MR. CREIGHTON AND PHILO-MAORIS

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXV, Issue 3751, 27 July 1869, Page 6

MR. CREIGHTON AND PHILO-MAORIS

The Hmvke's Bay Times is responsible for the following : — " Considerable indignation was justly excited recently throughout the colony by the receipt from the Secretary of State for the Colonies of despatches reflecting on the line of conduct adopted by the Colonial Government towards the native race. It will be remembered that Earl Granville implied that the Gharges made against the oolonists of unjustly treating the native race in the matter of their land, of originating and maintaining an unholy war for the purpose of obtaining land, and condemning the polioy of confiscation, were, in his opinion, founded on fact. Still later, we have the representatiro of public feeling at home, the Times, re-echoing the charge. * * * Not only is a section of the Press constantly accusing the .Northern Island oolonists of appropriating South Island means to the carrying on a war for the acquisition of land, and other things to the same effect, but a similar class of members are in ' the House of which Mr. Creighton, member for Newton, a North Island constituency, stands at the head. It i« but lately that, in his place in the House, he took up the same topic as written on by Earl Granville, and censured the Government for placing a price on the heads of the arch-rebels and murderers, Titokowaru and Te ELooti, at the same time denying that he was ' the apologist of any rebels, but,' he said, *he could not forget that we were civilised men and Christians, and that at least we were not setting that example to the native race in this war that we ought to set them s—in5 — in substance confirming the charges made by Earl Granville of a breach of the laws of civilised warfare. Of course Mr. Creighton was answered in tho House as the Earl was in Mr. Stafford's reply to his despatch; but it is sad to know that there exists a party amongst ourselves from whom the enemies of the colony derive their arguments, and to whom they can refer in justification."