LATER FROM TARANAKI.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XVII, Issue 1434, 10 September 1861, Page 3

LATER FROM TARANAKI.

! By the 'Victoria,' which arrived yesterday, we have dates to the 7th September. The rumour prevalent in town, on Satuiday and Sunday, that five soldiers had been murdeied by the natives on their way to relieve guaid at the Omata block-house, is definitively contradicted. Theie is no truth m the report, although the natives show a turbulent spirit. Mr. Commissioner Rogan has> returned, without effecting anything in the settlement of the "Wartara question, and Mr. Justice Johnston has gone South. From the Taranahi Urn aid we extract an article fiom the Otago Colonist, (which is published elbewhere) giving the most alluring accounts of the Otago gold-fields. The following paragraph from the Wanganui correspondent of the Taranahi Herald will give an idea of the state of affairs among the natives in that district • — " We are anxiously looking for the next news from Auckland, to know whether the new ministry are in foi good, or whether they m their turn will be ousted. Mr. Fox will find himself greatly mistaken if he imagines that the piesent state of affairs is to be settled by negotiation, and that the Waikatos will be persuaded to give up their king quietly. All the natives, thi<3 way who know anything about it, positively asseif; that Waikato will not give up their king. Some of the Kangitikei natives who have lately been in communication with Waikato have received letters urging them to uphold the king. This does not look like submission. Late information from Ran gitikei report that the natives in that district (Ngatiawas) are veiy insolent, and ripe for anything They despise the Queen's law, and act a3 though no such institution existed. Here is a case in point, which came under the notice of the autholities A Eangitikei settler named Gleeson owned a cow — said cow (I suppo&e rather violent in temper) made a lush at a Maori woman who was passing her in a red blanket, and gored her severely — so much so that it is doubtful whether she lecovers. The tribe to which the woman belongs assembled in " kmg " mnanga, and gave judgment as follows. — The cow, being an inferior animal, had shed the blood of a woman, which was piecious, therefore the cow must buffer death. Their authority is the law of Moses, which in the Book of Exodus saith — that if an ox do wound a man or a woman, that ox shall be put to death, and if the owner of such ox is awaie that the animal is in the habit of rushing at people the owner shall suftei death also. In accordance with this decision the runanga dispatched two of their people to execute the verdict, and notices were stuck up in two paits of the district apprising the settleis of such decision. The cow was forcibly taken out of pound, and slam by the executioner At the court at Kangitikei, held theie monthly by Major Dune, Resident Magistrate of Wanganui, Gleeson lodged his complaint ; said he T\as willing to pay damages foi the injury his cow had done, but objected to its being killed in accordance with the decision of the "lunanga lungi." Major Dune found, however, that it would be utteily useless to issue a summons for these fellows, and the assessors, Nepia and otheis, plainly told him so, and advised him not to try the experiment, as they weie powerless in enforcing the Queen's law They would, said they, only tear up the summons and treat it with contempt. Nothing was, theiefoie, done, and the law remains a dead letter so far as the natives are concerned It is a humij hating state of things, and I thmk that we may safely accept it as an axiom that the nioie you concede to a savage or semi-barbaious race the moie unreasonable do they become , and I quite agree with Cracroft Wilson's sentiments as delivered in the house on the want of confidence motion Nothing short of enforcing the Queen's authoiity and bringing the Maori into complete subjection to hei must be done to ensure peace and prospenty to this island — Recent intelligence fiom the north says the Waikatos will not give up their king for Governor Grey, and that Ngatiruanui and Taiauaki will be guided by the Waikatos m everything. A laiije Maori meeting takes place about 15 miles up the nver on the 2nd of Septembei, when the policy of upholding the king or not will be discussed by the nvei and inland tubes. I hope to be able to send you a report by next steamer.