TARANAKI.

Lyttelton Times, Volume V, Issue 294, 25 August 1855, Page 5

TARANAKI.

(From the "Taranaki Herald.)" The report jjiven in our lust of renewed disturbances amongst the natives of the Hua district proves to he only too correct. Further accounts stiite th;.t Katatore and Wirernu Kingi attacked the Ninia pa (erected by Arama .Karaka )■ dining-■ the absence of some of the natives of chat party at a funeral, on Tuesday, the 3rd iusl.., ;and were driven back with the ; loss of one killed—Topia,—who, having been 'badly shot, was dispatched with his own tomahawk—and three others wounded, Tamilian;!, one of Ka tat ore's people, and Hori-aud Tiopira, i-ii : Wirenm Kiniri's party. On the side of Arama Karaka, two natives, Poihipi and Kukiwera were slightly wounded. • Kataiore has since declared-all possibility of peace lobe sit an end, and messengers have been despatched to brin<,' up the N^aiirnsinui. Yesterday it was reported that b»th Wireinu Kinjji and Katatore were absent with a strong party of natives, with the supposed iistenti.ui of taking- their enemies by surprise. The nei»hbnurin<r districts, as well as the one more especially the seat of these disturbances, are kept in a state of continued anxiety by the incessant firing and disturbances. Ihe declared intention of Avania Karaka to prosecute the feud with Katatore had, it is

stated, great influence in determining the Governor's decision 10 station a force at Taranaki: the disturbances since taken place prove the wisdom of that decision ; and the events of last week were a necessary consequence of the step taken by Arama Karaka, of building a pa on the disputed territory, as a defiance not alone to Katatore, but to the league opposed to the sale of land.

When his Excellency was hew, Katatore was understood to l>e favourable to peace; subsequent proceedings have changed those sentiments, and he lias declared that the presence of Aratna Karaka on the disputed territory is a " sore place" to him, and he will not make peace so long as Arama Karaka remains there. This was his determination before the la»t conflict ; the death of one of his followers, and the woun ding of two others, will only increase that feeling. A new feature in the quarrel is that Wiremu Kingi has openly joined Katatore, and that the latter is building a new pa between his old one and Arama Karaka's. The latest intelligence from the Ngatiruanui is that they will be here in August; the last conflict may hasten their movements. The present state of affairs then is therefore intelligible enough— Arama Karaka lias defied the League, composed of Katatore, Wiremu Kingi, and their followers, and the Ngatiruanui ; and the latter party have avowed their determination to drive him within the European boundaries.

The League, it is calculated, can rate at least twice as many men as their opponent?, and if the former succeed, the latter will be driven into the European territory, and may be pursued into the town itself. It is said, and I believe truly, that neither party is hostile to the Europeans,—but when their savage feelings are excited by slaughter, who can answer for the result, or say that, in spite of the utmost prudence and forbearance, some casualty may not implicate us in the struggle? Totally unprepared for events as we are, we are running a fearful risk.

Another danger which, though not so immediate, is constantly hanging over v.«, is that the natives are not in the least amenable to British law. The utter impossibility of enforcing the iaw in cases of theft, theimpunity vith which native cattle trespass upon our cultivations, the black mail levied whenever the natives have the least cause of complaint, or European cattle do the least damage to Maori cultivation (generally unfenced), and the daily sight of aimed natives going through the settlement, constitute a state of. things unknown in the other provinces. However guarded men may be, the positive injustice settlers often .suffer from the natives may on some occasion lead a hasty man to retaliation. A little spark will kindle a great'flume we may be involved in a quarrel from a trifling cause. The danger has increased latterly, as the natives, who are all aware that the Governor intended to send troops, now believe they are not coming-, and that we are left to our own resources. We *hall not ?ay much on the treatment the settlers have met with from the General Government, in withholding troops for so long a period after the urgent necessity for their presence had been proclaimed by the Governor. Happily we hav<; hitherto escaped from danger, but the lives and properties of the settlers are at the mercy of the natives, and at any time may be sacrificed The word of a Governor should be sacred, and we are. therefore unwilling to believe that we have been deluded by false pi\ mises. The arrival of an iron building from Melbourne is a proof that his Excellency did, at one time, intend to locate troops here ; but the leixnh of time that has elapsed, the absence of any preparation for the erection of the building, and the rumours from Auckland and Wellington, throw great doubts upon the question. The question as to the location of troops is a simple one—they are here for the protection of the inhabitants generally, and where there is the greatest danger there they should be iocated. Every one must admit that the natives here are in a state ofgreaterauarehyjthan elsewhere—in no other province, that I am aware of, do they defy the laws and systematically go about armed For several months past the European inhahi-" lants have been kept, in alarm by the murderous conflicts of the natives ; confidence is impaired ; and I have been informed on excellent authority, that the present native difficulties is the principal obstacle to a branch of the Union Bink being established here. It must be borne in mind that, this is not a temporary outbreak only ; the evil is increasing, the danger is more

imminent, and a crisis may at any-time overwhelm us. We have a right to be relieved from our uneasy position, and to have the laws respected ; and if the present state of affairs, coupled with our completely defenceless position, does not justify our demand for protection, we do not know what would, short of the actual murder of some of us. It may he said that these native conflicts have been going on for some time, and no evil has resulted from them ; but it was foreseen and pointed out some time since that from the peculiar character of the natives this might be the case, and that eventually mischief must ensue from it. We have no desire to test how far the forbearance of the natives may be trusted to, and a great responsibility rests with the General Government for thus tampering with the safety of the settlement. One hundred and sixty tons of materials for the erection of barracks arrived by the brig ' Alexander' from Melbourne on Thursday last"; and a further thirty tons are expected by the ' Gem,' the arrival of which may be daily looked for. The building, when completed, will be 130 feet long by 100 feet wide, and capable of accommodating a large number of men ; and is said to be a very complete and efficient affair. A. gentleman, to whom the superintendence of its erection has been entrusted, arrived with it, and appears to have expected to find the troops already here, and the site for its erection prepared. But, up to the presenttime, no instructions in relation to it have, it is said, reachejd the local authorities ; and although it is of ; the first importance that no time should be lost, the materials are for the present stored in the gaol to await the required instructions. Thus, that which properly should confirm confidence and protection is, by the ordinary fatality attending Government measuresconcerningNew Ply mouth, converted into an additional charge and increased anxiety. The examples of intemperance amongst the natives in and about New Plymouth are becoming more numerous, and are, in the present state of our relations with the native community calculated to excite even more than ordinary alarm. On Monday night, a fracas, which threatened serious consequences, occurred between a European and a Maori in the town. Where the fault lay it was difficult to discover, but it must have been clear to those who looked on that, out of the thirty to forty Maories who seemed inclined to join in the quarrel, a full half were in various stages of inebriation. No doubt the authorities are on the alert to prevent this crying evil ; but, in^ the present position of the province, more than ordinary vigilance is necessary on the part of the police : and every one who has any regard for the quiet and safety of the community should be active in aiding their efforts. We regret to say that a private letter from Whangiinui states that the ' Onkaparinga' had not been got off, but whs then breaking up on the bar. The whole of the cartrn has fnrtnnatplv

We regret to say that a private letter from Wbanganui states that the ' Onkaparinga' had not been got off, hut whs then breaking up on the bar. The whole of the cargo has fortunately been saved.

We gather the following particulars from the Nelson Examiner : —

New Plymouth, Aug. 14, 1855. After a long, unwi.se. and as I think, unnecessary delay, the Government at Auckland seem lo be preparing to act vigorously in sup. pressing our native disturbances. By the Ziugari'' we hear the "Duke of Portlaiui'" has been chartered for three trips to this place, and has already sailed on Saturday last from Auckland with a detachment of 250 troops, drafted from the oSth regiment, with the necessary complement of officeis, artillery, ammunition, also with some 200 stand of arms for militia here. After landing these, she proceeds to W'eliir.gton for a similar number of troops; so when all are landed and in readiness, the authorities here may show a reasonably bold front to the unlives and perhaps regain their proper position, and maintain the law towards natives as well as Europeans, which has not been done since 1844, when a former Governor gave the natives to understand they were tiie lords of Tarauuki. Much will depend on the wisdom and prudence of those in command. They will have to discriminate between friendly and unfriendly natives : ami this knowledge should be ob(ai;:iHl, not by present professi .-n so much as p-.tst oouduct. Some plain, above-board facts musi '.tot be ignored, as Colonel Wynyardand others have attempted to do.

lvuwii'i Waian was a native assessor, the principal chief of the Paketapu, and cue of she most respectable, well behaved natives in ' ill© whole colony. He and the majority oi'liis uit> e

have ever been on the best of terms with the white population. They have thousands of acres that they can never possibly occupy, so they have been anxious to sell some of them to the settlement for mutual beneflt. At the request of Mr. Cooper, Government Land Purchase Commissioner, they were engaged in cutting a boundary line, when they were foully shot down and some of them mangled with tomahawks, in open daylight, themselves unarmed a»d defenceless, by Katatove and 38 of their own tribe, a i miserable minority, but a very turbulent and bloodthirsty one. And yet Colonel Wynvard, iv his opening address to the Assembly, calls it a quarrel between two tribes, whereas the true interpretation is, it is between Government and the majority of a tribe of friendly natives on one side, and some 38 turbulent, disaffected natives, now joined by some hundreds of a similar disposition, from distances round—" Magna esi veritas et prevalebit." Bishop Selwyn, too, is on his way overland to us, to try and help us to peace. He may prevail, now that some 500 or 600 are likely to awaken and quicken the perception of the lawless. However no patched up peace must be suffered. (From the Southern Cross, of July 31.) The mail from Taranaki, which arrived on Saturday last, brings no additional news of greater difficulties or dangers with regard to the Native disturbances than before. Without offering any positive opinion as to the advisability or otherwise of sending the troops there, we consider ourselves bound to say that the step is the most important and hazardous one that has been taken in this colony since the former Maori war. It behoves those in power to assure themselves that the} have good and sufficient reasons for what they are doing. The move will have a most important effect upon the whole of New Zealand, in the adjoining colonies, and in England, and for a time will lead to the false conclusion of the existence of general insecurity. Emigration will be greatly affected by it, and the value of all property will temporarily be depreciated. Still, we say, take this step, at all these and even greater risks, if necessary ; but good and sufficient evidence of this will be demanded by the country. We also feel called on to notice the rumour "that there is au uncomfortable feeling abroad that barracks have been rashly ordered—and counter ordered, —and having arrived, that they must be occupied—and that a question of this kind has not been without fits effect upon the more important and single consideration of the necessity and policy of sending the ti'oops at all. We publish the following important extracts from a letter from New Plymouth.— July 14, 1855. If I remember rightly, your note reached me by the overland that left Auckland on the 4th of June. It arrived here on the 18th, and, will you believe it, it contained some, if not all of the circulars to the southern members, as well as those for this place ; and as no instructions accompanied it to forward it specially, it therefore lay here till the regular departure of the overland for Wellington, on the 23rd, and arrived at Wellington on the 2nd July, that is, after the ' Zingari' had left (on the 26th). It is worthy of notice that, with a view probably of 'preventing you and others writing to the South, no overland mail lias reached this from Auckland since the one above mentioned, which left on the 4th June, and I know further that the mails for the two following weeks did not reach Kawhia from Auckland. The contest here is without the boundaries of the land acquired by the Crown, and the strongest party intend to drive the weaker within the European boundary. If they would keep out, and fight it out, the risk, though great, of having your neighbour's house on fire, would not be so bad as the present intention of the neighbour to drive the fire out of bis house into yours. The buiidincrs for barracks arrived from Melbourne are very complete, and it is reported cost several thousand pmuds. They have been taken charge of by the Resident Magistrate, but no instructions whatever have been sent here for their reception or erection. The 'Alexander' that brought them down, was obliged to leave some 20 or 30 tons behind, that the ' Gem' will bring Uowu. Willi '"i K'»a an<l Kalatore both assured the

Governor that they would not allow the Ngatiruaimi to aid Katatora against Arama Karaka. The speech had hardly time to get cool before Katatore wrote to Ngutiruanui to come and join him. He is now reinforced by William King1, who persuaded Colonel Wynyard he was going to be neutral, and by 30 of the Ngaliruanui natives. If one of these latter is killed, there is no doubt that many mure will flock like flies to his funeral It is a pity that Col. Wynyard did not ask some Waikiito chief for an estimate of the native character of these tribes. He would soon have been informed that the Ngatiawa tribes were of old famous or infamous, for Makutu and Kohuru, i. c., witchcraft and treachery, the resources, mayhap, of the weak against the strong, but they have, nevertheless, been of the lower standard that natives of a level country seem to possess, as compared with the natives of a more undulating country, like Waikato and Ngatimaniapoto, and possess in an eminent degree faithlessness and cowardice. THE THOOPS FOR IARANAICI. The embarkation of the troops, detailed for service at Taranaki, which had been delayed by the strong North Easterly g-ale of Monday and Tuesday, took place on Wednesday afternoon. At four o'clock, a division eonsistingof 250 rank and file of the 38lh Regiment, 10 officers, 13 non-commissioned officers, and three drummers, marched out of the Albeit Barracks, under the command of Major Nugent; and, preceded by the regimental band playing "Should auld acquaintance be forgot," " Patrick's day in the morning," and other national airs, moved onwards to the Wynyard Pier, where cutters were in reaiiiness to convey them onboard the Duke of Portland. The detachment was accompanied to the place of embarkation by numbers of the citizens anxious to testify their regard and interest for the departing soldiery—a class so long and intimately associated with the best interests of the province as to have become a recognised and respected portion of our community, They embarked in high spirits and admirable order. It is 9 years and a half since any similar embarkation took place. On that occasion it was on a much more extensive scale, two frigates, Castor, and Calliope, one steam sloop, Driver, and two transports, Slams Castle and Victoria being employed for the conveyance of. a larg-e force to put down the aggressions of the natives of the South. Happily, this time, the troops depart on no hostile mission. They are despatched far more in the character of an ar^ned police to preserve peace and good order. And as they are about to be assisted by an equal force of the 65th vegt., from the Province of Wellington, we trust they may be enabled to carry out their peaceful purpose in a satisfactory manner, and speedily to veturn, crowned with honourable, but bloodless, laurels. Detachments of the Royal Artillery and Sappers and Miners had previously embarked. The "Duke of Portland" weighed' anchor on Thursday 'morning between 6 and 7 o'clock. There was a stiff North Easter then blowing, and unfortunately, (the pilot not bein»*on board) in working- down the harbour on the'poit tack, she stood toy olose in towards the Southern shore, and took the ground on the long- flu beach of Official Bay. There she remained fast for the tide, hut at 5 p.m. w.is asfain afl >ai, and moved into deep water without having- received any injury, and has remained wind hound at her anchorage ever since. The wind having now moderated, she will, in :*ll pn>v>;ihiiii.y, pv-ceed to sea this morning.— j¥ew Zeafunde'r, Auj. il.