The Daily Southern Cross.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXII, Issue 2822, 11 August 1866, Page 4

The Daily Southern Cross.

LUCEO, NON TJEO. " If I have b»en extinguished, y«t there rise A thousand beacons from the spark I bore."

SATURDAY, AUGUST 11.

We referred to the Native Minister's statement of policy on two former occasions ; we shall take the present opportunity of presenting it, as a whole, with some illustrative remarks, to the English reader. Colonel Russell, the Native Minister, acknowledges that the complaints we have made, almost single-handed, against the Native Office and policy, have been correct. It is true we have been denounced in certain of the newspapers of the colony, and in the organs of the missionary party at home, and even by the Governor and his toadies, as enemies of peace and haters of the Maori ; but we now have a Minister of the New Zealand Government coming forward in the Legislature, and stating it as the result of his experience and investigation, that the Native Department has been a failure and something worse ; and that the native policy of Sir George Grey, popularly known as " the new policy," or " the " peace policy," had simply created an expenditure " which had become a scandal, " and a cause of jusfc irritation to the "European taxpayer, and an equally just " cause of contempt and demoralisation to the " natives." So says the Hon. Colonel Russell, Native Minister of New Zealand, once a Civil Commissioner under the very policy which he so strongly denounces. When the same condemnation, came from the Daily Southern Cboss, Colonel Uussell pocketed his salary and kept his mouth closed. He joined, no doubt, in the cry of that day against us, knowing, as he must have known, that we were right; but content for a money payment to carry on a system calculated to " scandalise the iLuropean " taxpayer" and " demoralise the native." Colonel Russell did not resign his Civil Commissionership. Not a bit of it. As he has now dispensed with the services of all the Commissioners but three, so were his services dispensed with. He now raises the outcry against this class of officials, " with nothing, or " worse than nothing, to do," as he very properly says, " yet drawing large salaries, and " forage allowances, and travelling allowances, " and house allowances, and contingencies, " having also clerks and interpreters, also with " good salaries and forage allowances, &c. ; " but the gallant Colonel forgets that this was his own case so glaringly, that he was amongst the first of those very Commissioners whose services were dispensed with. In fact, the policy of Sir George Grey was made subservient to a pleasant family arrangement in Hawke's Bay by the .present Native Minister ; and if the cuticle of Colonel Russell's face were made for blushing, we would expect him to blush when he thinks of the past. We have before us the Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1862, and in it ire find (E No. 9, sec. vi.)

" instructions to Lieut. -Colonel Russell, Civil " Comiuissiouci*," under date Auckland, March 3, 1862. These instructions were from the pen of Mr. Sewell, and set out by the assurance that the Government trusted entirely to his judgment and knowledge of the natives, for the successful introduction of that system of native government on which Sir George Grey relied for bringing the Maoris under the influence of law and order. The system which Colonel Russell had to administer was, "first, to provide " for the political organisation of the natives, " and secondly for the administration of justice " among them." Very desirable things in their way, no doubt. Colonel Russell is told that one Resident Magistrate had been appointed, and was "requested to take steps on his arrival " at Napier for submitting to the Governor the " name of a qualified person as magistrate for " the Wairoa, where there was reason to believe " his services were much required." Mr. Civil Commissioner Russell, " with nothing or worse " than nothing to do, yet drawing a large salary, " and forage allowance, and travelling allowance, " and house allowance, and contingencies, hay- " ing also clerks and interpreters with good sala- " ries and forage allowances, &c," writes a report to the Government, under date June 9th, I 1862, in which he states that the natives in the Southern part of the province would have nothing to do with the "new institutions," whilst he says this of the Northern section, where neither clergyman nor magistrate had been, for years :—": — " The political aspect of the ' Northern division of the province appeared " to me to be more satisfactory than that of the " Southern ; the natives more loyal, straight- " forward, and anxious to receive European " law, though it will deprive them of the power " they have hitherto used without control, but " not without discretion." Let it be borne in mind that that was in June, 1862. In June, 1865-66, these loyal, straightforward,,) friendly, and law-admiring natives were goaded into rebellion, and steeped in the most debased excesses of Saithau fanaticism, with a few exceptions, by the operation of the " institutions" which Colonel liussell had administered — " institutions" which, he now says, " scandalise the European ratepayer," and are a " just cause of contempt and demoralisation "to the natives ;" whereas the Southern districts, which would have none of the fine things that Civil Commissioner Russell was prepared to provide for their demoralisation, remained our staunch friends during the war ! But we said the native institutions had been made to subserve a pleasant family arrangement in H awke's Bay. The Civil Commissioner (we still speak of the Hon. Colonel Rassell, Native Minister, who made a very remarkable statement of native policy in the Legislative Council, on the 26th July last) had been requested to name a worthy magistrate for the Wairoa — that northern district already spoken of— and he accordingly did so. The tact of the Civil Commissioner ii worthy of all praise; and we cannot do better than quote the paragraphs in question. He says : — I believe the new institutions might be safely introduced in the Wairoa district, as far as its people alone are concerned, as soon as 1 have established there a careful, active, and judicious Besideut Magistrate. Very much depends upon the selection of those officers, and I tliiuk, as a rule, it would be better that they had not been mixed up with native affairs. I have named Mr. Samuel Locke for the Wairoa district, being about the best qualified of I any who have offered their services ; and, as he is a single man of active habits, has some knowledge of the language, and will have no other occupation to interfere vrith his moving about the country, I hope he will do well. In the meantime, as he (Mr. Locke) is not a Justice of the Peace, I have induced Captain Russell to visit the district this month as a magistrate, accompanied by my interpreter, as I promised them that they should be visited by a magistrate once a month, until one was appointed to live amongst them. 1 was glad to obtain the services of Captain Russell, as he is so intimately acquainted with jjny own views, and 1 think his judgment and discretion quite to be relied on. So writes the fond father of the discreet son ; for our readers must know that the Civil Commissioner was father of the discreet Captain. The Government of that day took the hint, and Captain Russell, not Mr. Samuel Locke, was appointed to the 1 snug office of resident magistrate. To do Captain Russell j justice, he was in every way qualified for the office, according to his worthy father's estimate, for he knew nothing whatever about the natives ; and the result of the joint administration, we have seen in the gradual transformation of a peaceable, loyal, and law-observant (so said Colonel Russell) population into a very different order of beings. Thus great events from little causes spring. We think we have sufficiently illustrated the truthfulness of Colonel Russell's estimate of the " newinstitu- " tions" by a reference to his own administration as a Civil Commisioner, assisted by the discreet stripling, who was "so intimately acquainted " with his views." The "native institutions" were bad. This Colonel Russell affirms : so we have said times out of number, and for saying which Sir George Grey forwarded Mr. Fenton's complaint to the Secretary of State. Colonel Russell now proposes to remove all the Civil Commissioners, to do away with the staff of native officers, aborigines and Europeans, and to teach the natives that they possess all the privileges and enjoy all the responsibilities of British subjects. They must be taught to obey the law, or be sent to Chatham Islands. Bravo, Colonel Russell ! May your shadow never grow less. But pray who is "to enforce British law ? Surely there must be magistrates and policemen. There must ako be gaols, and a sprinkling of soldiers. One would think so ; but the Native Minister is not troubled with a thought about that. He says that " the great evil of native affairs " has .been that no one line of policy has been "persevered in for more than one session," which is hardly true, for the " native institu- " tions " have existed since the beginning of 1862 up to July, 1866,— 10ng after he was dispensed with as an unprofitable servant. Now, we were enemies of the " new institutions ; " but we think the Native Minister is going to commit an egregious blunder, which he has not perception to see. We say that Colonel Russell proposes to destroy existing institutions which, although bad, have become familiar to the natives, the money part of which they quite understand. He says he won't pay them any more, and if they don't obey the law like a European, or " any other man," he will pack them off to the Chatham Islands. He will, however, educate them ; how, he takes care to say he does not know ; but he assures the Legislative Council that at all events he will not stop their grog. They willhave no salaries as assessors, policemen, and hareres. Perhaps they may be educated ; but they may rely on receiving as much rum as they can consume — and the Chatham Islands as a retreat, if they transgress the law ! Speaking of the Spirit-selling Ordinance, Colonel Russell said in the Legislative Council : — The second measure I desire to see adopted is the gradual and careful repeal of restrictive laws, including the (Spirit-selling Ordinance. I approach this subject with great anxiety, but with strong conviction of its necessity. It must have long been apparent to the most unobservant that the existing law is a dead letter in most parts of the colony — provoking only irritation, evasion, and contempt of the law, which the natives iee continually and openly broken. My own observation leads me to believe that it augments rather than prevents drunkenness, inasmuch as fcha^uatives find no difficulty whatever in getting spirits in large quantities, even where there is some show of not selling it to them in small. I have sought the opinion of the natives themselves on this subject, as on all others where I have desired to legislate in their interests, in all parts of the country, and have found as a rule that they feel irritated by the exceptional legislation, while they scoff at the idea of its restraining them. On the 9th June, 1862, Civil Commissioner. Russell, writing of the northern district of I Hawke's Bay — that district which was so

thoroughly demoralised by the " new institutions," — says : — The conduct of some of the Europeans who have located themselves in the Mohaka and Wairoa districts would almost lead one to suppose that they were the barbarous, and the Maoris the more civilised people. Scenes of drunkenness and outrage are described, in which men have taken part whoso education and position should have led to a very different line of conduct, and which bring the mod«ration and forbearance of the natives into very strong contrast. Those evils have now been greatly lessened by the natives, who have interdicted the introduction of spirits to their own side oE the Mohaka, where there is no European land ; whilst on the Wairoa, which is altogether native land, they have excluded spirits altogether, and have even had recour«e .to the strong measure of suppressing a publichouse licensed by the Trovincial Government (of Hawke's Bay), upon the plea that as it stood upon native land they were justified in so doing. They told me they are aware that •pints are still smuggled into the river by Europeans, but ao long as it is confined to themselves, and not made an annoyance to the natives, they shut their eyet to the breach of Maori law. Again, the Civil Commissioner says :— Their interference with the Europeans living amongst them has been sometimes beneficial, occasionally vexatious, but rarely oppressive. Thus, their suppression of the grog nuisance has beea beneficial, &c. ( This ia the whole of the native policy that is to be, if allowed, if we except the idea of selling native lands to make roads, and the representation of the natives. The last idea he stole almost bodily from Mr. George Graham's resolutions of last session. However, in this, as in all his other proposals, it is unjust to the natives. He proposes to call the three leading chiefs of New Zealand ito the Legislative Council, " men who have bsen distinguished " by their unswerving loyalty, their marked " friendship for Europeans, and the high esfci- " mation in which they are held by their native " brethren." Now for these three chiefs the Native Minister must have come to Auckland the other day, namely for W. Naylor, Tamati Walker, and Tirarau. As it is, Naylor is dead, and itisaquestion whether Marsh Brown orsome other Northern chief should not be substituted in his stead. Then he proposes ihat a Native Representation Bill be introduced, giving two representatives to the Auckland natives, one to Hawke's Bay, one to Wellington, one to Taranaki, and one for the Middle Island. Colonel Russell makes this proposal on the basis of representation by numbers. The Native population, he says, is 40,000, and he proposes to give two members to Auckland, which contain« 30,000 natives, and four to the rest of the natives in the colony. In other words, he proposes to give one representative to every 15,000 natives in Auckland province, and one to every 2,500 of the remaining natives. How is this? Is it because the great Northern tribes, armed to the teeth, and able to bring 4,000 fighting men into the field at a week's notice, have remained loyal and true to the Crown, that they are to be ignored? Or rather, is it because the Government of the colony knows really nothing about them ? The latter is the true reason. The Government at Wellington knows nothing about the natives of this province ; and what Colonel Russell learnt, he admits was during his absence from the seat of Government, and when amongst the natives on the East Coast. But who is to control the Northern tribes? Who is to coerce them into obedience to the law, or in default send them to the Chatham Islands ? Who is to sell their land and make roads? As for the grog, they won't object ; but their salaries they must have. Why: their pay was recently doubled, and when Mr. Stafford ventured to suggest a reduction, they wrote ,to the Governor telling him to keep his money and his law, for they had asked him for neither. We say, in justice to the Maoris, this tinkering with, native policy by such men as Colonel Russell — men notoriously, unfit for the position — is cruel to the settlers of this province, and to the natives. This is an illustration of the necessity for Separation ; and we tell the colony and the British public, that if Colonel Russell's policy be carried out (which, the Government is not able to do), or if it be seriously attempted, there will be war in the Northern districts of Auckland. Let there be a change in the native policy ; but do not destroy it utterly. Above all, entrust the management of the natives to men who live amongst them, and who-under-stand them, and not to men whose only qualification is living hundreds of mile» away, and being quite ignorant of the race.

In our issue of Wednesday last we gave » lengthened description of the several competitive designs of a bridge proposed to be erected in the Manukau to connect Onehunga with the important district of Mangere. The directors, as we sjated, held, n meeting on Tuesday evening, and after a careful consideration of the design, they unanimously came to the following decision :— " That No. 2 design of 'Nemo me impune lacessit' occupies the first place in merit ; that No. 1 of the same competitor comes next ; and that the third place belongs to the design of 'Still waters run deep.'," The first and second prizes will be awarded to the competitor of the two designs bearing the first-mentioned motto — one of which was for a wooden structure, and the other for permanent girders and piers. ' We have besn informed that the successful competitor is Mr. James Stewart, C.E., *'nd that the third-prize design was preparedly Messrs. Dalton, Brothers, Civil Engineers, Queenstreet. The directors have appointed three of their number 1 to prepare a report on all the designs exhibited, and on the subject of erecting of » bridge. An important case came before the Supreme Court yesterday, at a sitting in banco, in which his Honor the Superintendent of this province was plaintiff, and Henry Holland and others defendants. It came before his Honor Mr. Justice Moore for argument on demurrer by defendants to a declaration which staled that on 7th March, 1862, the defendants entered into a bond, binding themselves to pay the sum of £120 to defray the cost of bringing out the parties mentioned in the bond from England as assisted immigrants, who arrived here on 21st October, 1862. The plaintiff claimed to recover the £120. Mr. Gillies, I Provincial Solicitor, appeared for the plaintiff; and Messrs. Brooltfield, Wynn, and MacCormick appeared for two of the defendants. The case was argued at considerable length, after which his Honor intimated that he would give his decision on Wednesday next. We again beg to remind our readers that a meeting of persons desirous of promoting the paper hunts will be held this afternoon, at 2 o'clock, at the Exchange Hotel, Queen-street, when a proposition will be submitted— owing to the Garrison being now too limited to carry on the hunts satisfactorily — that the club should bo termed the Auckland Hunt Club, instead of, as at present, the Garrison Hunt Club. Gentlemen who may be desirous to become ' members, but who cannot attend the meeting, are requested to forward their names to Mr. Thomas Matravers, the hoo. secretary. We regret to state that, so far as information had been received last evening by Mr. W. J. 1 oung, the ! body of Mr. C. E. Stewart, who was drowned on , Wednesday evening last,, had not been recovered^ from the Waikato river, although diligent search ' had been made from the time of the occurrence of the accident. An investigation into the circumstances connected with the late fire in Queen-street, Onehunga, was held yesterday, at the Court-house Hotel, Onehunga, before Dr. T. M. Philson, Coroner, and a respectable jury, of whom Mr. S. S. Williams was foreman. Mr. Beveridge and Mr. Buchanan were present on behalf of the insurance companies, and Mr. Commissioner Naughton was also in attendance. Several witnesses wen examined, and the following verdict was returned by the jury :— "From the evidence laid before the jury, it is impossible to determine whether the fire which broke out in the «hop of Mr. Eavanagb, in Queen-street, Onehunga, on Sunday morning, August 5, was accidental or intentional. The origin of the said fire is involved in mystery." We are obliged to hold over our report of the inquest until another issue. Our Waiuku correspondent writes: — "After 'the cattle-market on the 23rd there will be a meeting of the Agricultural Association, at Campbell's. Resolutions to destroy hawks and thistles, and another to erect a flour-mill, will be proposed by various mem* bers." *•

*i. aV * been * n f° rme d> "P 0Q SOOS 00( l authority, Ifchat the English mail leaving this evening by the "* Lord Ashley,' for transmission by the Suez route, 'will be the only supplementary mail despatched •dunng the present month. The mail via Panama, w«i to have been despatched on the 17th. as yn previous occasions, will not leave until the 2nd 'September ; and we believe that,' in future, mails for England, via .Panama, will be made up to the 2ud of each month. A very sudden death occurred yesterday, at the shop of Mr. Watt*, chemist, Onehunga. A bushman. named Page, formerly a private iv H.M. 58th Regiment, and lately employed as a labourer at Big Muddy Creek, visited Mr. Watts's shop in the morning, i« order to make a purchase of medicine, and, whilst being served, suddenly fell down lifelesa| it is VQpposed in a fit of apoplexy. Dr. Nicholson was quickly in attendance, but life was found to be «xtanct. The police afterwards removed the body to tee Court-house Hotel, to await an inquest which will be held this afternoon, at 2 o'clock, before Dr. T, M. Philson, Coroner. We understand that the Bight Rev. the Bishop of New Zealand (acting in his capacity of President of the Synod of this Diocese) has called the clergy and lay members thereof to meet at the Cathedral Library, Parnell, on Tuesday, 18th September, when the second session of the Fourth Synod will be opened. It is hoped that members will be forward on that day, in order that the business may be proceeded with at once. It is expected that the businesswill conclude before the week ii out. ■ . W« are requested to state that Mrs. Thomas Seaman, Catherine-street, Onehunga, will be happy to receive any contributions with which the Christian publio may favour her towards the object already set on foot of furnishing a house, and providing -wearing apparel and other necessaries, for the reception of Mr. Edger and his family at Parnell. An ordinary general meeting of shareholders of the Coromandel Gold Alining Company was held at the offices, Fert-street, yesterday, and was largely The business of the meeting was to receive the retiring directors' report and balance-sheet, appoint new directors, and to consider the financial position of the company. The fiuancial position of the company, as indicated by the report read by Mr. (■'chultz, was found satisfactory . The report was received and adopted, after which a proposal to augment the capital of the company £10 per share was discussed, and ultimately agreed upon. The number of directors was also increased by the addition of the following gentlemen, namely, Messrs. Daldy, Smart, Dowden, and Edmonds. The old directorate were re-elected as follow : — Messrs. S. Gochrane, George Ring, Alexander Black, and H. M. Jervis. We have been requested to draw the attention of the residents of Tauranga to tho notice, which will be found elsewhere, of the opening of Messrs. Samuel and Jacobson's new store, at that place, on the 14th inst. Last evening, the Rev. Dr. Wallis delivered the sixth lecture of the course at the Young Men's Christian Institute, on "The Vital Principle; or, What is Life ? " The Rev. Mr. Bree presided. There was a good attendance, but not so large as on former occasions, which was to be regretted, as the lecture had been carefully prepared, and was eloquently delivered. Dr. Wallis, besides being a minister of the Church of Scotland, holds a physician's diploma, and thus is peculiarly qualified to deal with the subject of the lecture, which requires for its proper treatment a knowledge of both physical and metaphysical phenomena. Although the subject is not a 'popular one, the way in which it was treated by Dr. Wallis must have made it interesting to every listener. At the Police Court yesterday, the case against William Hearndon was further remanded till Wednesday next. Margaret Mahoney was fined 40s. and costs, or to suffer fourteen days' imprisonment, for assaulting a bailiff, while in the execution of his duty. The members of the Auckland Engineer Volunteer Corps at present in town will parade to-day at noon, in the Albert Barracks, for the issue of arms, &c. Mr. L. W. Eaton will sell by public auction today, at half-past 10 o'clock, at the stores of Messrs. Eaton and Dewolf, vegetable seeds, pork, beef, bananas, &c. Messrs. Turrell and Tonks will sell by publio auction, < t to-day, at eleven o'clock, at their mart, ale and porter, furniture, drapery, stationery, nails, &c. Messrs. McCaul and Rigg will offer for sale to-day, by public auction, at one o'clock, the schooner Dot, with all her gear ; also, furniture, provisions, &c. Messrs. Jones and Co. will sell by public auction, at eleven o'clock to-day, at the Brunswick Buildings, ' pork, beef, potatoes, bacon, flour, tea, maize, candles, sugar, wines, spirits, furniture, poultry, shingles, palings, kc. Messrs. Ridings and Perston announce a sale today of furniture, jewellery, cameras, personal effects, Ac, at eleven o'clock, at their mart. Mr. Alfred Buckland will hold an extensive sale to-day of horses, agricultural implements, allotments, farm, hay, maize, saddlery, carrots, &c, at twelve o'clock, at the Hay market. Messrs. Hunter and Co. will sell to-day, at twelve o'clock, at the Durham-street sale yards, the steeplechase mare Sydney. Mr. Samuel Cochrane will sell to-day, at his mart, Port-street, at two o'clock, a choice selection of fruit trees, plants, shrubs, stoves, kc. Messrs. C. Arthur and Son will sell at their marb, Queen-street, today, at noon, flour, potatoes, onions, bacon, groceries, furniture, poultry, &c.