Hawke's Bay Herald FRIDAY, MARCH 26, 1869.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 13, Issue 1034, 26 March 1869, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Herald FRIDAY, MARCH 26, 1869.

We have space only for a line or two to call attention to the result of the meetings held yesterday at Waipukurau and Meanee respectively. It shews conclusively what the ail-but unanimous (quite unanimous as yet) feeling of the settlers is, not merely with regard to the treatment of Mr. M'Lcau by the Government but as to the urgent necessity that exists for an immediate meeting of the General Assembly. We refer our readers to reports in another column.

The New Zealand Advertiser of the 13th March comments in its usual inlemperate ami untruthful ton* 1 , on the conduct of the provincial authorities of Hawke'.s Bay, ami exhibits it degree of bitterness agaiusl; Mr. M'Letui which is quite iv accordance with the auimus generally exhibited by the ministerial supporters of the journal we have referred to. The Advertiser alleges that the chief Ropata and meu, enrolled at the East Cape for service on the West Coast, were in excellent spirits and coutented until Ropata landed at Napier, saw Mr. M'Lean, and after being so influenced by him, declined to go further. Boldness of assertion is frequently resorted to to uphold a bad cause, and the present forms no exception to the rule. We shall briefly place before our readers what we believe to be the true state of the case. The General Government despatched a vessel with sealed orders, no doubt, to raise recruits on the East Coast for service on the West. The long existing, but hitherto ignored, claim of Ngatiporou for valuable services rendered to the Government in 1865-66, to the extent of £1500, was sent to them, doubtless as a bribe — some of the chiefs getting a bouus of £50 each. Good offers of pay and promotion were freely made, but on the Ngatiporou evincing a decided disiuclinatiou to leave their homes at such a critical time — a time when their own and adjacent settlements in the Bay of Pleuty were exposed to danger — threats were used, iv the event of their refusiug to go, to take their arms and ammunition from them, as well as deprive them of all further Government recognition or support. Ropata naturally felt this treatmeut keenly, and, considering the valuable services rendered by himself and his tribe, he had good reason for doing so. Ropata, while offering no objection to the recruits proceeding to the West Coast, notwithstanding their affirmation that they were induced to join under false pretences, decided, after conferring with Mr. M'Lean and the chiefs of this district, that he himself should go no further. He stated, however, that he was prepared to take the field at once against Te Kooti, at the Bay of Plenty, Taupo, or wherever on the East Coast his services might be required. The secret and uuderhaud manner j in which the Government has of late been dealing with the tribes of the East Coast, is tending much to alienate the allegiauce of those tribes. With proper treatmeut, the utmost reliance could be placed upon those people for the defence of this part of the country ; and the hope we entertain of their continuing their former friendly relations towards the Europeau settlers, rests mainly, at this critical period, on the influence that Mr. M'Lean exercises over them. The closing part of the Advertiser's article is unworthy of notice, even if it were iutelligible ; as regards that part of it which alludes to our sharing risks with other places, Hawke's Bay, while, proudly acknowledging her position as a part of the colony, has never shrunk from her duty in. this respect.

Meanee. — Divine service will be conducted on Sunday next, at 3 p.m., in the Presbyterian Church, Meanee, by Mr. G. Hardie of Puketapu. Mounted Troopers were yesterday galloping in all directions, which is not quite corroborative of the semi-official announcement " that there are no valid grounds for alarm in this province." Volunteers are called for to proceed to Poverty Bay — we presume to relieve, by raw levies, the small band of armed constabulary now stationed at that exposed part of the coast. Claims to Vote. — A good many new claims have been lodged in the proper quarter. We would remind those interested that Tuesday next is the last day during this year for registering claims. Th,r Te&k<sirAsPh; Wirrs Yrete dovm part of Wednesday nnd the greater part of yesterday — Waipukuvau being the only station with which communication was open. Last evening, however, the line was again workable to Wellington, although still interrupted to the southern stations of the ■Middle Island. ■ The Late Fire at Porangahau. — In noticing this casualty, the other day, we mentioned that the property destroyed was uninsured. We find that this was a mistake — the house having beeu insured for £30, and the produce for £195. A Heavy Westerly Gale prevailed din-ing Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. The clouds of dust were, at times, perfectly dense, and the wind blew with hurricane violence. Those gales were doubtless the usual accompaniment of the equinoctial period. This year they commenced with great punctuality;