The Daily Southern Cross.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXII, Issue 2677, 14 February 1866, Page 4

The Daily Southern Cross.

LUCEO, NON UEO. " If I have been extinguished, yet there rise A thousand beacons from the spark I bore."

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14.

The difference of opinion reported as existing between the two tribes of Te Wheoro and Waata Kukutai presents several points of interest and importance to the community. In the inarch of events, which has wholly changed the aspect of affairs here, we have lost sight, to a great extent, of questions which formerly took a position of first-rate importance in our estimation. Such a question was that of native quarrels. Since our first arrival in "New Zealand we have from time to time been aware of the existence of quarrels amongst the natives, sometimes arising from the most serious, sometimes from apparently the most frivolous causes. As a rule these quarrels have led to bloodshed — often to bloodshed of the most savage and revolting character. Old settlers can remember the position of affairs at Taranaki before the war of 1860, when the natives were in the habit of murdering one another on the highway in broad daylight, and without any hesitation arising from fear of European law. The difference out of which that quarrel arose was of a nature quite as trifling as that reported as existing now in Lower Waikato, about the right of fishing in Whangape lake. _ It was not the importance of the cause of- quarrel indeed that made it at all serious, but rather the mutual infliction of insults and injuries by the two parties. There is nothing whatever to prevent a repetition of the same evils be-

tween. Te Wheoro's and Kulcutai's tribes at the present moment. If a collision takes place and blood is shed by either party, the quarrel, however trifling in its origin, will at once assume proportions of the very gravest magnitude, and may imperil the lives, not only of her Majesty's native, but even European, subjects. The question is, how are we situated respecting it ? Is it the intention of the Government to allow quarrels of this sort among the natives living , within its own borders, and professedly most loyal subjects of the Queen ? When the fighting was going on at Taranalti, the Government stood by and looked on without doing anything to assist one or other of the parties. It treated the natives as a foreign power, even while they were living and fighting on Government land. And this was not without its results. The natives felt that the reason.* of this treatment was fear on our part, and the feeling was a correct one. The Government was afraid to meddle with a state of things which promised to be so troublesome if interfered with. But it is impossible to say how far the lawlessness permitted by the Government to go on, while only natives were concerned, paved the way for that lawlessness which has ruined Taranaki and impoverished New Zealand. With regard to the case immediately in question, we believe both the leaderp are native assessors —are, in point of fact, magistrates. They are men more than usually civilised, and who have been more than usually sincere in their professions of friendship for the European authority. It is these men who quarrel, and propose to fight about the right to fish on a piece of water where eels are plentiful. It may, perhaps, be said that our new attitude towards the Maoris is one of non-interference. It may be urged that if we admit that the Maoris are so far independent, in fact, that it would be unwise on our part to consider them as subjects even in theory, we have really no claim to interfere between these two chiefs and their followers, even if they should dye the Whangape lake with their blood. But to this there are several answers. It is certain that when we made up our minds to let the natives alone we did so as a matter of necessity. We were fully convinced that to subdue them was not so far beyond our right as in excess of our power, and we accepted the logic of facts. We will not attempt to subdue the Macri race to obedience to our laws, not because we have no right to do so, but because we have no means for so extensive a work. But in the districts where we do not rule we do not «nter, or in so far as we do enter them we undertake to enforce at least some law. Our meaning is this : There are some districts over which no attempt will be made to extend European law and authority. If natives quarrel within those regions, then they are at liberty to do so to their hearts' content. If, however, they celebrate their quarrel by the murder of a European trader or squatter, the law stretches out its hand to protect its own, as it would do in the case of a foreign nation. Such a non-interference policy, therefore, does not at all affect such cases as that of our friends in Lower Waikato. It is ridiculous, or something worse, to suppose that native chiefs are to hold office and receive salaries as magistrates, and yet to treat the law with contempt and defiance. In. every respect such proceedings show an ignorance of their position which is truly marvelous. They seem to think they have a right to levy war upon one another at pleasure, and even to fight about the respective amounts of their claims to a lake which, being within the confiscated territory, neither party has any right to at all. This new substitute for Mr. Penton's Land Claims Court will not do. It is true that it may be less dilatory in its proceedings than that tribunal, but it is not assuredly equally agreeable to their neighbours. No evidence, we can well imagine, would ever prove so convincing as a tomahawk, and no decision would be so utterly final as that given by a bullet piercing one claimant's head ; but although satisfactory to the parties most immediately concerned, these things are not at all satisfactory to the bystanders. It is not go much any danger to a European in the quarrel that is to be deprecated, because of this we feel sure there would be little or none; but it is the danger to our reputation for peace and quietness, which is of consequence. How are the lands of Waikato to be bought and occupied by strangers if such things go on ? What stranger can be expected to purchase an estate, if he has an idea that two Maoriitribes, headed by their respective magistrates, may meet there to settle their little differences by the appeal to battle ? The thing, we say, will not do ; and the two parties ought at once to be taught this If they are attached to this sortjof thing, they had better depart at once to the puter darkness of Pai Marire regions, where they can fight as much as they please. If, on the contrary, they have any fancy for assessors' salaries, and for all the benefits which their position- confers upon them, they ought at once to understand that to levy war as they have been doing is but too likely to land them, one and all, not on the Bench, but in the dock of the civil courts. Of course, it is possible that our report may have been exaggerated ; but whether it was so or not, the very idea of such a thing shows so utter a want of comprehension of their position as fully justifies our remarks. Whatever our policy towards natives without the pale maybe, there can be no doubt that those within ought to be treated exactly as Europeans are. Since writing the foregoing remarks we have received subsequent intelligence; from which it will be seen that the affair ii, by no means finally settled. We commend the action taken by the European magistrates. )■