THE WANGANUI CHRONICLE AND RANGITIKEI MESSENGER. "Vérité sans peur.” Wanganui, July 12, 1860.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 4, Issue 199, 12 July 1860, Page 2

THE WANGANUI CHRONICLE AND RANGITIKEI MESSENGER. "Vérité sans peur.” Wanganui, July 12, 1860.

There is no news by to-day’s overland mail from Auckland,or Taranaki.

The English mail has not reached Wellington, although, it left Sydney for,Auckland on the 18th ult. The brig Louis, and Miriam arrived at , Wellington from Sydney, which she left on the 22nd ult., has the English news as given in the Sydney papers—which will be found; elsewhere. The news from India is up to the 12th May from Bombay. Some disaffection, existed at Delhi and the Punjaub, but there were troops enough . to quell any possible insurrection.

There appeared lately in the columns of the Lyttelton Times, a letter signed “ Suaviterfortiter,” in which a scheme was sketched for the future government Of the Maories, in some points meriting attention, in others utterly impracticable. Especially is the proposal out of the question to stop all commercial inter' course between the Europeans and a proposal which would argue that the writer neither knows the nature of the country nor of its inhabitants, white and : coloured, nor anything of the vast expense which would be incurred in an unsuccessful endeavour to carry his proposal out .;- and besides all this, its in-justice—-in. that it.puts under the same ban the whole race, whether friendly or hostile-r-con-demns it to, perish without benefit of clergy. This first step is proposed to be taken in order to compel. submission to certain conditions, such as , the . setting aside of the fFaitaagi treaty, of alh,unocc.upied lauds to the Queen,’and' the-takingian oath of allegiance to her Majesty.- The first and the last of these terms-might ivery . well be imposed on those who have repudiated the treaty of Waita.ngi, and whom,-if; a : war were to take place, we migh t conquer, thus getting possession of their Ittude without purchase; 1 but-, if. the friendly

natives did not-freely consent to those conditions, it would be unjust that they should be imposed on them. The writer then proposes that a lithographed map of each district should be supplied at cost price, which shall distinguish the separate native properties—that is,-those lands which are now occupied* or which may be reserved by the government for the Maori-‘chiefs. We are afraid the Maories would father give up their land than buy the map, which would cost more than the value of the ground, especially if,-as we understand the proposal, the separate properties are to be marked on it. 1 -

Then follow some suggestions for promoting “ the permanent amelioration of the race.” The first of these is, to grant “ pecuniary aid (from the government, we presume) for the furtherance of religion among the natives, the money to be-allotted to ■ the different religious denominations in proportion to the number of their-member s,” and to be disposed of by the heads of these denominations. If this island is favourably conspicuous for anything, it is for the absence of that c bigotted sectarianism, which such a scheme would inevitably generate and foster. Never, even in the Home country, has the state given pecuniary aid in the prosecution of missions, which have been carried on by the spontaneous liberality of the Christian church ; and , when, even there, the propriety of any state aid to religion whatever is being called in question by . statesmen of the highest authority—when such men as Lord Stanley consider the separation of church and state as inevitable-—it is quite absurd to expect such a proposal to meet acceptance here, even supposing the feeling in favour of missions were much stronger than it is. His proposals of secular schools at the native settlements, and trunk lines of road through the country, are unexceptionable, as is also the proposal, that natives should he allowed to send members (not necessarily A/aories) to the General Assembly ; provided it is not gone into until they are sufficiently elevated in the social scale to understand the importance of such a trust, and to exercise it aright. These suggestions are generally ascribed to a Wesleyan missionary, and if they proceed from him, they show an amount of freedom from the peculiar views in favour of the Maories said to be entertained by missionaries, and from the narrow-mindedness in respect to education prevalent among clergymen, which do him credit. We believe that the Governor has asked and received suggestions for a peaceful settlement of the present difference with the natives from various gentlemen throughout the colony. What may-be the.nature of these suggestions, and how far they may influence the result of the meeting at present being held in Auckland, we are not 'prepared precisely to state. But. we believe the most important of them may be resolved into provisions for the government of the Maories by their own chiefs, with the sanction and under the superintendence of governmentr—and for giving them liberty to let or sell their lands to any applicant. Perhaps such. concessions would tend to put an end to the King movement and the land league more effectually than any other measures not of a compulsory character could be expected to do, as they strike at the root of the grievances (real or supposed) which have given strength and persistency to these organisations. And provided the dispute with W. Kingi be settled by force of arms, there would be no great objection to such concessions on the ground that to grant them would only embolden the Maori, and induce increased insolence. But to the first of these suggestions there is sufficient objection on the ground of its impracticability. There must be one tribunal both for, Europeans and natives, otherwise constant difficulties would arise in the administration of justice. The second suggestion is also liable to serious objections, inasmuch as the sale or letting of land to Europeans might be productive of never-ending disputes, seeing that even the Government cannot always avoid-such difficulties even with its extreme carefulness-' in examining titles. But if native, lands were required to be registered, and to.have Crown grants given for them before a sale, or-lease was concluded ; and if licensed brokers were appointed to conduct and conclude these negotiations under certain regulations, it is probable that the suggestion might be carried into effect with advantage. No doubt is entertained by those who know the Maori character best, that under such regulations land would be sold to a, much greater extent than under the present system, •