THE WANGANANUI CHRONICLE AND RANGITIKEI MESSENGER. “Verite sans peur” WANGANUI, SEPT. 19, 1861.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 5, Issue 253, 19 September 1861, Page 3

THE WANGANANUI CHRONICLE AND RANGITIKEI MESSENGER . “ Verite sans peur” W ANGANUI, SEPT. 19, 1861.

By a proclamation in the General Government Gazette, of 7th Sept., Wanganui and Rangitikei are declared to be under the jurisdiction of the District Court of Wanganui, which is to hold its sittings on the third Wednesday of every alternate month. Major Durie will preside in this court, which has jurisdiction in civil cases to the extent of £IOO All such criminal cases as have hitherto been tried in the District Court here must b,e sent for trial to the Supreme Court at Wellington, and, as our Wellington correspondent points out, great expence in forwarding criminals and witnesses will thus be unnecessarily incurred. There will, besides, be lost to us the labour of the prisoners, which has of late been employed to good purpose in improving the streets. This of itself should induce the inhabitants to petition Government fop an occasional visit of the Judge of the Supieme Court for the trial of such cases. Wanganui is a much larger town than either Napier or Picton, although it may have fewer criminals, and ought therefore to # be placed on the same advantageous footing in this respect. • ~ . . .

Napoleon Buonaparte sail, that clergymen considered- this world only as a diligence in which they might travel to another; Dome travel, we may suppose, in the inside of this roomy vehicle. They are actively employed in the discharge of ther peculiar duties, but they prefer - obscurity, and do not proclaim their virtues and victories. Other* travel ‘on the outside ; they may be not less active and conscientious, but they like to be seen of men ; they have a strong inclination for display, and their light - is not hid under a bushel. A third class not only take outside places, but laying aside the still small voice peculiar to their avocation, lay hold of the political trumpet, and blow a blast long and loud enough to make themselves notorious at the time, and by the continued echoes; .of the sound to be remenp 'tiered for many years thereafter. ; To this third class Archdeacon Hadfield belongs. Not content with the comparatively circumscribed circle of clerical duties which belong to him, he has launched (he would perhaps himself gay, been dragged) into political life, and for the last eighteen months has kept himself before the-public-by.-a series ofdetters and-replies, ■which show at least that their, venerable author does not agree with Shakespeare, that- “ love and, meekness JJecome a churchman better than ambition.’*' •

We have carefully eschewed all manner, of contact with the Archdeacon. He is too formidable and persistent an opponent to be rashly encountered. Those who have read his letters must have been struck with his singular power of keeping back what would he an entire demolition of his adversary’s position until the proper time comes for a stunning blow. 'Then, when his opponent, thrown off his guard, lias lost his vantage ground, down comes the swift stroke of the churchman’s trenchant logic, and lays low the daring assailant. He bides his time; and no one who has ever taken his name in vain need hope to escape the rod, merely because judgment does not overtake him speedily. “ Fate steals along with ceaseless tread.

An<l meets us oft-when least we dread.” So does the Archdeacon. No better instance can be given than the circumstance which leads 11s to refer to this venerable clergyman. In the month of May 1860—sixteen months ago—a meeting of natives was held at Otaki, an account of which was sent us d>y a gentleman who we understood was present, ami in this account the following words occur, — “ '/’he proceedings commenced by a very eloquent and energetic address from the Venerable Archdeacon Hadfield, calling upon the assembled natives to remember, that he had been residing among them as their pastor fur twenty years, appealing to them whether lie had not always, during that time, given them the best of fatherly advice not to alienate their lands, and ending by earnestly entreating them not to put up a flag which could only lead to double and confusion, and end in the shedding of blood.” In the Neiv Zcalamd Spectator of 28th ult. is a letter from Archdeacon Hadfield to the Duke of Newcastle, dated Otaki, August 1, 1861, in which he says, “ I did not use any such language iii reference to the alienation of land as that attributed tome, and it is absolutely without foundation and several Maoris at Otaki corroborate Archdeacon Ifadfield’s denial. New, we have not had rime to learn from our correspondent Whether he heard the Archdeacon use this language, or whether his account was given from hearsay! If liis report was founded on what he heard from others, he lias very probably fallen into a mistake; but if lie was present, his statement must either be correct, or have been wilfully and intentionally falsified ; as lie cculd not well have mistaken the purport of the Archdeacon’s words, lie will no doubt shortly inform us on this point. In the meantime it must be remarked, that he wrote at the time ; while Archdeacon Hadfield aud the corroborating natives write fifteen months afterwards. Hut the truth as to the correctness or incorrectness of the statement is of no great consequence. The real point of importance is, whether it is true or false that the Archdeacon has advised the Maories hot to sell their lands. We have already referred to Mr. Had fie Id’s mode of meeting sin opponent. We have no doubt that in this instance he will be as ready as usual to defend himself, and that successful!)’. He cannot be ignorant that lie gets the credit of having: given such advice to the natives. And it might have been thought that here, without going out of his way, he had an excellent opportunity of proving, that he not only did not on that occasion remind the natives of these friendly counsels, but also that lie had never given such advice. Audi a statement would have done infinitely more to substantiate his denial of our correspondent’s account than the names of a hundred Maoris. For every one will at once allow', that if. Archdeacon Hadfield has never given such advice to the natives, it is quite incredible that lie should have reminded them of his haying done what he never did ; while on the contrary, if he has given, or has been in the habit of giving such advice, it is quite possible, that he might on that occasion have reminded them of the fact; ami that both he and they may, at the distance of fifteen months, have forgotten a circumstance by no means extraordinary. On the question whether it would be right or wrong, judicious or injudicious, to give such advice, we do not enter. We can understand that Mr. //adfield may consider it his duty to advise his flock in worldly matters, and that lie is of opinion that it is for their interest to retain their lands. This may be an error of judgment, but it is quite consistent with perfect integrity. When, however, the statement of a mere accidental circumstance is refuted, while the matter of fact to which it refers, and wdiich it. implies, is not adverted to, the suspicion is excusable, that if there is no evil, the appearance of evil is not altogether avoided. And although it may be a pleasant intellectual exercise to fence in the dexterous manner of the Archdeacon, yet to an onlooker it does appear as rather inconsistent with the peaceful garment which lie wears. Our conviction is, that it is his aptitude for playing the intellectual gladiator which in .this case has led the Archdeacon to reserve giving the caup.de grace to the substance of our correspondent’s statement, until it is brought forward so prominently that no one can make a mistake as to what is intended on either side. 7’he real offence of our correspondent is making a statement which implies that Archdeacon Hadfield has been in the habit of advising the natives to retain their lauds. . Archdeacon 7/adfield’s declaration that he has never done so will be a complete refutation of that part of our correspondent's report of which he complains/ But such a declaration we suppose will -not be given, if ever, until some extraordinary conjuncture of circumstances tempts the Archdeacon to write another letter of defence to the Secretary for the Colonies. ! ' ,

We have seldom met with a more cutting and at the 6ame time more delicate rebuke than that conveyed in the following letter from Tamihaua Te Rauparaba, one of the

Archdeacon’s fi >ek we helidVe.Awhich also peared in the Speclatbr. • “ -Wish* to fi-id ( fault for my name'•luiVii{^’ r l).3&fi^ i pHnted in your newspaper. It was a mistake of the) Pakeia, who said in hfr'newspaper 1 , Chronicle?) that I went toj i/angitikfei to the meeting of the Maori King natives'/'- Do not hastily say that I \Vent : 'to Pii'trgitikei; my last visit there was in A/ay 1860. Wh:)t, should I go there' for, .: to those-meetings of this so called King? ; I- 1 am livrig" at my sheep station taking >nb\part in these proceedings. 1 sometime* go to Otaki to superintend my workmen.” We have}to apologize 'for giving rise to the suspicion that this pastor leaves his own proper calling at his sheep run to attend political meetings. The meeting was held at Rangitikei, and Tamihana Tikau of Rangitikei being present, the -Jmme .Tamihana only was giveirin the,supposition that no other Tamihana'at a distance.yfbuld think that he was intended. }} '

Captain Baillie has been.elected Superintendent of Marlborough, and, A/".. Moorhouse re-elected Superintendent of Canterbury.

There is eight days’ later intelligence from Otago. Tli'e passengers pL?2lyne.;W.ent off to. the diggings in a body on the; 11th inst. 7’he Dunedin prices are reasonably low. In retail butter is quoted at Is 6d. to 25., bacon Is Gd, cheese Is., beef hs, tea 43, coffee 2s, bread per lb, flour .£22, potatoes £5 per ton, carriage to the diggings Is per lb. Wages given are to niasons 14s to 16s per day, labourers £2 ; .t-o £2 5s per week At the diggings prospects continued much the same, a few ddirig;very well —the majority nothing to boast of. Mr. Mik ler’s party has made nearly j£5,000.'. There are above 4,000 diggers 'iit,Gabisiers gully which is full, and the go^ernmfnt'is,urged >o send out prospecting partied Oh tlfe 27th ult. a false report was got- - np ' t'liat a rich field had been found at the Beaumont river, about 9 miles from the TuitpekaMid four or five hundred persons started- for it, hut returned in a few days disappointed.; 7’lie digging hitherto has gone to no hut the correspondent of the' ‘'.AYilffesjj/* n^htibns' ; a party of sailors who haiF ; :^biie !-; Sb%n 25ft. and were driving a horizontal shaft. They were making an oz. each a day and were well At Waitalmna there are about a dozen parties who are earning; 255. to 30s. per man per day. The Superintendent had been surveying the Molyneux river, and has found that a small steamer can be taken up as far as the 7’uapeka stream. 1 This will greatly lessen the expense of carriage.