THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT YOUR FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1881.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3796, 26 February 1881, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT YOUR FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1881.

Thk natives up the river are most moderate in their demands for utu, and it appears as though they are but faintly impressed with the mode of dispensing British law in the Colony. They say, "Let the pakehas choose three white men and deliver them up to.us, so that we may have reparation for the blood of liimiona." This is a most reasonable demand surely, and in keeping with the value set on the head of a European by the Government! Many white men have been killed, and three murderers are allowed to be at large at Parihaka and in the King country. The motherly care taker* of such brutal ruffians, and the anxiety to deprive the Englishman of redress, in order to allay the passionate craving for.blood displayed by the Maoris (fortunately not often gratified) manifested by the Government is positively sickening to an Englishman. The Maoris, by their coutinued obstruction retard the progress of the colony : first, by refusing reasonable offers for land required for roads, railways, andsuch oiher evidences of civilisation ; and, secondly, by uttering threats against the much-hated (but to them, in reality, valuable) pakeha. An instance of the former we see in the much talked of Komata road, which would long have been open for traffic had our Government been imbued with a little of the American spirit, or had been anything else than a collection of prating, prosy selfish, and imbecile windbags, whose combined mental power would scarcely equal that of a fossilised mosquito. Our contemporary, speaking of the recent murder, says that >' two blacks do not make a white ;" but is it not a deplorable fact that the lives of many valuable white men liave been taken for the death of one black P Another instance of pandering to Maoridom is to be found in the fact of the authorities permitting a Native Assessor to sifc on the Magisterial iJench, in the case where a foreigner is tried for the highest criminal offence possible. Had the prisoner been an Englishman we doubt if the Native Assessor would have been so quietly permitted to take his seat on the bench. It is a slur on the two justices who are at present hearing tbe case to allow this Maori to sit beside them, as it implies a doubt that they will not be just. The disgraceful way in which the Native Office deal with native matters is a subject of general comment, and it would be difficult for the Government to say what earthly good the various Native Departments hure done since their inauguration in New Zealand. They have squandered thousands of pounds sterling in maintaining a practically useless office and have not succeeded iv placing the pakeha on a better footing with Maori— in facfc, just the reverse. Many difficulties (subh as the Komata for instance) could be easily settled without the interference

of this white elepbaut, but then the said white elephant would not get (he credit of having settled the matter, consequently they would lose the Jcudos which would be given to the man who settled the matter to our satisfaction. The Maoris in many instances would listen to a man holding no office, and would conclude negotiations with him, when they would have nothing to say to the representatives of the Queen. They have no respect for British law— hence their objection to deal with the officers of the Crown ; but, they can value , a man who uses forcible means of gaining j his object, when no number of warrants from the Supreme Court would frighten them. An instance of the second is the effect produced on the Te Aroha miners by the threats of the natives living on the Waihou. The Maoris do not seem to be willing to leave the law to take its ordinary course in regard to the prisoner Procoffi, bub have threatened to have utu if he is not speedily " settled." This threat has had the effect of causing the miners at Te Aroha to leave claims lying in exposed places, and consequently a great impediment is placed in the way of prospecting. As soon as this unfortunate case is settled, we shall hope to see the Te Aroha once more revive and progress, and we trust that the miners will not be intimidated by the threats of the natives, which, if uttered in any other country but New Zealand, would be counted as treasonable utterances, and summarily dealt with.