THE SOUTHERN CROSS. Friday, September 13, 1861.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XVII, Issue 1435, 13 September 1861, Page 3

THE SOUTHERN CROSS. Friday, September 13, 1861.

LXICEO NON URO. " If I ha\ c been extinfjuished, } et there rise A thousand beacons fiom the spurL. I boie."

Leigh Hunt gives us in his Autobiography an amusing anecdote of Coleridge. The " old man eloquent," it appeals, paid a morning visit to some pious and distinguished individual, and, in order to adapt his style of conveisation to the company in which he found himself, spoke, as a sincere professor ought to speak, with great unction and much conviction. Everybody was surprised and edified, except a gentleman well known in the literary world then, and appreciated even higher since, — Charles Lamb. Patiently he sat out the saintly conversation, and said nothing till the Ancient Mariner departed, when, somebody expressing their surprise at the great man's wonderful transformation, he suddenly stammered out, — " Yes, yes, there is a good deal of fun in Coleridge." Now, if the author of " Elia" had been in the House of Eeprescntatives last week, when the Premier made his speech on native matters, we are very much inclined to think that he would have rated Mr. Fox's native talk at much the same value as he did the great poet's solemn converse. " There's a good deal of fun in Fox," he would have said ; and he would not have been far wrong. Mr. Fox is very funny, there is no doubt about that. Our Prime Minister stated, in the speech we refer to, — the first exposition, by the bye, of policy vouchsafed to us by the men in power — that he intended to lay down certain principles which were to be acted upon in the government of the native race. The House held its breath, in anxious expectation, whilst men listened for the mighty words about to fall from the lips of the mighty man. Not contented with one principle, he announced that he had several in reserve ; that he was armed to the teeth ; that he was equal to the situation. He solemnly commenced enumerating them. Firstly and foremostly the funny Premier tells us with great gravity that the Maoris are " men of like passions and feelings and to be acted on by the same motives as ourselves." This is principle number one ; a great discovery ; something not generally known to people in this country who have never read Genesis. We owe it to Mr. Fox that we now know that Maoris occasionally fall in a passion, and occasionally fall in love, dislike work if they can live without it, are addicted to good dinners and waipiro when they can get them, and are not without that pride of life which is sinful, or that love of filthy lucre which is objectionable when found out. In short Mr. Fox has at last discovered that the natives are very much like ourselves, and to be influenced by the same motives. Nobody, he appears to believe, ever looked upon them as men before himself : they have been hitherto treated, he tells us, as spoiled children ; he appears now before us as the vindicator of their manhood. He denounces Asiatic ideas and the hon. member for Christchurch, suggests that natives only require time to develope into "kindly Scots," and winds up by informing hon. members that they and the Maoris are very much alike in temperament, in mental capacity, and in habit of thought, just as if going through a war-dance in light costume would suit Mr. Hendersons temperament, or the composition of a TcarcOcia would serve to demonstrate Mr. Firth's mental capacity, or as if the habits of thought of the gentlemen dining at Bellamy'slead them to dream fondly of copper Maoris and their contents, rather than of potages and of entrees, of Ude and of Soyer. Our minister will not have the natives treated as children, nor as dark Asiatics. "Am I not a man and a brother," he says in the poor injured native's name, and speaks as pathetically as if hon. gentlemen had whole gangs of slaves working for them, digging gum and scraping flax, and calling vainly in the watches of the night on the shade of Wilberforce to come back for a time and take a seat in the General Assembly and look after a Native Bill in all its stages. Don't treat them as children, he adds, for they are very wide awake and it is no good. Don't treat them as children in the matter of land, he says, and he then proceeds to tell us what we should do instead. He recommends government to abstain entirely from land purchases and to leave off teazing the poor natives about land in order to disarm their suspicions that we want it from the n. Now this is, according to our ideas,

treating them very much like children. Whatever the present ministry may say, the natives know perfectly well that that we do want land, and it is the height of absurdity attempting to make believe that we don't. What the natives want is to be allowed to dispose of their land at the fair market price, and if they get that for it there will be no suspicions on their side to be removed ; "but if all land-purchases are suddenly stopped much dissatisfaction and distrust is likely to be the consequence. We may protest as long as we like that we really don't care about acquiring any more territory but the Maoris would never believe us ; they would suspect some motive, dangerous to themselves, concealed behind our moderation. One of the Auckland members is a great advocate for such a policy, and both in the House and at public meetings has urged its adoption. He appears to think that it would have the effect of lowering the price of land, and producing a wholesome pressure on the natives. If the natives suspected such a motive, which they would be very apt to do, our moderation would not have any very conciliatory effect; but at the present moment, and under the present circumstances of the country, it is not at all improbable that they would interpret such a policy in even a worse sense, and conclude that we refrained from buying because we thought that we had the power to take. To fill the country with troops, and then declare that the natives shall not be allowed to make use of their principal source of wealth, and to do this, not only in disaffected districts but amongst loyal natives, is not a way to carry on the Government in a spirit of conciliation. Why are the Ngapuhi's to be precluded from selling their land, because Waikato hoists kingsflags. Selling land to the Queen has been for many years regarded amongst the Maoris as a test of loyalty to the pakeha ; are men to be precluded from giving this proof of their loyalty, now at the very time when morally and materially their support is most valuable 1 The natives would answer the question in their own way. " First the men, then the land : they have got soldiers to fight us and our friends, and the land they know will follow afterwards without the trouble of a purchase," and it would be very difficult to eradicate such ideas if once they got firmly rooted in the native mind. Mr. Fox enunciates other principles likewise. The national movement amongst the natives is to be made use of for good, and the runanc/a is to be considered a great fact, and treated as such. Of course, we all agree that everything ought to be availed of for good, if possible, and certainly are of opinion that the so-called ruuangas may be turned to good account, but we strongly protest against Mr. Fox imagining that theie is .anything novel in such ideas. If he wishes to make use of this national movement, he should tell us how he intends doing so, but he only enunciates that we should treat it as one having law and order for its object • rather an indefinite exposition of policy, and rather a remarkable one. Does he refer to the movement amongst the Ngatiruanuis ] Possibly, though we thought that their movements had the sack of Taranald for an object. But no, he means nothing definite at all : there is jjreat safety in general statements, and it is far easier to talk of law and order and the great movement going on amongst the natives, than to make arrangements for the simple delivery, at Ngaraawahia, of a summons from the Supreme Court. The late Government did not confine itself to the enunciation of such self-evident, barren truths. They attempted to avail themselves of the opportunity offered, by the movement to benefit the race, but unfortunately the movement would take its own course, and would not be converted into a " fulcrum," as Mr. Fox calls it. Still they did their utmost : we trust the present Ministry will do their best likewise, for though their lights have been long enough hidden under bushels, now that the storm of debate is over, they may be brought into the open air without any fear, we hope, of their being extinguished. The last great principle of the Wellington minister is to set the runanga going. We shall have some more to say upon this subject on a future occasion, but it would really have been more interesting if he had let us know whether the Government means to call a meeting of natives like the one at Kohimarama last year or not, for a few facts are worth a bushel of parliamentary philosophy; and why did he not inform us in plain English whether he wishes to give the Maories representative or municipal institutions or judicial powers, instead of talking of the runanga as a something definite, as a recognized institution amongst the New Zealanders, apparently quite forgetting that the word has only lately come into use amongst them, in the place of the old one, "komiti," which, was always employed till a few years back, when men were looking out for novel ideas, and not finding them, took up with novel words instead. The expression may mean so much that it means nothing, which of course are qualities calculated to recommend it for parliamentary use, in addition to the fact that it is more impressive than the prosaic English word which only reminds one of Chairmen, and Supply, much talk and reporting progress. We hope soon to hear or learn what Mr. Fox intends to do with this wonderful institution, which, according to him, is evidently judge and jury, magistrate and tipstaff, and fourth estate all in one, endowed with powers of stirring the native mind from one end of the island to the other, and the terror of the native office, which shudders through all its grades, from commissioner to messenger, when its name is mentioned. We have ourselves no great faith in this wonderful sea-serpent, though the Waikato Committee were positive that they saw it head up and crested, and wildly appealing to heaven for law and order, whilst Mr. Fenton was clearing out of its way. A runanga is a meeting, and nothing more. If Mr. Fox means to call meetings of the natives, let him do so : it is what the last Government did ; but let him speak of them by some intelligible name ; vestry meetings, local boards, quarter sessions, or petty sessions, anything will do so that it gives some idea of what the business to be transacted is ; but don't let us hear any more of the runanga, though the word sounds pretty and gives people at a distance the impression that our rulers know something about native matters.

NAnnow Escape frosi Stauvation. — Two men, named Henderson and Aitken, not having succeeded at the Tu»peka diggings, started about a fortnight ago for town, intending to return when they had procured what was necceaary for the prosecution of their work. When on the Lammerlaw Ranges, about 15 miles from the the diggings, they were overtaken by the snow, with nothing to eat but the almost xotten lemains of a wild pig, which had been shot and left lying on the ranges. When found, they were so weak that they fell at every four or five yards. They were taken to McKays Accommodation House, where they were kindly tieated, and, after they were sufficiently recovered, were foiwarded to town in a cart. Both men suffered very much m the feet from the frost, indeed it is feared that both Hendersons large toes will have to be amputated. — Otago Coloniiti

Embezzlement. — Remanded Case. — On Tuesday last, Robert Sohultz wai brought up on remand, before Thomas Beckham, Esq., E.M., charged with embezzling certain monies, the property of the Crown, tit Mongonui, and was again remanded till Friday, as the necessary documents were not forthcoming by which to iustain the charge. The prisoner desired the case to be gone into at once, complaining of the want of bedding and exercise in the lock-up. He was informed that unless he submitted to the charge his case could not be dealt with, the books of the custom house at Mongonui being as necessary for his defence a» for the public interest. The prisoner declined pleading guilty, and wa« again lemoved.

Felony.— At the Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday, Charles Hunt, a sailor, and George Hunter Sharpe, a well dressed man, who came to New Zealand in the 'Ida Zoigler,' were charged with stealing a watch, value £i, the property of Richard Blackwell, labourer, residing on the farm of Mr. Paton,'at Papatoetoe, on Tuesday last. From the evidence it appeared that Blackwell left his watch under his pillow in the morning, and on his return for dinner, found that the door had been burst open, and the watch taken. John Wilson, wheelright, Drury, proved to giving a watch and 78.^ to the prisoner Hunt, the same evening at Mr. Young's public house in Drury, for another watch which he was exposing for sale. This watch was subsequently given to constable John McWilliams, stationed at Papakura, and identified by the prosecutor. The prisoners weie anested by the constable, in bed, at Drury. Hunt acknowledged his guilt, and said Sharpe knew nothing of the theft. Mr. Beckham sentenced Hunt to six months' imprisonment and hard labour. He ordered Sharpe to be discharged, as there was no evidence against him, but stated that he had had a narrow escape, owing to his keeping such bad company.

Breach op the Merchant Shipping Act. — Chailes Hunt was then charged with a breach of the 255 th clause of the Merchant Shipping Act, by milking a fraudulent statement of his last ship, in. the Custom House of Auckland. H<3 submitted to the charge. Mr. Beckham remarked that this was the first prosecution under that section of the act that had come before him, although the offence was moat likely of frequent occunence. The section was intended to prevent desertion, and rendered those who violated its provisions liable to a penalty of £5, which he ordered the prisoner to pay in the manner prescribed by the act.

Naval and Military Histrionic Society.— The society gave a fourth performance on Monday evening, "Macbeth Traveretie" and the "Unfin.ohed Gentleman " constituting the bill of fare. Both pieces had been already played, but the repetition was perfectly luccessful. The first piece gave universal satisfaction to all who can enjoy a good laugh, and enter fully into the spirit of a, burlesque. The principal characters were sustained by Mr. Clark, Mr. Picard (an admirable Lady Macbeth, though not quite in, Mrs. Siddon's style), Captain Watson, who made the sparks fly before he killed Macbeth — who, by-the bye, came most wonderfully to life again — and played Macduff right through with a good deal of dash. The Witches were charming though not beautiful, and the porter, Mr. Anderson, the pink of poiters, in waistcoat, complexion, and style. The most amusing part of the play was the night scene in airy costume. The queen's nightcap and Balmoral boots were exquisite, and a man must have been n. veritable cynic not to laugh as the curtain fell on the dancing night dresses We must not omit mentioning Mademoiselle Niell's first appearance on the Auckland stage as the waiting woman. Ihe make up was perfect, and she acted well in the candle scene. Her professional brother, Dr. Carbeny, played in his usual happy manner the physician, and considering that he had already been murdered as Duncan, with wonderful spirit. The same gentleman played, in the afterpiece, his old part of Dr. Totelly, and in the same a new actress appeared, Mademoiselle Musgrave, we understood, a lady with fascinating manners, an attractive face, and a bass voice, which was irresistibly comic. The slight change in the cast of the "Unfinished Gentleman " was a decided improvement The musical interlude, a scena from "Satanella," was deservedly encored. Mrs Corlett was in admirable voice, and sang with a taste and expression which were universally appieciated. We may altogether congratulate our naval and military fiiends on their suceeSSTT^-''

Fever seems to be pievalent in Auckland -•Taere are at present six vessels on tl i beith, and moie will follow, for Otago. Considering the authentic reports from the Southern gold fields it is not to be wondered at that the adventurous should leave then ordinary avocations in pursuit of gold. But the probable effect of this e\odus on our labour maiket should not be lost sight of No doubt many will return to Auckland, bettered in circumstances, while others will doubtless find their way back pretty nearly as they went away. But in the meantime how is the labour market to be supplied, if the drain on our male population continues for any lengthened period ? This is a serious question, and one demanding attention We will doubtless have an active demand created for our timber in Otago ; but who will be left to fell and ship it ' We do not wish to be considered alarmists, but the exigencies ®f the times require the exercise of foiethought. Something miißt be done to fix a large population here The final settlement of the native question requiies this The peaceful adjustment of the difficulty would be rendered vastly more piobable by the presence of thousands of orderly, energetic men, such as are now gathered on the Otago gold fields. The presence of the Europeans, in overwhelming foice, in the province of Auckland, would deter violence on the part of the natives, whose intelligence would instantly Buggest that the proper course to follow would be to conform to European habits, and compete in the fields of industry, with the white settlers. It ii in the power of the government, we believe, to take the initiative in this matter, and thus at one stroke put an end to the king movement, »nd throw open the country to the Christian influences of civilization and commerce. We do no more than hint the matter to the authorities. It will not do to say, m the face of a daily diminishing population, " they are sure to return." In the meantime the ordinary channels of commercial and provincial prosperity may become dry, and with a stagnant trade and diminished levenue, it will be almost too late to take steps to letrieve our last position. A large population will unquestionably be permanently fixed in Otago. We are not envious at that fact, but on the contrary we rejoice at the prosperity of our sister province ; but we do hope that Auckland will be enabled to maintain her pre eminence as the commercial as well m the pobtical capital of the colony of New Zealand.