NEW ZEALAND AUCKLAND.

Press, Volume I, Issue 7, 6 July 1861, Page 4

NEW ZEALAND AUCKLAND.

By the Auckland papers we have received the letters from the Runanga and from William Thompson in reply to the governor; which, so far as their meaning can be deciphered, seem to decide that they will

not take down the flag; so that no course seems to be left but war. The Governor, however, it is said intends to delay action till he receives an answer from the Home Government respecting further reinforcements, which will prevent any operations being begun till midsummer. In the mean time the military are occupied with breaking in artillery horses, and organizing a Land Transport Corps. A company of the l4th are ordered to Hawke's Bay at once, and Petitions have been very pressing from Wanganui and Wellington for more troops. This splitting up of the troops will leave the Governor without sufficient force to march into the enemy's country unless assured of reinforcements. There are four men of war at Auckland • the Pelorus, Harrier, Fawn, and Miranda. The Cordelia had sailed for Sydney. The Fawn was about to do so for repairs. The Pelorus was to start shortly on a cruise of two months; she was to call at the Fijie. The Scout, 21 guns, was expected from India.

It is stated that the government have accepted the offers of assistance made by the Ngapuhis in the event of a war with Waikato. William King had left the Maori King's residence at Ngaruawahia for Ranwiawhia, where he proposes remaining for the present being in dread of treachery should he return to Tara-' naki. Thompson is said to have gone to the East Coast.

Bank op New Zealand.—A Bank Corporation for the whole of New Zealand is in course of establishment; and a bill has been introduced into the General Assembly to incorporate the company. " A capital of £500,000 in £10 shares, with a paid up capital of £250,000, it is contemplated will be sufficient to meet the present requirements of the colony. 2s. 6d. per share is to be paid on application \ 17s. 6d. per share on signing the deed of settlement; 20s. per share three months thereafter j and the remaining 60s. per share, if required, in three months. Branches of the Bank will be established in every important town in the colony, each branch being governed by a local manager appointed by the general board, and two directors chosen by the resident local proprietary, should they represent £40,000 of the capital stock of the Bank. There will be a London Board of Directors, and a Secretary. Exchanges with all parts of the world will be managed, and advances made upon bills of lading, bonding warrants, and other legitimate securities."— Southern Cross.>

The Maori Runanga.—Wo reprint the important parta of William Thompson's reply to the Governor's Declaration.

" This is it, 0 friends. Look you at Deuteronomy xvii. 15. If all the kings of the different islands (countries) were from Rome only, from thence also might come one for here. But is not the Queen a native of England, Nicholas of Russia, Bonaparte of France, and Pomare of Tahiti, each from hig own people ? Then why am lor these tribes rebuked by you and told that we and you must unite together under the Queen. How was it that the Americans were permitted to separate themselves? Why are they not [brought under the protecting shade (sovereignty) of the Queen ?—for that people are the same race as the English. "Whereas I, of this island, am of a different race, not merely connected. My only connection with you is through Christ: Epheii. 13.

Were all the differeut islands (countries) under one sovereignty, that of the Queen, it would be quite right, no one would differ : all this island would also be*united with the rest, instead of which each nation is separate, and I also standing here in ray own thought, which is this, that I must have a king for myself. ♦ * * And now, O friend, leave this King to stand upon his own plaoe and let it rest with our Maker as to whether he shall stand or fall. This is sufficient of this portien of my words, and although they may be wrong, yet they are openly declared. Those words of mine are ended. I will now commence upon another subject among the many we talk about.

At the commencement of this war at Taranaki, I meditated upon the haste of the Governor to be angry (to commence hostilities). There was no delay, no time given : he did not say to the Maoris, " Friends, I intend to fight at Taranaki." No, there was nothing said, not a word. That was why my thoughts dwelt upon what is said—Peter, 2, 14. I thought that he would have remembered that word, " to praise

those that do well," and "condemn those that do evil." Come now, O friend of the Pakeha, and also of the Maori side. Look at the evil of Te Rangitake, or at his good (conduct). Wherein was Te Rangitake bad ? Was it in holding his land that he was bad, or what? It is for you to look. Was it in casting away the surveyor's chain ? Where was the offence ? Look ! Is a man put to death before his offence is proved, or has the law been abandoned by which it is said, (condemn) not from the word of one witness, but by the words of two or three witnesses shall the right or wrong be ascertained. Did the Governor send word that the men who lived near should assemble to point out the laws of William King and Te Teira, and that you might know that Te Rangitake was in the wrong and Te Teira in the right, and then when the wrong of one should have been seen, punishment should have been inflicted upon the wrong doer, and the well doer been spared. • *

With reference to the going of the Waikatos to Taranaki, for which we are reproached by the pakehas: hearken and I will tell you. It was Potatau who fetched William King from Kapiti; he was brought back to Waitara, to his place. That was how the Ngatiawa returned to Taranaki. I look therefore to this word of yours, saying, " it was wrong of the Waikatos to go to Taranaki." Iα my opinion it was right for Waikato to go to Taranaki. Come now, think calmly. Kauakitua, Tautara and Ngatata were blood relations of the Waikatos. It is not a gratuitous interference on the part of the Waikatos; they were fetched; they were written for by Wiremu Kingi and Hapurona by letter. And that was why Te Wetine Taiporutu went to the war. * *

In the second place, because of their relations, Rauakitua, Tautara, and Ngatata; the third, they were written for ; the fourth, Potatau's word that land-sell-ing should he made to cease. These were all the grounds of Waikato's interference. If the Governor had considered carefully, Waikato also would have considered carefully; but the Governor acted foolishly and that was why the Waikatos went to help William King. For Wi Kingi was aj man who had not been tried, so that his fault might be seen in justification of inflicting severe punishment. You mock us: saying that this Island is one, and the men in it are one (united), I look at the Pakeha, who madly rushed to the fight with Wi Kingi. Had he been tried, his offence proved, and he had then been contumacious to the law, their interference would have been right, as his conduct would have been trampling on the law. As it is, that side (the Pakeha) has also done wrong. According to your word, that side is right; according to mine, also this side is right; but I thiuk that side Is wrong, Enough of these words. Here are others.

About tbe word relative to the murders my opinion is decidedly that it was not murder. Look, Ihaia murdered Te Wbaitere. He caused him to drink spirits that the senses of Te Whaitere might leave him He was waylaid, and died by Ihaia. That was a foul murder. You looked on and made friends with Ihaia. That which we regard as a murder you have made naught of; and this, which is not a murder, you call one. This, I think, is wrong : for the Governor did not say to William King and the Ngatiruanui, « O, do not kill those who are unarmed." Nor did he direct that the settlers living in the town should be removed to Auckland, where there was no fighting, and there stay. For he knew that he had determined to make war at Taranaki, and he should, therefore, have told his unarmed people to remove out of the way. He did not do this. Had he even said to the Ngatiruanui, " Friends, >do not kill the settlers," it would, to some extent have been a little clearer. Enough on the subject of the murders.

This portion is about the property (plunder). With reference to the property of which you say that we are to restore what remains. That also I do not consider right. Hearken to what I propose with respect to that. The Governor was the cause of that. War was made on William Kingi and he fled from his pah. The pah was burnt with fire, the place of worship was burnt, and a box containing Testaments; all was consumed in the fire: goods, clothes, blankets, shirts, trousers, gowns,—all were consumed. The cattle were eaten by the soldiers, and the horses, one hundred in number, were sold by auction by the soldiers. It was this that disquieted the heart of William King, his church being

burnt with fire. Had the Governor given word not to burn his church, and to leave his goods and animals alone, he would have thought also to spare the property of the pakeha. This was the cause of the pakoha's property being lost (destroyed). When William King was reduced to nakedness through the work of the Governor, he said that the Governor was the cause of all these doings. They first commenced that road, and he (William King) merely followed upon it.

Friends, look you to this: one hundred horses were sold by auction, property and food consumed, burnt with fire, and the cattle eaten by the soldiers. Whose work was that? The Governor's own, for ho commenced the work of confusion spoken of in this declaration." * *

To the Editor of ' The Press.'

Sir, —In the issue of 'the Lyttelton Times' of the 3rd instaut, Mr. Stafford the Colonial Secretary is reported to have stated in the House of Representatives, in answer to Mr. Graham's question on the subject of the importation of diseased cattle that " the Government had received from the Provincial Executive of Canterbury in tho absence of their Superintendent, a request that some steps should be taken to prevent cattle being imported there from New South Wales, but the letter was so indefinitely worded, no particular disease being expressed, that they were unable to take any action upon it," &c, &c. As those gentlemen who in the first instance represented the matter to the Provincial Government may be interested to see how far their request was complied with, I have enclosed for publicntion in your columns, copies of the correspondence alluded to by Mr. Stafford. I remain, Sir, Your obedient servant, THOS. WM. MAUDE. Jnly 4th, 1861.

[Copy.] Superi7itendent' , s Office, Christchurch, ISth March, 1861. Sir,—By the direction of the Executive Council of Canterbury, in the absence of His Honor the Superintendent, I have the honor to address you on the subject of the importation of cattle into New Zealand from the Australian Colonies.

Reports have reached the Provincial Government of the prevalence amongst cattle in Australia, of a Species of "pneumonia," a disease that is' greatly to be dreaded on account of the rapidity of its progress, and its very destructive effects. May I request the favour of your moving His Excellency's Government to take this subject into their early consideration with a view of investigating the matter, and adopting some precautionary measures, which will guard against the very injurious results which must happen, should this complaint break out in the New Zealand Settlements.

I have the honour to be, Sir, Your very obedient servant, (Signed) Thos. Wμ, Maude, Provincial Secretary. In the absence of His Honor the Superintendent of Canterbury. P. S. I may add that lam informed that the disease is more prevalent in Victoria than elsewhere in Australia, where it ia said, to have been imported by English stock. (Signed) T. W. M. The Honorable the Colonial Secretary, tfc, Sfc. [Copy.]

Colonial Secretary's Office, Auckland, 2nd May, 1861.

Sir, —I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of the Provincial Secretary's letter, No. 167, of the 18th ultimo, on the subject of the importation of diseased cattle into New Zealand from the Australian Colonies, and in reply to request the Provincial Government of Canterbury to state whether it would wish a Proclamation to be issued by His Excellency the Governor in Council under the provisions of the 32nd section of the " Customs Regulation Act, 1858," prohibiting the importation of infected cattle, and, if so, to define the particular diseases and the description of stock to be specified in such Proclamation. I have the honor to be, Sir, Your very obedient servant, (Signed) E. W. Stafford. His Honor the Superintendent of Canterbury, Ckristchurch. [Copy.] Superintendent , s Office, Christchurch, 25, May, 1861. Sir,—With reference to the subject of the importation of infected cattle into New Zealand, I have the honor to state that the disease which is reported to have caused such ravages amongst herde in Australia, is known medically by the name of " pleuro pneumonia/ being a species of lung disease attacking cattle