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Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 4006, 31 October 1881, Page 3

(To the Editor of the Evening Star ) Sib,—"Let him come, he will find no fortifications here." Such are the words of the Maori Prophet when told that •• honest John Bryce " intended to visit him. While paying a high tribute of respect to the martial ardour of the Volun • teers throughout the country, and admira tion for the sacrifices many cf them make in obeying the call "to arms ! ' in my opinion, which nevertheless may be wrong, the massing of armed men around Pari haka induces sentiments in my mind akin to contempt. Both Major Atkinson and " honest 'John " are very valiant men wiih i their tongue —no one ever heard of their ! possessing any other kind of valour. The Native Minister would like to kill all the Maoris because Ihey are Maoris, and M»jor Atkinson would like them exterminated because he wants their land, probably for the New Plymouth Harbour Board ; but both of them would like and will take care that their own persons are guarded from danger while so doing, by being protected by a rampart of living armed men. Once of twice when in office before, Mr Byrce . wanted to interview the prophet, but was fiifcjways told that he had no power to settle '* the dispute between the two races. Mr Bryce now intends to shew that he has the power to settle the dispute by stamp ing out diverse opinions with the armed heel of authority, and forcing dissentire words down the throat of the utterer at the point of the bayonet. Should he find an old woman or a boy offer any resistance he will have a pretext for the presentation of a " butchers bill" to Parliament in exchange for the Treasury Bill his march of armed men will cost. Speaking with some knowledge of the subject, nothing more ludicrous in theannalsof warfare than this raid on Parihaka is within my remembrance. Of the prudence of the Govenor their can be do doubt. When it was reported to Colonel Reader a long time since that the boys at Parihaka had a few old single barrelled guns for pigeon shooting, he asserted that Parihaka could not be touched until our men were armed with Snider rifles. Major Atkinson at the same time ordered a shirt of mail for his

own use, The whole affair reminds me of the head of a family calling in a pome of police to quell a dispute which has arisen between the house and the chamber maids

in his employ. Mr Bryce's march on Te Whiti reminds me of nothing so forcibly as a regiment of line being employed to evict an Irish peasant, whose sole wealth is an aged and half famished pig and means of resistance —a blackthorn stick. —I am, &c, Old Colonist.

(To the Editor of the Evenikg Stab.) I Sib,—ls there no man of influence who will come forward to denounce the action of the Government in this matter of involving us with the natives under Te Whiti ? Of course I don't speak of justice to the natives; it would be an absurd ideasomething to be laughed at. It is most disheartening to see men hiring themselves for 5s per day to shoot, burn, and destroy" their fellow men at the bidding of a lot of land graspers. That is what it really means, a case of wholesale., eviction. What II wish particularly to call - the attention of the public to is the .Hon. J. Sheehan's memo in the Auckland Evening Star, Oct. 25, and Mr James Mackay, Sir W. Fox and Sir F. D. Bell, the Boyal Commissioners report, and if an Englishman, after a perusal of the report, can assert "We are quite right in going to war," then there is little more to be said. I would wish to draw attention to the leading article in last night's Grahamstown Stab ; it is one of those pieces of calm reasoning that carries conviction to minds capable of sustained thought. Can half a million people bear the strain P However unpopular it may be, it would be criminal, as the editor of the Stab states, if he were to remain silent. I call the attention of heads of families to the figures in last night's Star, because it is on our shoulder the weight has to be borne. Hoiv difficult it is to working men to make both ends meet is too well known, and it is not wise to add to the burden, and I would impress on working men the fact that a people are always as well governed as they ought to be.—lam,&c,

G. .Reddish. Saturday, October 29,1881.

(To the Editor of the Evening Star.)

Sia, —With your permission I would call attention to the following: There are a large number of electors for the County and Borough in our Volunteer Force, and leaving here on duty to-day, and as it would be unfair to virtually disfranchise them for the coming elections, I would beg to suggest the following : That they (the Volunteers) be permitted to vote by proxy, that is, to hand in, in a sealed envelope, three or four days before the day of polling, to the officer commanding the brigade, battalion, company,, or detachment, the name of the candidate he Totes for, tbe same to be forwarded to, the Returning Officer, Thames, the mail following the receipt of sealed vote.—l am, &c, . Saturday, Oct. 29tli, 1881.