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Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 5, Issue 273, 19 December 1861, Page 3

Wanganui, Dec. 16, 1861. : SIR, —I noticed in your last issue a paragraph reflecting in’rather strong terms ou the conduct of John Williams, who, though'“one of the best educated natives in the pa, hag been at the Episcopal College, Auckland," apd ,‘is aboiit to ent'et into' hdly : orders,” was still, so h\ean and unmannerly, as to object to a cutting being matte in his land without his permission having been first asked- r . .. •(. The land, you infomiliis, ‘‘'is’greatly,, increased'in'vkiue,” and thence, you infer, arose hismppbsitioli. ,-AlloW'me, Mr. Editor, to ask a f§\y,plajUiiqucstipngi • If-.a cutting had been made .in, ..your land, without your permission being yroiild you have allowed .it to Be ndpiie'itnch^ilebged.? Is* there a single -.'.settler, r who though a’ Maori, should;' especially , when the land is acknowledged to be valuable? Doe&it proye i tbat;he jvas wrong; and.we.right, when y\re. are. informed he, only submitted gn being told, that'"if necessary force .would .be used ? Does this tell in our favour ? Is it calculated tb.raise us. in the native Opinion ?—-or even, opr owp? And is such treatment' of--'a' chief—(our firm friend, to whom we owe; the very district' Itself to promote; a good-Jdeling-bCtween' the races' ? ! Is it wise thus wantonly to -;.eiidaiiger the jicace of the entire an-iUhjustifiable act ? ’’ • ' ; i i ..Fortunately,. John Williams; Aa.s.b;een;to col-;. lege, otherwise the result might'have been. at-, tended with serioiis consequences. But if we .hopes fQr'pehce, we must be 1 more equitable in - our treatment-.df 'the natives, ,we must learn to do (is vje be dona by.. At the very time we are asserting our power, by cutting a road through-John’Williams’s land without asking his permission;- he himself is being denied one tohis;qwh2land; this makes our conduct the more, conspicuous, and he observed, that if we refused them roads, ft will be a. precedent for thd Waitotara natives at a’future day, when we Want one'there ; arid I 'beg y6u to remember, he. did.no|, object: to the cutting being made, but to the uricourteous maimer of the proceed- ■ ing. ‘•' ... . . -1 . v r You will-bblige me by inserting this in your next issue, : ‘ Yours faithfully, - ' Ax Observer.

[Our correspondent takes for granted the very point at issue. The Resident Magistrate holds that the land in question does not belong to John‘Williams, and we believe him to be correct. John Williams, an educated native; should also' have • known this ; /arid our correspondent, being. still better educated, ought not to hav"e v blinked the question on which the-cha-racter of John Williams’s opposition hinges.]