New Zealand Forty Years Ago.

Waipukurau Press, Issue 27, 13 March 1906, Page 2

New Zealand Forty Years Ago.

—o—- — AND WAR, On Oct. 17th, 1865, Mi’ Stafford announced in 'the House that he had succeeded in forming a Cabinet, wish which he was willing to undertake the task uf governing the colony. The policy of the new Cabinet will differ from that of Mr Weld’s Government in the material respect that it will make economy really, and not only professedly, its first object. It is understood that the large sums voted by the House tor native government, and for the maintenance of a colonial army, will not be expended by IVir Staf- ’ ford, who is bent upmi keeping the ' expenditure of the Colony as far as possible within its income. The ( great difficulty in the way of doing anything in the direction of real - economy, is the native question. ' This has, oi course, been the cause of all the extraordinary expenses 1 of Government here for years, and it is this which must in any case leave a heavy weight of debt hang- ” ing over the colony for years to I come. The policy by which Air Stafford proposes to get rid of this ever-inceeasing weight of debt, is simply letting the natives alone so long as they let us alone, it may not be the very pleasantest or the very wisest thing in the world in the abstract, to give up our claim to govern the natives; but it certainly is the only course open to us with an exhausted treasury and a yet mure exhausted credit. 1 The East Coast expedition has met with a considerable share of success of late, and it may safely 1 be said that the exertions of the colonial troops, and of the native contingent have impressed the natives of the East Coast with a greater respect for European arms, than all they knew or hoard of our Waikato or other campaigns. The assistance of the Arawa tribe called in has, it would seem, been veiy effectively given, although nut exactly in the way of fighting. The whole country, from the confines of the Arawa’s own land southward towards Opotiki, had been devastiled with fire and sword, and not an animal or a house was left for miles, it would appear’ Meanwhile the forces at Opotiki, have been anything but idle, and have cleared a considerable part of the eonutry of these rebels with but slight loss i.o themselves. At Waiapu, on the coast further to the south, the success of our arms has been more satisiactory. The f ice neighimurhbod has of late been increased uy the addition <d about a hundred more European troops of various tranches ot the cohmial force, and at last felt itself s-tong enough to atiack—with the assistance of Morgan’s natives-—ihe rebel stronghold at Pukemaire. Jhe conflict was apparently a very severe one, and and at last the j a was carried at • rhe point of the b youet by the troops, who found a .out eighty men in it anxious fur quarter. " The greater part, however, of the defenders had escaped from the place when it was stormed. Chase was at once given, and after a lung pursuit of 25 miles, varied by an occasional skirmish on the bank of some stream, the pursued took refuge in another pa. Next morning the offer of a surrender was made by the attacking party, now reinforced, by a considerable body of natives, under Morgan, ti.e friendly chief, ftiis offer was accepted, and more than another hundred rebels marched out and surrendered. . A few of the chief men have been sent to Wellington, to be disposed of as the Government thinks best. There are said to be slut at least 800 lighting men who are hostile to us in the Waiapu district, and perhaps half as many mure at or near Opotiki. In lair fight, however, it is now clearly shown that our irregular colonial forces, assisted by the loyal natives, are more than a match for anything at all resembling equal numbers of ihe euemv, and if they will only continue to fight as boldly ; for a short time longer, there can be no reason why they should not conquer a peace on the scene of the unprovoked murders of Mr Volkner and of Mr Fulloon and his companions. The occurrence of several brutal murders in the Wanganui district is the main war item m that district. The native who was employed to convey the Governor’s message of peace and pardon contained in the proclamation of September, was first invited to come and deliver his message and then, on his doing so, was brutally murdered by the very men who had invited him to come and talk of peace. Since then the same- thing has been virtually repeated in the case of Mr Broughton, the gentleman who has acted as interpreter to the forces at Wanganui. On pretence of a strong desire to nejxotiate terms of peace and surrender,< these wretches, in whom Mr Broughton seems to have placed the most implicit reliance, decoyed him to go into their pa, and w’hen there put him to death with the greatest cruelty. The unfortunate gentleman was bound to a tree all night, and that in the morning faggots were heaped round him, and he was (burnt alive. It is added, and with but too great a show of

probability, that portions of his body was eaten by the wretched cannibals whose treachery had proved- thus successful.