BAY OF ISLANDS.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XVII, Issue 1379, 1 March 1861, Page 4

BAY OF ISLANDS.

On Monday, the 11th February, 1861, the Governor, accompanied by Capt. Vernon, R.N., the Hon. the Colonial Treasurer, the Native Secretary, and Captain Steward (Private Secretary), landed from H.Mi.S. " Tris" and proceeded to the residence of the Eesident Magistrate (E. C. Barstow, Esq ), by whom, and by Messrs. Clendon and Kemp, Hii Excellency was received. The following Chiefs, with some of their followers, were present to welcome his Excellency to Kororareka : — Tamati Waaka Nene, Maihi Paraone Kawiti, Eewa, Mangonui, Te Hoterene Tawatawa, Wiremu Tete, Honitana Te Irirangi, Te Warihi Kokowai, and Te Waiti Pokorehu. These chiefs informed the Governor that they were all living in peace and quietness ; that they had no grievances or complaints ; that they fully reciprocated his Excellency's kind wi»hes, evinced by his coming to lee them ; that they had hear.d many reporti about the Governor's intentions to carry on a general war, which they did not believe, and of which his presence amongst them was the best refutation. In reply, Hii Excellency assured them that such reports were unfounded ; and, after «. few remarks expressive of his pleasure at meeting them, and hii old friend Waaka, the Chiefs retired, and his Excellency •hortly afterwards returned to the " Iris." Intimation having been given to the Governor that a meeting of Chiefs was to beld on the following day at Te Ti, a dirtance of about nine miles from Kororareka, his Excellency proceeded thither, attended by the Chiefi who had accompanied him from Auckland, together with ttioio from the vicinity of the Bay of Islands. The original object of this meeting was to diicuis the propriety of relaxing the law which prohibits the ■ale of spirits to the natives, with a view to petitioning Hii Excellency on the subject. Tt was attended by leveral Chiefs from different parts of the route, among whom were Heremaia Te Ara, Hare Hongi Hika, and Naihi Te Pakaru, from Whangaroa. With few exceptions, all the leading Chiefs of the Bay of lilands District were present : Waikato, Manu, Waaka Nene, Mangonui, Euhe, Kingi Wiremu — at whose Settlement the meeting was held — Wi Hau, Maihi Paraone Kawiti,,and others who had met the Governor at Kororareka on the preceding day. At first, the speeches wore chiefly confined to a welcome to Hia Excellency, followed by a request for a 'repeal of the restriction on the sale of Spirits to the Natives. The speakers urged that the Ngapuhi tribe was the first to welcome the Europeans, and that there should be no exceptional laws, so far as they were concerned. The Governor replied, through Mr. McLean (Native Secretory), that the reitriotion of which they com. plained was imponed to prevent the natives from becoming viotims to the too free use of intoxicating liquors. That other aboriginal racea in many parts^ of the world had suffered greater loas from the excessive use of spirits than from the casualties of war and other calamities. That the object of the Government was to preserve the natives of this country from iuch a fate. It was true that there wa* one law for them and another for the Europeans in thi» reipect, and it was equally true that the law was frequently evaded ; but it was JBon»idered that: thp u^e , of spirits by the Europeans, who had been in* the habit of using them for generation!

pait, was not so fatal to them mto the natives. That His Excellenoy would not promise ito repeal the law ; but he would be glad to have the subject considered at the next Native Conference, as it wai one ■which involved the welfare of the different tribes throughout the country. That they should also bear in mind that the Europeans were subject to finei and imprisonment for drunkenness ; that they would probably object to any of their old chiefs being subjected to such penalties as imprisonment, &o. After a succession of Bpeeches by the assembled Chiefs on diffeient subjects, and in which scarcely any further reference was mode to the sale of sprats, the Governor again addressed the meeting, through Mr. McLean : Friends, chiefs of the Ngapuhi, I have come to pay you a friendly visit, and I am glad to meet so many of you from different parts of the North. You hear many foolish and unfounded reports, both from Europeans and Native*, as to my intentions towards you as a people. It has been asserted that when I have ended the war at Taranaki, I shall proceed to attack other places, but I am certain that you chiefs of Ngapuhi are too wise and sensible to believe such foolish^ and mischievous reports. You were the firet to welcome and invite the English to these shores. Some of your great chiefs went to England, and sought the protection of tho English nation against foreign enemies. The old chief Waikato, who is now present, is a living evidence of this fact. The request was granted ;we hare now become one nation and one people, and I trust we shall always continue to be friendi. With regard to the war at Taranaki, of which you hear various conflicting rumors and accounts, I may tell you that it was under taken on my part in defence of Native rights, and to protect one party of natives from the aggressions and cruelty of another. You have all heard of the frequently recurring quarrels among the tribes residing at Taranaki. I gave notice a year before the commencement of the war, that an end should be put to inch proceedings. At that time, my object was not war, nor the taking of life. War was forced upon me by tribes who had nothing to do with the quarrel. Some Europeans were killed in cold blood by stealthy murderers ; and this was done by two tribes — Taranaki and Ngatiruanui, lam sine, Ngapuhi, that you disapprove of such conduct. It is very different from the manner in which you carried on the war at this place. You did not disgrace yourselves by killing helpless people and young children. It is such acts that I feel bound to punish. Some Waikato chiefs have lately aiked me to put an end to the war, and make peace ; but they have said nothing about these offences. While I very much regret the los* of life, and would like to lee the war ended. I expect such a submission, and such reparation for the injuries done, on the part of the insurgents, as will deter others from following their example, and prevent future wars in New Zealand. While I reserve to myaolf the exclusive right of making terms of peace, I ihall be glad to consult some of your chiefi, — you being an impartial tribe — on the subject. In affording you all, as a people, the advantages of English protection, I reasonably expect submission to English law and authority, these being essential to the well being of both races of Her Majesty's subjects in New Zealand.