Native Robbery. — The Advantage of not being a european.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume 3, Issue 141, 4 March 1848, Page 2

Native Robbery. — The Advantage of not being a European.

Police Court. — On Monday last, two natives were charged with, having robbed a man of the name of Rippie, in the domain, on the previous Saturday, and having been found guilty, were sentenced to G months imprisonment. A report prevailed in town, and wa-5 very generally believed, that this case exhibited features of a very daring character — quite new on the part of the natives, and well calculated to create some alarm, but wo are very glad to find that the report, as usual, had been greatly exaggerated. We have heard that the person robbed was intoxicated, and in that state, it is supposed, had irritated and insulted the natives, and who had therefore robbed him, apparently more out of revenge than from a desire to bteal. — It was reported that all his clothes had been carried away, but his coat&shoes only were taken. On the robbery being made known, the police lost no time in tracing out the guilty parties, and Captain Atkyns deserves great credit for the very able manner in which he secured them. One of the native policemen acted very effectively in the matter, shewing that they can be of great use in an emergency like the present. Wo do not quarrel with the sentence passed on the culprits by the Magistrate, perhaps it is quite adequate to tho offence, though, being a felony, we cannot see that the Resident Magistrate had any right to adjudicate upon it. Of this, however, we are certain, he acted very unwisely in stating to the natives, that, if they had been Europeans, lie would have sent the case to the Supreme Court, and in all probability they would have received sentence of transportation. — Now, whatever propriety there may bo (and wo have not room here to discuss the point) in visiting Europeans with heavier punishment than Natives for the same offence, it is certainly very injudicious — to say the least of it — to point this out to the natives, because it makes them suppose that they are a favored people, and to a certain extent privileged to commit offences against the Europeans with impunity. Wo call attention the more to this point, as it has been but too much the practice to pass over, lightly, the offences of the natives against Europeans, and to such an extent that the former are rendered greatly more daring, and the latter feel in&ulted at the partiality — disgusted with the laws, and alienated from the Government. We have been informed by several persons, whose veracity we consider unimpeachable, that tho Government authorities are acting in a very extraordinary manner towards some of the pensioners at Onehunga. The case reported to us is this : that a pensioner of the name of Moon, or Munn, we are not certain which, who was fortunate enough to obtain a very favorable allotment, and who has been most industriously employed in getting his homestead into something like order, has received notice that he cannot be allowed to remain where he is, because the land will be required by the Government. Wo have made rigid enquiry as to the purpose for which the Government require this land, but we can gather nothing beyond this, that the allotment being in a valuable situation, is wanted for tho purpose of sale ; tho government thinking it will command a good price. _ Tho_ present occupan,^^-^:^^ less industriously inclined, have sought repose and rest from their ordinary labors, a scoria wall round his house, besides other permanent and valuable improvements,

and the poor man, we understand, now that lie is told ho must leave his homestead, and all his improvements, is utterly dispirited and broken hearted ; and what} is still more strange, we are told that tho murmurs naturally elicited by this treatment, have been met with the avowal, that tho pensioners must understand that, if during the sevon years of their engagement, any of the allotments upon which they may bo located, are wanted by tho Government, the possessors will be required to remove to other spots. If it were not for the respectability of the sources of our information,., wo should regard thepo statements as idle rumours ; for really it is hardly credible, that the Government should daro to treat the pensioners in this manner. What possible motive for industry and perseverance can a pensioner have, if he is not certain but at some future day, \ ho will bo ordered to lcavo the spot upon which he has toiled, and be exposed to tho \ mortification of seeing others reap whero he had sown. The cupidity of the local government may blind them to the disgrace and infamy of such policy, but they may depend upon it that tho homo government will not allow the grand scheme of military colonisation to be defeated and ruined from such unjustand sordid motives. Instead of acting in this manner, the government ought to hold out every possible i encouragement to the pensioners, as it is but too well known that their former pursuits have almost unfitted them for acang by themselves, and their hard service has scarcely left them with energy sufficient to form a settlement in a new country. Instead, however, of rendering assistance, the Government have thrown every obrftaclo in their way. Not one of the conditions of their agreement has been fulfilled to them. In particular they are almost houseless, and now that the rainy season has commenced, they at last perceivo the extent of the misery awaiting them, and wo grieve to say, that their hearts are already sinking under the trial, and many are bitterly lamenting that they ever entered tho service. Thus a great body of men, whoso services to the country havo been fully recognised, have been reduced to a stato of great suffering and misery, and a grand scheme of military colonization has been marred, if not defeated, first, by the gross neglect of this government in not preparing adequate shelter for them in proper time, and still more by placing them at such a distance from Auckland and the settlers, as to be without tho reach of employment or assistance ot any kind. From the first we said that failuro would be the inevitableresult, and every day adds confirmation to the melancholy prediction. In another column will be found a very able and interesting report, by Captain Russell of the 58th Regiment, on the stato of the roads in the Wellington district, exhibiting a very satisfactory account of tho progress of these important works, as well as of the able management (judging from the evidence furnished by the report) under which they are conducted — and great credit is duo to Captain Russell for tho persevering attempts he has made to encourage the natives to continue the works, and for his endeavours to introduco amongst them such systematic arrangements as might be calculated to act upon, and improve the general character of the Natives. We have no means of ascertaining the economical expenditure of the money,but from tho evident laudable satisfaction with tho works manifested by the writer in the report, we are willing to believe that a proper regard for economy in the large expenditure of public money on these works has been duly attended to. We, the Auckland settlers, cannot but feel that this report presents a painful contrast to the utter mismanagement which has prevailed on tho roads here, from first to last. The construction of our roads is a perfect disgrace, shewing that the managers were absolutely ignorant of the first principles of the scienco of road making. To be satisfied of this, wo have only to walk to the commencement of the roads at Mechanics' Bay. The roads will be seen with such a high elevation in the centre, and so deeply cut away at tho sides, that no cart can approach them without the risk of being upset — indeed such accidents have already happened. To the bad construction of the roads has further to be objected the wasteful manner in which the works are carried on — tho natives do not work one-third of a day's work, and their lazy indolent habits arc the constant remark of every traveller. They are moreover badly supplied with tools, and the management as a whole ut : course to great waste of the public money. Indeed at no time of our past history has there been so much money thrown away to so little purpose. Governer Grey's object in this district stands forth undisguised—

to "spend as much revenue hero as ho can, j ■ i Juch a way as to produce the least amount j of public benefit, and he has taken a most { u ,nrarrantaUe liberty with the public purse j • exhausting the money without the authority of the Legislature. Why did he not hy his Estimates before the Legislative \ Council ? Simply because he dreaded the exposure they would subject him ; and he even feared the exposure less than he did the not being able to spend the money. All he wishes is to see tho funds gone, and he will account to us at leisure for tho application. _ ■\Ve witnessed with great pleasure on Wednesday last the respect shown by the natives employed by the Royal Engineer Department to Major Marlow, R. E., on his departure from this Colony for England.— | The natives assembled on the beach where he embarked, in number about 100, giving him three hearty cheers, and one who spoke tolerably good English came forward and presented him with a bunch of feathers, Generally worn by their great chiefs, sayiug at the same time, they regretted that they j had not something more handsome to present, intimating, however, that these articles were much valued, and were often o-iven to men of distinction amongst them as presents. The Major, placing the simple trophy in his hat, embarked on board tho Cheerful, amidst tho deafening shouts of tho Maories. The gallant Major has j been art old campaigner in New Zealand, having been present at all the unfortunate broils of Olcaihau, Owaiawai, and Ruapekapeka, and has gained the universal respect and esteem of all classes of society here, by his urbanity and kindness. We cannot do less than wish him a cheerful passage to his native land, and every happiness when ho reaches that lie deserves. We perceive by the Government Gazette, that Tenders are requested from parties willing to contract for the Government Printing. Now as the Government are perfectly well aware that there is no Printing establishment in Auckland, excepting that of the Ncio-Zealander , capable of undertaking the contract, unless accommodated with the loan of the Government type-, ou terms, similar to those by which it has been hitherto lent, and is now held,— -we should have supposed that parties desirous of tendering could have found no difficulty in obtaining the use of the type, if willing to pay such, rent as might be demanded, and give proper security to the govern-ment,-—but we hear that an application of this kind has been made, and refused. It appears to us extremely ridiculous to advertise for Tenders, when it is known that no person but the proprietor of the New-Zealander can tender, if the use of tho government type is not offered to fair competition. We shall watch the progress of this matter with vigilance, because we know many particulars respecting the uses to which tho . government type has been put dnring the time it has been in the 'NeiuZealander office, which, to say the least, but poorly accords with the professed object for whiclt, it xoas borrowed, and the conditions upon which it was lent.