AHURIRI.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VI, Issue 376, 11 June 1856, Page 4

AHURIRI.

From the Correspondent of the " New Zealand Spectator.")

Napier, May 6, 1856. A meeting of settlers took place at the Royal Hotel, Napier, on Thursday week, for the purpose of taking- into consideration the present, unprotected state of this district. Mr. Rhodes, by whom the meeting was convened, explained the object of it," and read the draft of a memorial to his Excellency the Governor on the subject, which was adopted after some amendments had been agreed to. It appears that much jealousy has for seme time past existed between the rival chiefs of this district, arising- out of the sales of land, and this jealousy has led to various disputes which have at length assumed a somewhat formidable aspect and it is said they coutemplaie coming to blows on the subject, and that ouepartyls engaged in fortifying their principal pah on the banks of the Tutai Kuri river. Both parties proJess to be friendly towards the Europeans, but should they carry out their intentions the position of the latter would not be safe

being scattered over the country, mostly unarmed, and without any secure place of resort, should the Maories when their passions become excited infringe the neutrality of the Pakehas. Independently, however, of any such outbreak amongst the Muories, it is very necessary that some protection should be afforded to the Europeans in this district. Petty outrages on the part of the natives are becoming very frequent, and it is seldom that any redress is obtained ; in fact, these Maories, trusting to their numerical superiority, and finding that they can do as they please with impunity, are very much disposed to domineer over the settlers, even when the latter are on purchased land. I will instance one case which occurred a few days since. A settler had employed Maories to build him a wharre and put up some fences. The Maories received various goods in part payment as the works progressed, and before the wharre was finished they wanted to raise the price that had been agreed upon; this trick is now generally practised by them, and in case of refusal they try to bully the white man into compliance, which they did in the present instance ; he was, however, resolute, and finding that they could not gain their point in that way, they set to work and finished the wharre in a very inefficient manner, and then demanded payment, which they received. During the altercation, the settler was thrown out of the window, hut without receiving injury, and he was forcibly prevented from mounting his horse to ride to the nearest station, ahout ten miles distant. The next morning, whilst he was after his horse, the Maories entered his tent and carried off a and a rifle; thereupon he came down to port to try and obtain redress. Vain hope ! The Resident Magistrate heing at Auckland, he had to ride several miles to the nearest of the only two unofficial magistrates in the district, stated his case, applied for a summons, and was informed that " only a Resident Magistrate is empowered to deal with native cases." Thus the matter rests at present. The magistrate kindly promised to use his influence to obtain back the stolen goods; but is it likely that the natives should respect laws which they can infringe with perfect impunity ; or that they should regard the authority of the Queen, whose officers can only punish offenders when it may please the duels to allow them to do ?o ? If the settlers were left to themselves without any interference on the part of the Government, they would be in a much more favourable position than they are under the much vaunted protection of the British laws. But such a course is not allowed ; the law protects the Maori, but leaves the Pakeha to do the best he can. The law forbids the white man to rent or occupy the land of the Maories, and the Government adopts no sufficient means to purchase such land, so that the white man could have le«-al occupation. The law in a measure disarms the whites by obstructing the importation and sale of anus, vihile it is notorious that by some means the Maories are tolerably well provided, probably by smuggling on the coast, which can be done with perfect facility. The law punishes a white man who injures a native, but it must sue for permission of King Maori before it can punish a native offender. In England, an act of Parliament will carry a railway through the heart of a nobleman's estate • but, in New Zealand, an act of Council cannot establish a ferry boat, or build a foot bridge, without the permission of some scores of tattooed lords of the uieuor