SIR GEORGE GREY'S POLICY.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 5, Issue 234, 26 November 1861, Page 3

SIR GEORGE GREY'S POLICY.

(Prom the Attcklander, Nov. 11.)

As far as we can judge from what we hear from all quarters, there is no change in the determination of those tribes who have : risen against the Queen's?; authority to: recede from the position theyjb&ve assumed. It is but natural that they should presume upon the weakness which has been manifested by the other side. Nor is it to be: expected that they will yield obedience; until they are convinced of our determination to enforce obedience.

The intentions of Sir George Grey as put forth in the New Zealander cannot be put into action without the concurrence of the natives. Of the concurrence of those natives who have remained friendly there can be no doubts. The returns of benefit in hard cash, are such as to induce the least enterprising natives to enter upon the scheme with zeal. What~ could be more attractive to the Maori mind than to be made Magistrates and Constables, and to receive British money as well as British dignity. What kind of justice they are to dispense, and what kind of service they are to render for honors and salaries, will give them little concern. Why should it ? That is for those to consider who give them the office and the money. We have heard it asserted that Sir George Grey will not insist upon the Waikatos hauling down the flag, if they will only give up the name of King, and allow Potatau. the second to receive a British dignity and a British salary ; and that no doubt is entertained that when the hostile tribes shall see the advantages which their neighbours are enjoying from the liberality of the; British Government, this pacific policy' will gradually prevail... Sir George Grey: possesses in such perfection the art of' sending away every one who approaches him with the persuasion .that his ownidesis coincide with theirs, without at the same 1 time committing himself to the expression of any definite idea whatever, that we are not surprised that such notions should

have got abroad. On the other hand such notions are not consistent with the very decided language certain native chiefs report that the Governor held towards them. Our own ; belief is that in visiting the Ngapuhis, the Governor has some other design than^to accept the -invitation of Waka Nene, and ,to present to him the silver goblet which the Queen has sent him. Sir George Grey is better able than either Colonel Browne or General Cameron to appreciate the importance of a native auxiliary force, and the Ngapuhis have already expressed their readiness, for an adequate consideration, to join in an expedition against their old enemies the Waikatos.

In the meantime, the natives at Ahuriri, and elsewhere, are exemplifying the kind of government which may be expected from their runangas and magistrates.

We are unwilling to take the following twaddle which appeared in the leading article of Wednesday's New Zealander either as altogether the invention of the Editor, or as having been communicated to him for the purpose of misleading him, and through him his readers. After referring to the Governor's visit to the Bay of Islands, which the Editor 'understands to have taken place 'in consequence of an invitation personally delivered by our old ally Tamati Waka Nene,' which he (the Editor) hopes may prove the commencement of a series of peaceful campaigns in the * Maori territory,' (mark, reader, it is not the Queen's territory, for the idea of maintaining the rights or performing the duties of sovereignty appears to have been given up), he goes on as follows : [See last SeraldJ} Now, looking at the nature of the information which was communicated to the Editor, and to what he was led to * understand,' we cannot look upon this in any other light than as a semi-official communication of the Governor's plans. The Editor of course only * believes ' in what took place at the Cape of Good Hope ; and he begins the paragraph with an on dit— 'It is said' that the Civilflnstitutions which Sir George Grey introduced at the Cape, led to the settlement of difficulties of far greater magnitude than any which exist here. But at the end of the paragraph the on dit is changed to ' the fact that this system has been successful at the Cape' — and which fact the Editor considers will induce all reasonable men to afford it a fair trial here. Now for ourselves, we do not believe in any such fact. We know but little of the Cape, or of Sir George Grey's doings there, beyond the expenditure of an amount of British money which seems almost fabulous, and which may well account for the laudations of mendacious Editors, and the touching farewells of merchants who have prospered ao largely upon the Commissariat expenditure! But what little we have seen of intelligence from the Cape of Good Hope, would lead us to a very different conclusion from what the Editor of the New Zealander* s logic has led him to.

Our information is however so limited that we would not be warranted in expressing an opinion upon the actual state of the Cape frontiers ; although we have Been enough in print to lead us to suppose that Sir George Grey was glad enough to get as far from them as possible. But on one point we have no hesitation in expressing an opinion, and that is, that the Caffres and Zulus of Southern Africa, are like other men ; that they will never part with power till they are forced to part with it; and that the use they will make of the power they possess will tend to good or evil to civilization or barbarism according to their place in the scale of human intelligence, and human en'lighjtenmenfc We will go farther, and say that the Caffres and Zulus would soon learn to treat with the contempt they deserved, their European Commissioners* and Eesident Magistrates, who were weak enough to assume a jurisdiction which they could not enforce, and to truckle to the brute force of chiefs whom they could not sway by their influence.

The next portion of the article in the New Zealander is too good not to have come from Sir Geo. Grey himself. The New Zealander, without such inspiration, never could have found out that ' the annual. cost of active military operations in New Zealand with such a force as that which we now have in the colony would not be less than one and a half millions sterling,' and that € the difference between the cost of the troops now kere if used merely as a protective force and their cost as an aggressive force, will therefore be three quarters of a million annually.' What a saving to the ' loan-burthened people of Great Britain ' would this' wise and pacific policy' effect. So says the New Zealander, but he keeps oat of view the cost of our Commissioners, and Resident Magistrates, and District Councils of leading chiefs, and of subordinate councils ; not to speak of the chief policemen, and a certain number of subordinate constables, all receiving pay.' On whom is all this expense to fall ? Oh, the answer is ready : c JBona fide settlement by Europeans on lands within the native districts on certain terms, and always with the consent of the native authorities, was encouraged' amongst the South Africans — and why not amongst the Maoriea? Then the native authorities are to bare 'judicial powers, within certain limits; powers of local taxation and of constructing public works.' When we are told that all this was done in South. Africa, who so sceptical as to doubt of its being done here.. Enters then you enterprising advocates for direct purchase into the fields which this wise and pacific -policy will open for you. You can never be unprotected when you are there 'always with the oomfefcit-ioiLfcha; native authorities.' True there ■wiikiwuo funds out of which to provide for the makings Of roads and for opening up the country torybuB 1 reapective^ettlemente. But has not the NewZealander 'heard that when Sir George Grey left the Cape Colony this system was actually not only paying its own expenses but leavrag a surplus. The funds being provided by the local voluntary taxation of Caffres and other native races!' H

At a late lecture on the war at Taranaki, when the lecturer was enlarging on the glory due to his late commander, a voice called out — ' Dobt't ; I can stand anything almost, but not that sap.' We would say the same of this.