COMMENTS ON MR. WELD'S MANIFESTO.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 4, Issue 197, 28 June 1860, Page 3

COMMENTS ON MR. WELD'S MANIFESTO.

[From the Nelson Examiner , 30th May.]

The Government seems disposed to drop the narrow ground upon which it based its proceedings, and, as we learn from Mr. Weld’s address, stands on its right of declaring the assumed rights of chieftainship-to be “ incompatible with the authority of the Crown.” When remarking on this address, we intimated rather than expressed our dissent from this view, as we considered the time had gone by for its discussion. It seems that we were mistaken. Mr. fTilliara Fox, of Wellington.' a leading political character, has refused to endorse the unqualified approbation given by his constituents ; and, although not in general much disposed to coincide with him in opinion, we think that in this instance he is right. He intimates that the subject must come before the General Assembly, and be discussed in all its bearings: and he therefore refuses to compromise himself by giving an opinion beforehand.

Our feeling is that Mr. Weld, not to say the Government, Ims mixed up and confounded together two things which are essentially distinct ; the Queen’s supremacy and the rights, of Chieftainship. If he had said that the native King movement was an invasion of the sovereign authority, we coaid understand and thoroughly agree with him ; for here the intention to throw off their allegiance and form a distinct and separate nation is openly avowed ; it is also attempted to exercise sovereign rights, by nominating magistrates, levying taxes, ami the like ; but it is begging the question to assert this of the tribal rights exercised by the chiefs at the heads of the community, since they are riot more necessarily inconsistent with the supreme power, than manorial superiorities or rights of common in England. Whilst, therefore, we acknowledge our bounden duty to “ Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s,” we are equally bound to inquire whether what Caesar claims really belongs to him, lest we should be found wanting to the other and paramount duty contained in the concluding part of the injunction.