Correspondence.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume XXV, Issue 124, 6 October 1866, Page 4

Correspondence.

MONUMENTAL COMMITTEE. To ths Editob of the 'Nelson Examinee.' Sib— ln reading your paper this morning, I see that the Monumental Committee have selected no design at their last meeting, but opened them all and discussed them with v member present who is a competor, which I think was very unfair. For a member of the committee to furnish a design and to offer to sit on the committee which adjudicates upon it, shows great ignorance on his part. But this would not have been so bad if the committee had submitted the designs to the publio at once, and not allowed other designs to be received after a fixed date. By pursuing this course the committee would havo done what was both honest and just, and would have shewn the publio and the subscribers that they intended to spend the money intrusted to them wisely, and to give houour where honour is due. I am, &c, Competitor. Nelson, October 4, 1866. THBEATENED NATIVE TROUBLES.

The 2iew Zealand Herald, of the 2nd instant, publishes the following : — It was reported in town on Saturday last, that tho friendly natives in the Waikato districts had suddenly and secretly left their cultivations to join the rebeli. On hearing this report, we made inquiries, and were favoured with the following particulars by a Bontleraan just arrived in Auckland from the disaflected districts : — " From information recently received from Taurengo, Hawko's Buy, O nd the Waikato districts, there is reason to beliovo the natives are contemplating mischief. This conclusion has reluctantly been come to from the fact thut a portion of the Ngaiterangis, at Tuuranpa, who are under the sway and dominion of Wi Tunuhanu To Waharoa, have, at his command, feloniously taken the surveying instruments from thoso parties who nre engaged in surveying tho coutlscuti'd block of land ceded over to Government in April last j and who, the day after, collected together all their seed potatoes and other effects and deliberately bade adieu to their old homestead* and civilization, and then left the district to join the disaffected portions of the great King-maker's tribe, the Waikatos. Thompson having been unsuccessful in obtaining the lands which had been guaranteed to him by a certain member of the Legislature, at the time he consented to terms of peace — that is, Iliat the lands which had been coniisciited on the Waikato should be returned to him— and having on his recent visit to Wellington beeu thus disappointed, now, it would seem, joins issue with those who have all along hold out to fight and dio for their lands. It is credibly asserted, that tliero is scarcelj a native to be seen in the Waikato ; even those who have recently been profeiiing friendship and good-will towards us, have joined the ranks of.tiie enemy, and are at this very moment in arm* against cs. It has not been as yet Mccrtoiflcd corrtotlj where the enemy intend con*

centrating their forces— some say at the Thames, others, thnt the Hnwke's Bay district will be the point of attack. Most probably the latter will be the place, inasmuch as letters have been received in town from Hawke's Bay, dated September 15, stating that 400 fighting men of the Waikato were expected very shortly at Petani, ft settlement near Napier, where, on their arrival, they would at once make an attack upon tho town. The letter containing this information was received in town last week, but was looked upon at (ho time as simply a Maori yarn. Events,, however, from recent intelligence from the Waikato go to prove that a deep plot is being laid, calling for instant and decisive action on the part of tho Government. A native named Mohi, a Maori policeman belonging to the Waikato, was last week in town receiving his pay. On his leaving town, he told his friends that this would be the last draw upon the Government, inasmuch as be, with the rest of the Waikato tribe, were about to take up arms against us."