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Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXIII, Issue 3133, 1 August 1867, Page 4

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To tht Editor of tht Dailt Sowrawt* Okoib. Sra, — Cautioned by a painful experience, we should now enter with a firm step on the straight path of justice and perfeot equality in our treatment of the natires, if ws desire the unappreoiable benefits of a lasting peaoa and paoifio progress. The liberality of our laws should provide equally in the interests of both races for the acquisition and disposal of property free, untaxed, and untrammelled. Parliament should guarantee us the actual possession of laws both liberal and just, for no advance or improvement can be made except under the shelter of the most liberal and economic! institutions. An enlightened Government guarantees security and liberty for person and property, and encourages industry and settlement ; it aids in every way the rapid influx of capital and settler*, convinced that therein lies the whole secret of a country's prosperity. All unprejudiced men, at home and here, not possessing obliquity of vision, allow that the natives have been, and are still, nnjostly treated. Of course there are a few exceptions. Private interests, government pay, rations, or contracts, kc— all these will blind men's judgment. Batthe majority are of opinion that the war was unrighteous. The Land League and King movement were originated to resist Government encroachments, and to establish law and order of some sort. It was patent to all that our power existed only in name. The authority and sentences of magistrates oould never be enforced ; they had no support ; their power was nil ; they oould bark but not bite ; they oould never carry out the law j the Queen's law did not run over the land. The results were that our authority was brought into utter contempt, and anarchy Sevailed ; and to remedy this state of affairs rot* c King movement. The sugar.and.flour policy has been universally condemned ; it demoralised the people. The natives considered it was adding insult to injury. As large contributors to the Customs and Excise they were justly entitled as a right, not as any f avourjor through charity, to a fair share of the publio revenue, nor should we forget the 900 per cent, profit the Government made on the sale of their land. They are a high-spirited race, and only want their rights, — no presents, no charity. The con vie* tion on their minds is that the Government only wanted to promote their own interests ; they never credited it with uniform justice, singleness of aim, or purity of motive. It was obvious to the meanest capacity that they were victimised and swindled ; at one time patronised, then put upon by Government agents. A system of bungling, misrule, and mismanagement has been in force for many years, supported by » paltry and vacillating policy ; by these and other causes they were led on and tempted into war. The Maoris are a people very able to learn from their friendly neighbours, and I am sure that if more confidence had been placed in the honour of our colonists, and more reliance on the shrewdness and intelligence of the natives, in the purchase of land, it is very certain that none of the disastrous wars, which have cost us loss in treasure and repute, would ever have happened. What means of redress havethenatives, except "tanas?" Andnow after eight jwri' fighting, what are the grand result*, who troth*

victors, and does a King still reign in New Zealand ? The Maoris are not conquered j they, with no resources, have successfully withstood a regular corps d'armeV, colonial forces, and a large native contingent, horse, foot, artillery, and men-of-war, for a number of years, and are unsubdued j and we are all pretty muoh where we started from. We cannot but admire these men, their independence, intelligence, honesty, and valour. Suoh men, putting aside their territorial claims, are entitled to demand -civil rights and perfect equality in the eye of the law, a large share of representation in the General Assembly, when special legislation and taxation are passed, in a' disgraoeful underhand manner, infringing the general rules which forbid men to interfere with the property of others. They see the uniformity^ of right and wrong destroyed which ought to exist in every civilised community. Monopolies are given away in Parliament amongst the members, and the unrepresented natives are specially legislated on, and taxed in a manner that ia simply iniquitous. We should ' • live and learn."' The friendly natives, who (owing to old feuds, tribal jealousies, and dread of confiscation, not tothe Justice of our cause) fought for us, are now receiving at our hands bad treatment ; we should endeavour to preserve a good understanding, and observe good faith at 'leant with them. The Arawas have just been stopped in the survey of some of their land, by a Government em ploy I ; they had agreed with a European for it, and intended getting a Crown title ; but both buyer and seller are prevented according to the custom that holds good in New Zealand. But, on the other hand, the Government in many other districts is enforcing surveys' on ' disputed lands, Ac, at the point of the bayonet.' The last despatoh of the Earl of Carnarvon, perhaps ' may do some good. The following sentence in it - ■peaks volumes }—" The large < oonfisoations which have taken plaoe have been v,iewed with the greatest apprehension [reprehension, , I should imagine, is meant by her Majesty's Government].". Sometrys to prove black whits ; and we read much that i« not' altogether historical, written, by interested , But there are certain broad' rules in life which must be observed, or bad consequences will inevitably result. Bad laws and unjust and oppressive taxation will not be tamely borne. Justice requires us to give to every man his due. No person can contract an obligation to despoil others of their lawful and equitable rights. Forms of local self-government oan alone save liberty and mitigate despotism ; we oan no more claim a right to interfere with native property than with that situated at Remuera or Epsom. Government officials should be no longer employed over the country to misguide and bully the natives. Let us try and regain the confidence of the natives. There was a time, — we were weak then, — when they trusted and believed in our honour and justice, before we began to cheat them out of their land. Let us not give them a general cause of complaint ; as I fear the country would be no longer habitable were they all to unite as one man, and fight a guerrilla war from a central point. The freedmen, in America ("lacklanders," formerly negro Blares), hare representation, atid every politioal right; I think the .quickest way to obtain Maori rights — consequently permanent pacification — would be to organise an association for the purpose of agitating (he question, Of course, like all such Solitical agitations at home, everything should be one striotly within the law. When the Maoris shall have obtained representation, the balance of votes and power in the Assembly will not be so unequally, as it is at present, in favour of the South liland.— lam, 40., LIBERTAS.