"OMNE SOLUM FORTI PATRIA." TUESDAY, JANUARY 28, 1873.

Waikato Times, Volume III, Issue 114, 28 January 1873, Page 2

"OMNE SOLUM FORTI PATRIA." TUESDAY, JANUARY 28, 1873.

Tun meeting of natives just concluded lias not been directly pioductive of much fruit ; it has, however, been useful in having enabled us to understand hitter than we have hitherto done the difficulties we have to surmount, — difficulties that must be overcome before this Island can make a fair start on the road to peace, prosperity, and plenty. "We have a naturally suspicious people to deal with, who, unAii tnnately, have been made more so by the fast and loose manner in which they have been dealt with by ministry after ministry, to whom the management of our affairs has bs-Mi entrusted. We have to convince them, Ist "lh.it there is no intention on the part of the Government to interfere with them in the disposal or non-dispisal of their land. 2nd. That the declaration of the boundary so much spoken of was not a resignation of our right to exercise our authority throughout the whole Island. Jird. Th.it their demand to have the confiscated land returned to them is absuid, and not worthy of a second thought. 4 h Tuat it is us much to their interest to have roads madn through their country as it is to ours." It is easy to put the above on paper, bi.t it is an infinitely more difficult matter to suggest how the desired ends are to be brought about. As regards the first difficulty, we can point out that only land confiscated in accordance with the rules of war has been taken fiom them, though every otber acre that has been alienated has been so with their con. sent, and that they have always received a sum which, by mutual agreement, was considered fair. We poii't again to the " .Native Lands Act," which appointed courts to investigate claims to land and vest in individuals selected by themselves for the benefit of all. Later wo can point to the " Native Lands Fraud Pi otection Act," by which a Commissioner was appointed to see that the natives received justice at the hands of those purchasing- their lands. All this, howerer, will be futile. In theory and intention we are awaro that it was the desire of our legislators to deal fairly with the natives. Those, however, for whose protection we passed acts, have no means of judging of our intentions : they judge of those intentions by rosults— and results only. The leaders of the natives well know the improvidence of the race to whioh they belong-. We have seen how natives, who have largely availed themselves of the facilities offered to pol their lands, have become impoverished, and that the evil has not ended there — they have in addition become drunken and dissolute. If we are to cstabli^i confidence we must surround the natives with greater protection in the shape of preventive laws than we have yet done The selling or leasing of land, for instance, might he made subject to the veto of a council of local chiefs ; this would place tho power, through their representatives, in the bauds of the whole of the tribes of a district. Whilst making this proposition we have not lost sight of tho advantage, nay the necessity, of having the lands {or which the natives have no use tilled and cultivated by Europeans. There need be no fear, howevtr, that placing tho land absolutely in the hands of tho tribes would bo any serious detriment to settlement. The natives are now Mccustonied to our clothing and other luxuries, and they will not be without them if their procuration bo possible. As regards the boundaty question, the natives have to learn that the only object in defining it was to show them the boundaries of the land confiscated, and was never intended to i^ive them special authority over the lands without it, or to release any native resident thereon from his allegiance to the Crown It is to be regretted that this bouudary line was ever define 1 in such terms as to allow of its definition being interpreted into a declaration of independence for those who choose to live beyond it. Europeans of coarse understood its meaning, but the natives did not, thence much of their arrogant behaviour. Establish confidence in the government, and there will be little difficulty in making them understand the error they labourunder. The demand to have the confiscated land returned to them calls for little notice from us. They never expect to get it notwithstanding the tempting promises held out to them. No course that the government could possibly adopt would equally tend to keep alive the native difficulty as the return of the confiscated land. We must | remember that we have savages to deal with, and woisc, we have got savages instructed in rascality hy unprincipled Europeans, and that the only manner in which they are capable of looking upon a concession is — either that we have some ulterior object to gain, or we make it from fear of consequences. We must on no account go back fiom whero we stand ; every step we retre.it will most certainly be considered as a sign to the wily natives to advance two. Want of firmness has been the cause of half our troubles, and wo trust that experience dearly bought will have the effect of keeping us free fi om li -c vacillation in the future. Once dearly «nd distinctly state that they will not get an inch of confiscated land returned, and the habit of asking, for it is little else, will soon bo forgotten. The objection to the making of roads arises entirely from distrust. The native considers that when once lie allows these <o be made, he will be powerless to make demands on the government; not that he Bhonld fear that e^ery just demand will not be granted, but because he thiows away his chance of euforoing by threatened hostility demands which he is well aware he is not entitled either by law or equity to make. A great portion of our difficulty arises from tho fear tho chiefs are under that free intei course with the Europeans will destroy their prestige and influei.ee. They feel that if the Queen's warrant is allowed to run freely from one end of the country to the other and be respected, that the deference paid to them will proportionately decrease. Law will supersede custom, calm deliberation the fiery dictates of an arbitrary chief. J The government has a very delicate game to play, but we have no fear taht the hon. gentleman to whom is entrusted tho conduct of native affairs is equal to the occasion. If ho succeeds in establishing a permanent settlement of our difficulties on the biisis of e\ery man being a subject of Great Britain, and that all are equally liable to protection from evil and punishment for its commission, he will then be entitled to have his nnmo handed down to posterity as the greatest benefactor that this colony has yet seen. As we said above, he has a difficult task to perform, and it behoves every man who has the welfare of the colony at heart to render him every assistance in his power. Those who speak the native language have a power in their hands which they can use either for good or evil. We Lrust that these raon will remember that " blood is thicker than water."

Wo hnve rccoh cl a letter from Cambridge) «tronply eulogising Mr M((kncrn, (lie Inspector of Weights and Measures for the district Our correspondent indulges in remarks that ye bhould not bu justified m inserting 111 our ooluinns. Wo agree with him that Mr MrCWrii in entitled to all pnii«e for tlie untlinching manner in which he performs his rather unplcticant duties, but we avo not, :» our eonvspondent apprai-H to be, prepared \n condemn pqiiftllv cMtinmble men for tlie «ake of ueeording jiraibc w hero due. The tradesmen of Cambridge, if they lun c vrml in not being posscabcd of eflicient sealed, huve not done bo wilfully.

W ate g' id to Win t' Ht .\!- h.ikwvul, oi Crnini^o, Ijui lui'cued the bi'a-i -c of h s s.t<"i n thrashing machine, mid I he will be prepared to thrash on reasonable terms lor all who may requuo t lie serviced of tlin ■very fcasonuble uupcrt ution. Wo compliment Mr Kirk wood on his pntui|»nae, tuid wish that he maybe suitably icnuidcd. When our lawyer came out of C mrt at Ngnrnawahii apsterday, he was uueosted by the plaiulilf in thocise of Kc'u v (Jilmore. The following conversation ensued "You liuve not been untruthful," said the lawyer. To which he received the Quakerish answer • " You got a lot of money irom Gtlmore, did you not? Have you got a shilling in jour pocket?" Legal acumen w an too much for native cunning, and our native friend did not go awa;\ rejoicing An influential deputation waited upon lm Ifonor thf Superintendent on I'V'day to urge upon the Government the necesity for uioici-'d immigration to the province. The deputation a'so requested his Honor to urge upon the Goncnil Government the importance of the proposed line of railwiy from tlio Thames to the Wuikato, and requested him to me hi? influence to secure its construction The uecess ty f>r deepening the channel of the Wmkito river was pointed out. The Superintendent m reply stated that ho in conjunction with the Executive would represent the views of tlie deputation to the General Government. With respeit to the c'mnnel of the Wtulato river he believed steps | h.id already been taken to deepen it. The Provincial Government were fully alive to the necessity and importance of a line of railway from the Thames to the Waiknto, and had already clone their utmost to urge the matter upon the attention of the General Government. The early cloung movement seems to be gaining ground in Auckland. Several trades have obtained an amelioration of their hours of labour, and we now find that the butchers have been snccettful m their organisation, the principal employers having notified their intention of closing their places of business at six o'clock in the evening, Saturdays excepted The watermen of Auckland, whose rights hate been infringed upon by Mr Casey, of Gemini notoriety, have waited upoii the chairman of the Harbour Board, who has promised to bring the matter under the notice of tho Board. Judging, however, from the tone of the reception they mot with on Saturday last, it is doubtful if their complaint will receive much consideration. Possibly the Board will feel a little delic.icy in sitting in judgment upon the acti of one of their number, and he no doubt present at the time. The inquest on the body of tho man John Mallay, who came by his death through injuries received in a public-honsc brawl, was partly heard before Dr Goldsbro' and a select jury of sixteen on Friday last at the Provincial Hospital. There are a number of witnesses to be examined, and the inquiry wa* nd|ourned until to-day. It transpired in evidence that Mallav was an exceedingly quarrelsome and offensive man, and had been tho terror of the Onehunga district, at which place he had formerly resided. The preliminary examination into the case of burglary on tho premises of Messrs Clark A, Sons., Shortland Street, Auckland, came before the Police Court on Friday, in which three men, named Falcon, Johr.stone, and Regan were examined. Tho evidence adduced was not sufficiently clear to convict the prisoners, and the case w as remanded till yesterday. Mr James Forrest has been appointed collector to the Cambridge North Township Highway Board, and William Cunningham ranger for the same district.