has been removed. Another telegram states that Te Whiti seemed displeased with the idea of a Commission, and probably he is now showing his displeasure by issuing the orders that the constables and settlers are to leave'Opunake.]