LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 13, Issue 1026, 27 February 1869, Page 3

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

The Editor does not hold himself responsible for opinions expressed by correspondents. Sir,-— lt is a pity Mr. Colenso, in his late address to a meeting held in the Oddfellows' Hall, on the subject of the educational rates tax, did not add one other, the 6th class, to tho five he enumerated, "..those who have paid, and will pay cheerfully, such a small sum as £1 per annum for the benefit of the children whose parents are unable to educate them. It may be said that it is for the benefit of those who may are able to pay for the Education of their children." Granted. Has there ever been an Act yet passed, that could not in some point or other be made to act inimical to the welfare of one class or another. Never. Ido not concur with the present rate being levied indiscriminately, without reference to the position of the householder : but there lies the difficulty. Class legislation always has and always will be a stumbling-block of Legislative Assemblies. X regret to see xnissiatements appear m pubYie priafc .• instead, of ifce £700 or £800 being locked up in Chancery, it is at present lodged in the Savings' Bank in Napier, receiving interest at the rate of 5 per cent, per annum. But, Sir, how that sum (belonging to private individuals) can be brought to. bear upon the question of school rate, I, for one, cannot understand. In conclusion, I will shew that the tax is after all but a temporary measure, and the only means of assisting the poor man to educate his children. By the Education Act a master or mistress who receives Government aid is bound to teach children of poor persons free of expense; therefore a poor man can educate any number of his children for the sum of £1 . Sir, I trust the friends of the poor man will help him, by cheerfully paying their quota in support of education. On the other hand, if there is no rate, how is the poor man's children to be educated P by " voluntary principles," as suggested by the editor of the Hawke's Bay Times ? We know what that would come toi And ■wliy> migM I ask, tax the wlliaft&tr for the "benefit; of the many, ■which -would be tlie case. "Will the schoolmaster be satisfied with a £1 for every householder who sends his children? Perhaps the opponents of the ■ Education Rate are in a position to reply. Vebitas.

Sik,— l have always conceived the East Coast question capable of being viewed as involving politically the whole question at issue between the Maoris and the Colonial Government. The policy, or impolicy (which you please), of the present Ministry has been to practically ignore the existence of the mass of the native population, numbering, as it does, from 35,000 to 44000 souls. It has been the fashion to cast as much odium as possible upon the shoulders of the Native department, with its alleged improvidence and inordinate expenditure. It has been attempted at the same time to reduce almost to nullity, certainly to inutility, the expenditure required ior colonial defence, whilst the case has been argued as though the Native difficulty so called had been entirely and finally disposed of. The mournful results accruing from this insane and wilful misconstruction of the real posture of affairs are so fresh in our minds on this coast, that it is like probing a festering wound to touch upon them, and the flourish of trumpets made about the success at ISFgatapa has brought these things anew to our recollection. The utmost that can be urgedin supportof theposition sought to be assumed is this — that, becoming wise after the event, the Government endeavoured what men could to prevent further spread of disaster, and to repair such damage as they were able ; but it has been like the cry of Panurge in the storm — "Alas ! alas ! where is our main course P Alas ! , Owho': shall have this wreck P For the . Lord's sake, lot us save the hull, and let all the rigging be damned !" As bearing on the argument, recall some of the facts attending recent events. After the conflict;, at Buaki Turi> Te Kooti's #arty were stated to be defeated, and, danger being

over, the small force of colonial troops upon the spot were withdrawn. After tho Turanga massacre, and the enemy had been severely handled by the friendly natives, the colonial troops brought upon the scene at the close of the fighting at Makaretu were again embarked for withdrawal upon a similar assertion, viz., that the enemy were broken up into small parties, and all immediate danger over. Nothing but the accident to the Sturt prevented this monstrous folly being carried into effect ; and not even that would have done it, but that Te Kooti's temerity did not allow a second embarkation to take place. Without needlessly piling up the evidence, what is the inevitable verdict that must be arrived at by all unprejudiced observers P— Nothing less than that, either of set purpose or through ignorance, tho Government of the day shut their own eyes, and endeavoured to hoodwink the public, both as to tho imminence and extent of the actual danger threatening the colony. The facts were so opposed to the theory they had set up, that there is some excuse for men, if really sincere in their belief as to the correctness of their opinions, refusing readily to yield to facts whioh were patent to everybody else but themselves. However this may be, a personal character has been imported into the discussion of these subjects, which is very much to be regretted^ Now that men's passions, strongly excited as they naturally were, have had time to cool, it is to be hoped that the importation of personality into the discussion will not be continued. Let us, for the nonce, assume that all have done their duty, and striven to advance the public weal and no other. This, at any rate, is the shortest way to enable us to get at the kernel without wasting further time with the husk . Next let us consider our actual position at this moment. We may be likened to dwellers in a valley, whose possessions have suddenly been devastated by a grievous flood. The river running through the valley has retreated again within its banks — but with current wild and turbid. The clouds have partially cleared from overhead, but hang around the gloomy mountains ; whilst the ever muttering thunder still proclaims the disturbance of the atmosphere. One good result alone has been evolved, from what has happened, and that is, that notwithstanding the severity of the test to which we have put the fidelity of the friendly natives, their conduct gives colour of hope to the future. Although called upon to act against men with whom they at first had somo sympathy—to say nothing of the ties of blood, they have in nearly every instance given the Government good and effective aid. It is for wise administration to utilise and foster a good understanding, so that the mutual relations between the races be continued on an assured and unassailable footing. Loaded with debt as the colony is, its only chance of extrication is by rapid progress and the development of its resources. This, so far as the northern island is concerned, is possible only through and with the co-operation of the natives. It follows, therefore, that to pander to the antiMaoriphobia which has of late gained such strength, is, in a statesman, that worse than crime, a stupid blunder. The present temper of the natives requires that they be dealt with in a spirit of firm justice, tempered with an openly shown desire to let no misunderstanding or halfenlightenment stand in the way of the fair settlement of any difficulty. After all this waste of time, loss of life, and expenditure of treasure, we find ourselves in precisely the position we started from. The policy of self-reliance, which meant, if it meant anything, armed independence, is now as much the question of questions as when the present Premier declared against its expense, and set up retrenchment as tho one thing needful for the welfare of tho colony. This retrenchment, which was attempted to be carried out in those departments alone upon the effective working of which all the othors depended, has brought down little else than ruin on the colony, and cast a deadly blight upon the hopes of the future. It will take long years to reassure the startled settler that there is safety to bo found, as i heretofore, in the wilderness. In this j respect the mischief that has been done is i incalculable. It threatens our prosperity J ia its ieuderesfc point, because upon our I country settlers depend our exports. In- | jure the country, and you starve the towns. —I am, &c, Obseevee. i Waipawa, Feb. 18.

Sib, — We hear so many different accounts of every transaction now done by the Government at Wellington and the colonial forces at the front, that confidence in their correctness is entirely gone. It is known that the accounts of our " own " correspondents are " dished up " for the public eye, and rumour says that they are sometimes even " touched up and finished off " in the places in which they are published, to please the eye of a certain ! party. How I wish to know, Sir, whether there be any truth in the report that Te Kooti is at or near.Opotiki with three hundred men, and that Nikora — who, it is declared, was never killed, and therefore the £50 given for his head was paid for that of some other person —is in the TJriwera country, mustering followers ? — I am, &c., Ewqtjiey.

Sir,— -On reading your paper of the 23rd instant, I was surprised to see in your correspondent's letter from Poverty Baythat the authorities had let loose that arch traitor and murderer, Karepa Euatapu. Having known him for the last three and a-half years, I will give you an account of him ; also, I will, in a future letter, give you an account of some more of his sort. Karepa, son of Tamehana Euatapu, was prophet at a pah called Te Papa, with his section of the Ngatimaru ; his uncle, Anaru Matete, was living at a place called Kakau Wiri Wiri, with the principal lot of the Ngatimaru and other tribes of which he was head chief and leader of the Hauhaus; on the south side of the big river. Karepa was constantly going to different places about the Bay making converts. Wherever he went, with his oily tongue and sneaking ways, he has always had a hatred to the Europeans. First— at Waerengaahika, in 1865, on that memorable Sunday when 46 Hauhaus were shot coming to attack the Bishop's house, Karepa was one of the leaders of Hauhaus which came from Kohangakarearea, and, getting worsted there, he and others bolted from Waorengaahika to Tamehana's pah, Oweta, and gave themselves up to Tamehana, where he screened them from the law. Second — Karepa's next performance was at Kohangakarearea on New Year's day, at the Forest Eangers' camp. In the middle of tho races ho and Mr. T. TJren quarrelled about calling him a Hauhau ; they came to blows, and, Karepa getting the worst of it, called upon tho friendly Maories to fire into us. Our captain hearing this, called out to us to stand to our arms ; wo made a rush to the camp for our arms and accoutrements, and came out ready for them, when several of tho chiefs interfered, or there would have been slaughter on both sides. Third — When the Government wore sending the Hauhaus down to the Chatham Islands, Karepa, Paora te Eiri, Hi-

rini Poenalri, and others, slipped away to the bush and there stayed till it was over; they then came back and stayed with Tamehana at Oweta and Patutahi. Karepa has been at variance with the whites since that. Fourth— ln July, 1867, he was before Oapt. Biggs for assault and robbing a European named Thomas Sprode, but, there not beiug sufficient evidence, he was let off. Fifth— Karepa was one who saw Te Kooti and received money and tobacco from him, and told Te Kooti of Capt. Westrup's party starting to intercept him ; and that same money made the friendly Maories drunk at Turanga when we were repulsed at Paparatu ; and he has always been looked down upon as a spy and in communication with Te Kooti. Sixth— l have it from the best authority that, on the night of the massacre of the Poverty Bay settlers, Karepa, Pera, and Peka were the three who took Te Kooli and his band of murderers round from place to place. Afterwards, he was sent by Te Kooti down to Oweta to negotiate with the natives there; he even went farther, as far as Karauwa creek, a distance of two miles, and told the natives there that there was no danger, as Te Kooti would not harm them, as he had got possession of Turanga, and had killed all the whites. He wished several of them to go to Patutahi, and the result was that Te Kooti came down and Oweta was handed over to him. Karepa was also one of the foremost in the surprise of the escort, as well as at the massacre of Finlay Ferguson and three others at Mangawaihuku, near Mr. Harris's homestead. He was also at Ngatepa; and now he hascome in, gave himself up, had a mock trial, as I- witnessed while in Turanga, and was handed over to the natives. Now he can set to work, gather all the information he can, the number of armed constabulary, where stationed, and get as much ammunition as he possibly can. He and two or three of his sort will then bolt off, join Te Kooti, and march back from Opotiki, rest at Mangatu, cross to Messrs. Evans and Poynter's run into the Waimata, Mr. Parker's back boundary, and travel down to within three or four miles } of Turauganui, where there are plenty of | fat cattle to refresh themselves on, and then make an onslaught on the township — murder men, women, and children, and sack the place, and cross over to Wilson's redoubt with all the ammunition and what force they can (as the natives are aware all the ammunition is in the cellar of the court-house) or, if strong enough, defend themselves in the court-house till the armed constabulary come down from Makaraka, a distance of five miles, and, first allowing them to expend their sixty rounds of ammunition, then make a rush on them, and probably kill the lot. Besides, he has another road to come ; he can march from Maugatu down to Waikohu, cross the ranges into Pipi Whaka Bush, a distance of eight miles from Turanganui, and wait till dark, march on Turanganui, murder and sack what is there, and retreat by Waimata into the hills, where our forces could not follow them, with the ammunition and what stores they could take. Suoh is the mission, I doubt not, Karepa is on at the present time. Hoping I have not intruded on your space, I am, &c, A Poverty Bay Settles. Napier, Feb. 25, 1869. Sib, — I observe in the New Zealand Gazette of tho 19 th February, that a commission has been appointed " to onquire into and report tipon the condition and nature of education and other trust estates held directly under grant from the Crown, upon special trust for religious, educational, or charitable purposes, and particularly to enquire into the extent and application of the endowments, funds, and revenues belonging to or received by the trustees of all such estates in respect of the same j " and that Messrs. A. Domett, F. D. Bell, G. S. Cooper, and R. Hart, are to be the commissioners appointed for the purpose. Now, Sir, to my mind this is the proper course to take, and the most legitimate way ofgetting at the question respecting the different trusts in this and other districts. There are a good many endowments, which have been made ia different parts of the colony for such purposos, over which the Provincial Councils have no power or control whatever. — I am, &c, Faie Play.

Sic, — One word of warning is all I want to give, and that is to those resident on theoorders of this our province. Massacres of the innocent and helpless have already taken place where little expected, and this may as well be repeated in Hawke's Bay. I would advise that every station be supplied with a small blockhouse in which to take refuge, and that a night guard should patrol at each homo station. One month will no doubt open our eyes. Lot all therefore be ready.— l am, &c, XL.

Sik, — In the evidence of the plaintiff, in the case, Koch v. the Superintendent, my name, I understand, was mentioned in such a way as to induce mo to deviate ftom my "usual practice not to notice personal attacks. I am sorry that, not knowing beforehand the day the case was to bo heard, I was not present, but my informants may, I think, be relied upon as to what took place. Mr. Eoch, referring to an address he had. illumined on a former occasion — that to Sir George Grey — said " that, for his trouble Mr. M'Leau told him he must make somo charge ; he demurred, as the work was done partly in office hours ; Mr. M'Lean insisted ; shortly after, ho received a cheque for £6 from Mr. Wood, and he supposed it was put down as printing." This statement, of course elicited a loud guffaw from Mr. Buchanan, in which the little knot of others who form the opposition tardily joined. In reply to this statement, which in reality implies against myself a charge of falsifying a voucher to serve a political purpose, I have to say — 1. The item of £5 ss. for Mr. Koch's services was put in my voucher at that gentleman's own request, made to myself, he saying (and, as I thought, naturally) that my charge and his might as well be included in the same document, so as to save unnecessary trouble. 2. The item was not, as Mr. Koch insinuates, set down as " printing," but was charged against " miscellaneous contingencies," in the following words — "engrossing address" (to His Excellency Sir George Grey previous to his departure for the Colony.) The other items in the same voucher were for parchment &c, supplied by myself in connection with the address in question. 3. The " cheque" to which Mr. Koch refers, and which one gentleman has informed me ho said was a " government cheque," exists only in his own imagination. No cheque whatever was ever sent him. Tho amount, at his own request, was put to his credit in my ledger, in part payment of an amount then standing at tho debit side, — 1 am, &c, James Wood. Herald office, Feb. 26, 1869.