TARANAKI.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XIX, Issue 1783, 7 April 1863, Page 4

TARANAKI.

To (he JMltov of the Daily Southern Cross. <3llt ( tn my letter addressed to you on the 17th ultimo, I stated that I would enter more further ou the subject then refeuvcl to at a, future dato. I now would make a few lemaiks in respect to the into view of the deputation with his excellency the Governor, as set forth in my correspondence of that date. We aro told in the report of the deputation that his Excellency wMied to have ths questions intended to be nnbmitted to him to be in writing, to which he would give written replies; to which course the deputation con•ented. Tin's I piesiune to be something necessary, as men't minds aie not alway« settled, consequently opinion change even from day to day, therefore when placed on paper it cannot lio well deviated from if desired. We find, also, that his Excellency Raid that, "He regretted that the usual course which had been ftlwavs followed in every other place he had been in was not followed in this instance." The custom he referred to was that the leading gentiy of the place, whether appointed by public meetings or otherwise, to wait upon him, and acquaint him with the state of the place, to tell him what were their grievances, and what measures they thought would remedy them. As it regards leading gentlemen, I may hero observe that it is not all who are possessed of a well filled purse, and a host of property mound them that ate worthy the designation, but he that has the character stamped in liimaelf, he that would do unto otheis as lie would be done by : such a man may stand befoie, not only govem«>i». hut king*. TaranaUi has not many of the very wealthy men, who own great sheep iuiis, as some other provinces have, a portion of which aie known to have been of our GoveinoiV, chief secietnry's, and others of the high older in times past. Bnt if we ha\e not those as a province, we have some, and pel haps mail}', who nuy not have extensive wealth at their command, yet have geneious heart", untainted principles.aud vvoithy in all respects the name of gentlemen. I do not lecognise these as such, and there aie many who are often* sent out from home to the colonies, being past coutiol in their lespecbve domestic clicks, with n letter of intioduotion or recommendation to this or to that governor, by which tliev, in many instances, obtain situations which should be filled by the sons of jespectnble and inductions colonist". Tn the first few >ears after my at rival in this province I saw many of tho«e characters in this plnce, whose conduct at that time was of the nio*t degrading order ; and their example had a very ill effect on the native mind, and has never since j been removed. With leferense to the statement made to the deputation that the settlers had stated in a memoii.il to her Majesty that her lrpresent.Uhe had been foi bidden to make loads on the Queen's land. Tim he said was untiue. lam well aware that it «nt »epoited bo, although I was not on the spot. This matter has been aheady refened to, and I pass ou to notice th<* paragraph which alludes to the native lands of which the deputation complained ns being coveted with thistles, by which the Europeans had been seriously damaged. We aie told by hia Excellency in this instance that the natives were not legally the ownets of any lind. Be this as it may, it is well known that the natives share in all the iniptotements we have brought about in roads and bridges, but contribute nothing a* a body towards its repairs ; and had it not boen for that, the thirties on nathe lands were loft during the wai to ripon and seed, the European glands would not now have such an abundance on it as it has His Excellency stated that he doubted whether the natives could be called upon to peiform the duties of land owners. To me it appear* if they aro not land owner", they are determined to be land holdeio. And Ihat, too. m spite of their be»t inteie«t. As regault the subject of compensation, much of what his Excellency stated may be considered very reasonable. Rut as legaid-* the i ote of the OJcner.il Assembly of £300,0,10 under nn onlinain.* which I am informed was the case; this being so, I should ha\c thought th.it the iuterpietation clause would have cleatly pointed out the bearing of the ordinance upon the question, and its practicil opetation on the province; and that the meinheis of Assembly iepre«entmg us, whoever they might be. should have been men capable of comprehending the way in which such inteipretation was likely to be construed , and if theie were any other way or possibility of its being understood than that in which it was originally intended, to as to be embled to vatisfy their constituents, not only on thf, but on any question. I am inclined to believe that much of the dis-ati&r.iction that has sprung out of this matter would not have arisen if the ministry had not been partly composed of men who had fotined a pait of the Lite " Lion Dentist party," as I may teim Mr. Fox and his suppoiters. Theie is one lion's tooth left yet undrawn, namely There is obedience to be di.iwn from the Maori to the laws of our Sovereign, and if that object cannot be permanently settled otherwise, w d must fight for it ; and this is the only w ay that prosperity is to be secured to New Zealand. — Yoius, &c , T. W. SHUTE. New Plymouth, March 3, 1863.