WAIUKU.

New Zealander, Volume XIX, Issue 1972, 14 September 1863, Page 3

WAIUKU.

To the Editor of the New-ZeaEaxder

Sir,— From the numerous complaints that have been made, from time to time, by the volunteers and militiamen stationed in the out-settlements, it was anxiously hoped that a speedy remedy would be provided to put a stop to the grievances apparently so justly complained of. But it now appears that such has not been the case, as will be seen by the following extract of a letter, written by one of the special constables stationed at Waiuku to his wife, excusing himself for not being able to send her any money for the last four weeks. This woman has herself and five young children to provide for in the absence of her husband; and it need scarcely be told how sa’dly she is situated, by means of the natural piotector of, and provider for. herself and family, being inveigled away from her and them, under false promises, to serve the Government and the colony. It must be very consoling, no doubt, to this poor man to be a patriot, with the knowledge that pci haps his family, through negligence somewhere, are suffering many privations in his absence. There can be no doubt that the case of this man is that of numerous others. The sad history of the Crimean war is familiar to all of your readers, and needs no comment here. The thousands that were killed there—not bv the enemy, but through heartless official negligence,‘in leaving them exposed in a terrible climate to all the horrors of disease, brought on by exposure to cold and the want of proper nourishment to sustain animal nature—ought, it is reasonably to be presumed, to be both a warning and a caution to persons in office here not to do likewise. It is to be hoped, however, that no more complaints will have to be made on this score. At all events, let the extract speak for itself in the writer’s own graphic words. The letAT was written on the 9th, posted on the 10th, and delivered at the post-office to day. By the bye, it will be seen that the writer confirms the accounts already received from Waiuku, but who the magistrate and others that have been killed within a few miles of Waiuku are he does not say. Probably it may have been Mr. Armitage and the friendly Maories, already mentioned in your paper. Here is the extract however : " You will, no doubt, feel surprised at not hearing from me sooner. I was going to write to you a week a»o, and should have done so, but we got no money, and have not up to this moment. We have been promised it time after time. There must certainly be great neglect somewhere. All the men, except those who went to Auckland about a month ago on escort, who were paid up to that time, are badly off for want their pa\. I should have written to you some days a<m, but for the last eight days we have not had our cloches or boois off. There are some hundreds of natives within a few miles round about us, and we have, in consequence, to be on the alert night and day.

I pot one hour’s liberty to-day. A few miles from here a magistrate and several others have been shot, although the magistrate had a native wife and children. They burnt his new house also. One man, a carpenter, jumped into the river, and got hold of a boat to effect his escape. They could not shoot him, so they got into another boat and fallowed him, and it is said chopped both his hands off, and left him in the river. We do not know the hour that we may he attacked. Thee have been 93 women and children here until a few days ago, when about 40 left. It was awful, and still is, in the stockade at night; the least alarm from the Sentries causing women and children to scream so fearfully that one would imagine himself in i: mad-house. The husbands are lying in all directions, and we are doing the same. The women have been ordered away, but they stick to their husbands ; I think they will be forced to go to Onehunga. lam but in middling health, in consequence of losing my rest, as well as from the bad food we are getting. I hope I shall be soon with you. I shall endeavour to get out of this mess as soon as ever I can. We can neither get pay nor the remainder of our clothing. Those in command are making soldiers of us, when we only joined as special constables. I wish I could leave here at once. The living is awful, the bread sour, and little fresh pork, the rest is salt po.ik.” Trusting, Mr. Editor, that the foregoing extract may have the effect of remedying what it complains of, not only in Waiuku hut elsewhere, and thinking that the other news it contains may prove iutersting to your readers, I am, Sir, A Resident. Auckland, Sept. 11th, 1863.

To the Editor of the New-Zealander

Sir, —Could I trespass upon you for a corner in your invaluable journal for the insertion of a few lines. I merely want to put a few questions to the Superintendent and his enlightened Provincial Treasurer and Chief Commissioner of Waste Lands, &c. &c. “ To Robert Graham, esq., Superintendent, and to Captain William Crush Daldy, Treasurer and Chief Commissioner of Waste Lands ;

“ Sirs, —A sale of waste lands had been advertised to take place on the 21st instant, to which not a few of us 40-acre men looked with the fond hope of then obtaining our land. Your name, Mr. Graham, was attached to that document as Superintendent. I find by a proclamation issued a few days ago that that sale is postponed ‘till further legislation is obtained,’ to give certain parties an opportunity to do certain things. Now that may be all very fair for these certain parties, but are we (s"me 40 or 50) who arrived in Auckland within the last few months, to be kept here during your pleasure, until all our money is gone in the support of our families ? “ Are you, sir, as Superintendent of the Province of Auckland, prepared to support us and our families from the 21st instant up to the time it may be the convenience of you and your Chief Commissioner to order another sale ?—or are you going to let us stand idle until all our money is spent and then launch us out upon our bush farms without the means of support till we can obtain it from off our land ?

“ I now hereby warn you to be careful what you are about to do ; by the postponement ot that sale you will reduce a number of respectable immigrant families to a state bordering upon destitution, I myself, and several others, will attend at the Land Office on the 21st instant, and if the lands are not put up for sale, we are determined to try in some Court of Justice whether respectable men coming out to this colony can be treated in such an unfeeling manner; so let it not come unaware upon you. “ A Forty-acre Man.

“ Auckland, Sept. 10, 1863.” [Our correspondent will observe that much of the original contents of his letter has been omitted by us, for reasons which we trust, upon reflection, will be obvious enough to his own mind.—Ed. N.-Z.~\

ARMS, DEFENCES, MILITARY SETTLEMENTS. To the Editor of the New-Zealandicr

Sir, —At a time when civilians are called upon to undertake military duties, it may be excusable in them to give their ideas on matters connected with that service, and if by so doing it only occasion a smile to those to whom arms is a profession, it matters not, if they are worth nothing better. The adoption of the cylindrical bullet has vastly increased the efficiency of the rifle, and rendered it a far more formidable weapon at a long range in the hands of experienced marksmen, especially behind breastworks; but as in sanguinary engagements the most deadly struggle only commences generally perhaps at a distance of about 200 yards, its superiority now to what it was when the spherical ball was used, is not probably so very great; and at that limited range consists entirely in the greater force of the bullet doing more execution on a mass of assailants.

Rapidity of five is now a great desideratum, as with the ordinary way of loading not many shots can be fired before an enemy has cleared a space of 200 yards. Revolvers are good so far; but the number of chambers being limited to a few shots, the time that would be occupied in reloading would be too considerable to be attempted in the heat of an engagement. Breechloaders are an improvement, but all of them require too many movements; one pull of the finger ought to be sufficient for to load and discharge for. 100 successive shots or more; and with the stimulus of a sufficient reward, there is not a doubt that mechanicians would accomplish it. There would be deadly work then before a contest would require the bayonet to decide it; but when it. does come to bayonet work, it does seem somewhat strange that by modern arrangements only front rank men are engaged, those behind being passive spectators. In former times, with the pike and lance, if passages from ancient history be correctly remembered, it was not so. In attacking entrenched works, when an enemy has no artillery, or next to none, bullet-proof shields, moveable on carriage wheels, and sufficient to protect six or eight men abreast, might sometimes be used to advantage; anything unnecessarily to an army on the march is to be avoided, but these might be so constructed as to serve the double purpose of being drawn by horses, and used as luggage carts when not required for other service. In the formation of military settlements, it would he well perhaps to have the 50-acie settlers allocated along the public thoroughfares that will have to be made between the Waikato river and the coast for opening up the country, intersecting it, and facilitating means for its pacification. This would give the settlers the advantage of a good road between a port and the river close to their houses, and would give security for the road being kept free from molestation by guerilla parties that may be formed when other resistance may have ceased-. Every ten ’chains along the road might be laid .oqt dn as many allotments, having one chain frontage to Two back; and behind these again fifty chains back would give the 50’acres promised of country land, and five allotments along the road might be given in lieu of the one acre town allotment. The owner would thus have the advantage of having his 51 acres all in one place, and could enjoy the full benefit of the whole until, if he felt so inclined, he could dispose of the small divisions for building purposes. The disadvantage of laying out settlements in blocks, with streets intersecting each other, is that these streets, not serving as lines of traffic for more than is occasioned by the few owners of acre allotments resident in them, cannot be put or maintained in proper order; and on clay soils in the winter season are nothing better than quagmires. It appears very desirable that not in the proposed military settlements only, but that government, as the guardian of the;public welfare, ought always to have the control as to how and where land should be laid out as bidding 'ground, either issuing licences on certain conditions, or reserving a right to resume occupation for such purposes at the highest agricultural value of the land. The mass of the community would be benefited, and a healthier moral tone encouraged, as speculttions based only on the expectation of advantages at the expense of others, would not divert attention from that industry, and the intelligent direction of it, which are the only sources of real progress in wealth. If this plan of issuing licenses were adopted, besides securing sufficient space and judicious lines for streets, adapted to the inclination of ground, it might be made a source of revenue by charging a per cent age on the valueof the ground. As it is the prosperous members of a community who should contribute most to the general revenue, the tax would bo most unobjectionable, and inexpensive in the collection. . The over-crowding of houses in towns is not required for the pecuniary benefit of the public, but is the result of a scramble among individuals for the best situations. In this age of railroads there is no occasion for having the population more densely packed than is consistent with health, economy, and comfort. Every dwe o should have a large portion of clear and open spacc behind secured from mercenary purposes, that its occunants, however humble, might enjoy P , breath of heaven, and the well of , wa^ i U ? C better wi-h the heaps of putrid matter which, with Dctter regulations, would fertilise the open ground, and either vegetables, or pasturage articles of the dairv so much wanted by families, so beneficial to them, and so often high-priced and difficult to be obtained. -y- -g September 11, 1863.