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Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 4, Issue 188, 26 April 1860, Page 4

It is with deep regret that we have to announce to our native friends that two tribes in New Zealand, who have received the light of Christianity and enjoyed the instruction of the Missionaries, have recently committed an act of atrocity such as has not been known since the dark days, when they were ignorant of the precepts of the Scriptures. It is known to all that Wm. King refused to recognise the right of certain men to use and dispose of their land as seemed good to them; that he was unwise enough to build a pa on the land purchased by the Governor from these men, and that his people have been driven out of this pa with considerable loss. This is, however, altogether a separate matter. Wm. King is a chief, and he did not make war on the unharmed and the helpless. He said his quarrel was with the Governor and the soldiers, and if the settlers did not molest him he should not molest them

But the men of Taranaki and the Ngatiruanui tribes, being an ignoble people, came up to New Plymouth; they had no quarrel with the Governor or the settlers, but they would destroy the settlers and their property, and slay the unharmed and the helpless. They did not come to help Wm. King to fight with the Queen’s soldiers about the land, but only to rob and murder. The Governor did not believe that any men, who had received the light of Christianity would do this. On the 17th March, however, these evil minded men came near New Plymouth, and. there they found three men, whom they murdered foully—they did not kill them in fight, for they were unarmed; but they murdered them cruelly and barbarously, as none but slaves would do. Not satisfied with this, they murdered two boys—children, helpless and innocent.

The Governor was wroth, and was preparing to take vengeance, but he waited until they were all assembled, that he might strike [a great blow. The next day, however, he heard that a clergyman and his family were remaining in the country, and he sent a small party of men, 340 in all, to bring them away, fearing that the murderous slaves would not respect even the ministers of religion.

The Tarauakis and Ngatiruanuis, seeing a small parcy go, divided into two parts, fell upon them and hoped to destroy them one and all. But the settlers and the soldiers fought like men having a good cause, and the sailors came—a captain and 60 sailois ; they saw a pa, threw a rocket or two into the pa, and made the hearts of these evil men quail for fear—the wicked are always cowards—then the sailors rushed the pa, and destroyed all in it who were fighting, and the party outside killed many more who were fighting there. It is not known how many are killed in all, but the following are the names of certain chiefs who are known to be killed and wounded.

Taranaki Tribe. Paora Kukutai (the leading chief), Paratene Kopara, Purere Pakau, Taraia of Taranaki, Tuhaua Ngeu, Hatawera, Wata 2'eneia (a Waikato),-Hapurona. Ngatiruanui —This tribe sustained great loss.

Chiefs killed.—The Anataua (principal chief of the tribe), Israel, Harai. A great number have been lost—killed and severely wounded ; the numbers cannot be estimated, except the following : Wounded.—Paringa Kingi, badly, Hohapu te llata, do., Te Reweti te la, do., Arama Karaka, Waipata, Mohi Te wai.monga, Te Koweti, in the arm, a boy of Manahi’s named Kere, a Ngatiruanui, in the neck, Te Kariri, a Ngatiruanui, in the leg,. Wi Kape, do., Horomana Tahu.rangi, Paratene te Kamanga. The above are chiefly of the Taranaki tribe; a number of the Ngatiruanui, whose names are not known, were wounded. And now the Governor, calls upon all good men in New Zealand; those who know the commandment which Thou shalt do no murder ” —to aid him in bringing the murderers to justice, that all men may know the Maories are men and Christians, and not slaves and murderers.

.Enough—this is what has passed at Taranaki. OPENING OF THE VICTORIA BRIDGE, MONTREAL. A great event has just occurred in Canada. The Victoria bridge, the greatest work of Sir 'Robert Stephenson, has been opened for traffic. We believe that seven years and upwards have been consumed in the .construction of this wonderful bridge, and at last a train has passed it, and the St. Lawrence is no longer an obstacle to free communication between the Canadas and the United States. This bridge is the most magnificent of the kind in existence. The St, Lawrence, as may readily be seen by a reference to the map, together with the great chain of lakes, actually divides North America in two. from the Rocky Mountains to New Brunswick. There is, indeed, an admirably planned wooden bridge at Niagara, but it is not to be mentioned as a rival of the stupendous achievement at Montreal. The pre-

vinces of the North American Union are now so Ultimately connected by iron lines that all that was wanting to bring the Union into close communication with Cauada was to span the St. Lawrence, and this has now been done. There seem 3 something very prophetic of the future in the simple statement of the freight carried over the Victoria bridge during five nights after it had been opened for traffic. We read that from west to east there passed 162 cars, containing 11,723 barrels of flour, 1,552 barrels of pork, I4Q bales of cotton, and 110 tons of general goods. From east to west there passed 130 cars, containing 534 tons of general goods, 170 tons of iron, and 39,000 feet of lumber. Here we have evidence that the corn growers, the provision merchants, and the cotton planters of the United States are ready and eager to avail themselves of this opening for traffic. On the other hand, and on the Canadian side, all persons engaged in the timber and iron trades, and, as we may presume, the general merchants in the mother country, are nothing loth to meet the producers of the Union half way. It must be remembered that, independently of the engineering difficulties of this undertaking, the work had to be carried on in a climate which for many months in the year is almost Arctic in its severity. It is said, however, that no iron tubes, despite of these drawbacks, have ever been put together more scientifically or securely, and that never has stone been heaped upon stone with greater care to insure durability than in the case of the Victoria bridge. It is, indeed, to be doubted if ever a monument has been raised by human hands which can offer a prouder memorial of the race which reared it than the Victoria bridge. To Robert Stephenson is due the merit of its conception; to Messrs. Peto and Brassey the praise which belongs to the contractors for such a work when successfully executed. We believe that the great bulk of the money which has been employed upon, the construction of the line and the bridge has come from-the pockets of British capitalists.. The opening of the Victoria bridge will, as we all trust, prove the commencement of a new era in the prosperity of the Canadas. What is mainly required is,, that they should inspire- confidence in the honest management of their finances and in the-in-dustrial development of their country. We eonfess, however, we- cannot read of this opening of the Victoria bridge- without a pang of regret. Alas for Robert Stephenson ! Alas for the great engineer who a, few years back looked down upon the ice-drift of the St. Lawrence, and spanned the river in his thought.. His presence at Montreal the other day. was all that was needed to make the festival of the St. Lawrence as brilliant in all its particulars as it will, we trust, prove an augury of prosperity and happiness to the Canadian dominions of the Crown. — Times, Jan.. 6.

George Cruikshank. on Volunteers.— In a pamphlet entitled, “ A Pop-gun fired off by George Cruikshank,. in defence of the British volunteers of 1803,” the author says:— “ Not only did the men in 1803> form themselves into regiments of volunteers, but the boys of that day did so likewise, and my brother, who was my elder by three years, formed one of these juvenile regiments, and appointed himself the colonel. By my learning the manual exercise with my mopstick gun, when a boy, and at the same time learning how to* * march,’ ‘ countermarch/ and to ‘ mark time, to 1 wheel/ and to * face/ &c., it has made me —ay me, G. C.-—fit and able to handle amusket or a rifle, and fall into the ranks of aninfantry regiment at a moment’s notice.” Further on he gives an amusing anecdote*, which may be taken as showing the importance of thoroughly drilling the volunteers : “ At the commencement "of the present Century (when the French were showing the world 1 what real liberty was, by guillotining their own people), many public meetings were held in this country for the purpose of promulgating these new and grand ideas, and a very popular orator, whose name was Thelwall, called a meeting in the fields north of Londonfor this purpose. This meeting was attended by some 20,000 persons. Thelwall’s powerful and eloquent address aroused the feelings of his audience to a state of enthusiasm, and when he told them he felt assured that they would, as men and Britons, when called upon to stand up for their rights and liberties, show to the world the characteristic firmness and courage of Britons upon such an occasion, his speech was interrupted with loud and determined cheers, when suddenly, a cry was raised of—- ‘ Here’s the sogers; the sogers is coming ! 9 Oh! oh! oh! Off they started, the whole mass of men ! The Britons that were to stand §0 firm and show the world their courage, off they went, completely panic-struck, slap dash, at full speed, over hedges and ditches, tumbling one over the other, losing hats, shoes, &c., and rolling in the ditches, when, after a few minutes, it was discovered to be a false alarm —-•no ‘ sogers ’ were coming, for only one solitary soldier, who had been induced to attefid the meeting, made his appearance over a bank.” This may be looked at as exemplifying the Worthlessness of undrilled men, and the importance of discipline among the volunteers.