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Hawke's Bay Times, Volume III, Issue 173, 6 May 1864, Page 2

A question" which we are constantly asked is—“ What is a Civil Commissioner ?” It would be no difficult matter to answer this query providing that the necessity for such an officer was apparent.

When Colonel Russell held office as Civil Commissioner, that gentleman was understood to be sent here as a peace-maker, with instructions to “ keep things quiet.” At that time the then General Government thought it advisable to provide this Province with an officer whose sole duty was to keep the natives quiet, and by ail means to burke any attempt on the part of the local authorities to administer justice. We ueed hardly say that in this the late lamented Colonel succeeded to perfection, and in fact that gentleman may be safely considered to Lave been a most excellent officer after his kind.

But the scene has changed now. It has been found that this peace-making or peacekeeping functionary was a delusion. That his duties were an impossibility, that, in fact, he had no duties. On the one hand the Europeans found that as far as they were concerned the Civil Commissioner was a delusion and a snare, and on the other hand the Maories discovered that the more bounceable they were, the more servile and yielding became that officer, as representative of the Government. Russell thus finding that he was placed between two hot and galling fires, and being greatly discomfited thereby, wisely, and with that prudence which has ever characterized him, beat a hasty retreat, and apparently didn’t consider himself safe until clean got out of the country altogether. He being gone, the people very naturally concluded that If a man of his metal, shrewd, intelligent, hard-working, and experienced, could do nothing, it was not likely that the Government would again try an experiment, which had so far proved au entire failure. In this, however, they were mistaken, and probably disappointed. No sooner bad the rear of the gallant Colonel become invisible, than upon the ground he occupied there appeared ano-

ther individual gifted with every advantage which an admiring Government would devise, and by comparison with the lamented Colonel, “ Alike, but 0 ! how different.”

We will not derange the digestion of our readers, or disturb the morbid sensitiveness of onr respectable contemporary by detailing the proceedings are very remarkable, and as incomprehensible as remarkable. That there must be some latent, some passive virtue in that officer we don’t for one moment doubt. But, unfortunately, that hidden quality dges not seem to affect the question of our relations with the natives.

Under the warlike rule of the major, our settlers are armed, the Country is placed in a state of terrible reality, in appearance at least, and the lands of the natives, within a radius of 50 miles have become peacefully occupied by a few choice settlers, on sheepfarming intent, amongst whom rumor counts the Major himself. lu the meantime, and regardless of all these doings of a warlike nature, his Highness of Pawhakaairo sends reinforcements to Waikato, and furnishes supplies of powder, &c., to the'rebels there. From the small settlement of Petane an armed party go to the seat of war, carrying with them such intelligence of the position and prospects of Hawke’s Bay, as will probably end in a raid of some strong hostile band. In the meantime our Civil Commissioner goes on the “ even tenor of his way,” undisturbed by any realities, but most grievously alive to any absurd rumor which may find circulation. And the Government supports, at an incredible expense, a whole army of retainers, who have been aptly described by a witty correspondent, as “ Whitmore's mutton-eaters.” And we are just as much, if not more at the mercy of the Maoris now, than in the days of Colonel Russell of peacemaking memory.