ARREST OF MR. C. O. DAVIS, FOR SEDITIOUS LIBEL.

Marlborough Press, Volume VI, Issue 55, 12 July 1865, Page 2

ARREST OF MR. C. O. DAVIS, FOR SEDITIOUS LIBEL.

(From the *Sci?thern Cross’ July 1.) Charles Oliver B. Davis, well known as having been for many years Editor of the “Maori Messen-, ger was arrested at his house, yesterday, by Con-4 stable liielly, on a charge of having written, ted, and circulated a seditious document. The information was laid by Mr li. F. Allwood lately printer in Auckland, and is as follows : “‘ Whereas complaint. 4 hath been made before me, Thomas Beckham, Esq., Resident Magistrate for the colony of New Zealand, sitting at Auckland, in the province aforesaid, on the oath of Robert Francis All wood, printer in the province aforesaid, that Charles Oliver B. Davis, of Auckland, settler, on or about the I6thday of February, 1865,. unlawfully did compose, write, and publish a certain seditious libel contrary to form of the statute in such ease made and provided, and against the peace of our Lady the Queen, her crown, and dignity.” Then follows the clause ordering the arrest. We understand that the matter lias been for some time under the consideration of the ment, copies of the document having been found in the possession of Maories in different parts of the country : and we believe that the final order for the arrest of Mr Davis came up by the Prince Alfred on Thursday evening. We are unable to give the words of the document upon which the charge has been made, but, as Mr Davis lias shown it to several parties, and as many natives now in town have seen it, we have ascertained the following particulars with regard to it. It is in the form of question and answer, and the reader must bear in mind that our information is'derived from Mr Davis’s translation, which rnay or may not differ from the rendering given by the prosecution : Who hath done evil amongst the tribes ? The boasting (Irig mouthed,) Arawas. What is the evil they have done? They made an attack at the Awa-o-te-Atua. The document goes on in the same form to speak of the killing of Te Aporotanga, the arrest of llori Tupaea, and some other matters, and concludes by saying : What should be done to the Arawas for their conduct ? They should be sent back to their father-land Hawaiki. It may be necessary to remind our readers that some time since an Arawa contingent was organised on the Fast Coast, which took part in several operations against the rebels, having been armed by the Government and commanded by Europeans. Te Aporotonga, wlio is leferred to in .lie document, was the chief captured at the engagement at Te Awa-o-te-Atua,aud ihose brains were blown out by Mata Ptkemu in revenge of her husband, Winiata Pekemu, who was killed ore that occasion. It will be remembered that Te Aporotanga was killed some lime after he had been taken, several British officers being near lhe place at the time Tiie arrest of llori 'Tupaea also was made by the Arawa on the order of Colonel Greer, commandant at Tauranga. He was kept for some time in custody, but was released without being brought to trial. Mr Davis will be brought before Mr Beckham this (Saturday) morning, but we believe it i» likely a remand will be asked for on his part. The case for the Crown wiil be conducted by Mr M Crawford, and it is likely that Mr Brookfield will ® be retained for Mr Davis.