SOUTHERN PROVINCES.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XII, Issue 837, 6 July 1855, Page 3

SOUTHERN PROVINCES.

Complaints have reached us from several quarters that the English mails, by the Cornubia and Euphrates to Auckland, as well as possibly one or mora to Sydney, brought down by the William Denny, and transmitted here by the Nelson steamer in, we believe, eighteen large bags, should all have been forwarded to Wellington by the Zingari steamer on Sunday last week, without the bags being opened, and the Nelson letters anil papers taken out. The Nelson arrived in our harbour on Friday, the 23th of May, and the bags in que stion were conveyed to the Post-office in a cart on the sime afternoon. These bags contained the mails referredlco for all the Southern Provinces, and had been made up in Auckland, and directed to " the Postmaster at Wellington." Now, had the Auckland office done its duty (and ample time had been afforded it), the mail should have been sorted before it was put on board the. Nelson, and made up separately for each Province. If the Auckland ofice had not time to do this, it should have forwarded the mixed mail directed to the next officer, and not to any advanced one, for it is in consequence of having done this that we owe the present delay in obtaining our letters contained in these mails ; for the Nelson Postmaster states that, as he had not time sufficient before the sailing of the Zingari on the following evening, as advertised, to sort these eighteen or twenty bags, he was not justified in detaining a mail directed to another settlement. The Nelson Postmaster may have acted in this case from a sense of duty, but we think he acted erroneously. He must have known that the mail was a mixed one, and, however directed, ho was entitled to opeD it (as indeed he would have done had more time been afforded) and take from it the letters intended for this Province. Had he done this, and lost the Zingari, the mail might have been forwarded by a vesiel which sailed a couple or three days after her, whereas, by the course he pursued, we are kept out of our letters nearly a fortnight. The great evil of all is, that when the public suffer from mistakes in departments of what is called the General Government, there is no redress— there is no appeal. To complain to the present puppet Government at Auckland, and request that its officers might ba properly ha-

structed, would be mere waste of labour. — Nelson E: aminer, Jute 6.

(From the New Zealand Spectator^ J*ns 13, 1855 J In to-day's 'Spectator' will be found an address to the Europeans, sent to us for publication, by some of the principal chiefs of the Ngaliawa tribe in this Province, referring to the late meetings at Waikanae and Otaki. Since the disturbances at Taranaki which resulted in the d-'ath of Rawiri Wuiaua, and others of the Ngatiawa tribe, by Katatore and hw party, the party opposed to Katatore have been very anxious to obtain assistance from the other bram-hos of their tribe living at Waikanae, Wellington, and other places in the neighbourhood of Cook's Strait. In April last a numerous body of natives, chiefly from Queen Charlotte's Sound, all well armed and supplied with ammunitien, assembled at Waikanae. when several meetings of the chiefs at Waikanae and Otaki took place, the question was talked over, and by their interferencs, and the influence of Archdeacon Hadfield, those among the party who were really bent on going to Taranaki were induced to abandon their pjurpoaes, and the whole party returned to their homes. Indeed the Otaki chiefs were so determined to prevent any steps which might lead to future disturbances, that we understand they told their visitora plainly they would not allow any war parties to pa.«s through their district. It is worthy of notice that tha i name ofßangihteata, once the leader of the disturbances ' in this province, now appears foremost among the advo- , cates of peaceful principles. We know it was, and perhaps is still the fashion among those who are now in authority in Wellington, very much to undor-rate the difficulties arising out of the Native qnestion, and to look upon the Native as n bete noire ,|a sort of politicaVholgoblin which they alleg"d was conveniently conjured up to cross their path. Those who are at all acquainted with the Native character, and have had much intercourse with thpm know better ; perhaps those to whom we allude, if they have in any way taken pains to inform themselves of what is passing' among the natives, noio know better als.). Without attaching any undue importance to the gathering to which the address, tha subject of our present observations refers, sufficient cause exists for care and circumspection on the part of the authorities in treating these Native questions, and in using every precaution to prevent mischief, for if any serious disturbances amongst the Natives were to break out in any part- of the Island.it is impossible to say how far they might spread, or what consequences might be involved in them.

The following is the address of the Natives, above referred to :—: — (thanslatiox.)

Otaki, 38th April, 1855. O our Friends,— The Europeans living at Port Niclio'son. You have heard of a war-party that came over from the other side, fiom Arapawa, three hundred and forty is the number of the people of that party, tha firearms are equal to the three hundred and forty ; they were desirous to go and fight Waitere Katatore to revenge the death of Rawiri Waiaua. The Chiefs of Wanganui have arrived here ; we invited them to come .to meet together to suppress this evil, and not let them go to Taranaki, the chiefs who escorted hither this party are, Rawiri Puaha, Wi Tako, Heruine Te Tupe, these chiefs have but one opinion with ourselves to quell thisevil ; on their arrival at Otaki here on the 25th of the days of this month, then we assembled with all the peoto a great meeting. Then we persevered with the chiefs of that party to> entirely desist in going to Taranaki— the chiefs of that party consented — "it is trup we will remain, let us have but one opinion"— the word of Rangihoata was all expressed to the chief , of that party to entirely put an end to this evil. If they had not arrived here, they would have persisted in going to Taranaki, but now it is satisfactorily ended; and there will be no thought hereafter. Therefore we write that you should fully hear, O our European friends, of the quite-ended desire to light of the natives of Arapawa, of Port Nicholson, and SVaU kanae. Ended are our woids to you our friends. (Here follow the signatures.)