Commerical Intelligence.

New Zealand Herald, Issue 71, 4 February 1864, Page 4

Commerical Intelligence.

4At Mr. Samuel Cochrane';- auetiou sale yesterday, apples fetched 2 J .d. toS.Vd. per lb. : pears, .jjd. do. ; cheese. 7.;-d. do.; butter. Is. Id. do.; potatoes, IS per ton. The schooner ' Ono ' was purchased by -Mr. J. Copland for £110.

DISGRACEFUL OUTRAGE AT KAIPAPA.

We, too, like our eotemporary the Crn.l.l. could have presented to our readers vesterdav morning an account of this outrage, but withheld allusion to the matter from an unwillingness to interfere with, the course of justice and (lie execution of their duty by the police. It was known to us that Mr. Commissioner taught on was about to despatch members of that force to apprehend the offenders, Abbot and Henley, but the importance to the colony that these men should be immediately brought to justice at this particular juncture of affairs' seemed to us so imperative that we were unwilling that by any act of ours the criminals shoidd receive warning of their intended apprehension, which might very possibly have been the case had any unforeseen accident delayed the police upon the road. The following our readers may rely upon are the full and correct particulars of the case. On Friday last, -Mr. Rogan, the newly appointed Resident Magistrate at the Kaipara, set out on a journey from town through the Kaipara district with a view to feel the temper of the natives and obtain any iuformatiou which might be serviceable to the government. Acconipained by two Native Chiefs Mr. IJogan Teached Mr. Dilworth's place at the "Waitakere the same da}-, and 011 the Saturday lie was met and welcomed by the natives of that district with the most enthusiastic reception. Remaining that day at Waitakere he reached Petoitoi at the head of the Waitemata 011 Sunday and at once despatched a letter to Mr. Lamb to come over to liim and proceed, on the Monday to Mr. Thompson's farm for the purpose of making a valuation of the place. It appears that Mr. Hog.'m had been appointed a valuator on the part of the government to determine the value of Mr. Thompson's farm and improvements, for the purpose of buying him out, it having become extremely desirable that he should be removed from the Kaipara district, as ever since the imirder of his wile and daughter by Euarangi, he has openly expressed his intention of shooting any maori he may happen to meet. Of course every allowance is to be made for Thompson in the entertainment' and expression of these feelings, and the government very, properly considering that they were the natural feelings of « man in his peculiar position, determined upon re-purchasing his farm from him, and so removing him from the daily temptation of committing himself by sucli un act and thereby plunging the North into war. Mr. Rogan, accompanied by Mr. Lamb, proceeded on the Monday, then, to the house of Thompson for the purpose of examining the farm. Thompson received them very kindly, j was very fair in his demands, and it was late in the afternoon wheu Messrs. Eogan and Lnmb, having thoroughly examined the improvements on ii farm of lojp.rly 300 acres, propHvnd to !we

it. I t then oceiir-ed to Mr. Hognn that, before he left the <listrie-: it would be as well if lie went round to some of the principal settlers for purpose of reassuring them as to the security of theiv position with respect to tliu natives, and the cert nilit )"t hat t lie}' wrm'u receive nomolestat ion from them. .Mr. J\t>gait was riding rapidly back from Ml". Wash's place, when, at about six in the evetuVg. on the boundary of Thompson s farnu be saw three natives in the ot the Irtish. He spoke to them, sayi'ig that he was sorry to see them near Thompson's place, knowing that threats had been used that any Maori seen near the farm would lie shot., and told them so. They Mild they were iNgatipaoa, belonging to the Thames ; that they knew That murder had l>evH committed 011 thai, ground, but thai 11 icy were on government work. eMip'foyed by Mr. T). K. Tole. the government surveyor j and that, they had just, bee:* lired upon by jMiropeans. At this moment ?dr. Tole i-aiue up. and informed Ah\ that the three Maoris present had bee" lired upon by Europeans ; that at the time when they were lired upon he was some two or three hundred yards in advance : and that they were all travelling 011 the Queen's highway, and outside Thompson's fence. The Maoris at the time were carrying heavy swat's. Mr. '.Pole stated that he distincilv beard three shot? lired from Thompson's stockyard. winch is some twenty yards from the house, and between the house and the road.

The natives themselves stated t!uit several volleys wore fired at them, mid in reply to Mr. .lu>ij:m. said lliiit they wore ZSgtipaoas. freni the Thames, that they were on a surveying party with Sir. Tole. Two of tin- three wore, it appears. in advance of the third, and these said that when they ciune opposite to Thompson's house, while on the high rontl and outside the fence, two or three shots were tired at them from the direction of the house. The halls from this volley they heard whizzing over their heads, at iirst fury were taken by surprise, and said to one another "surely the people up there must lie blind." The third Maori slated that after the iirst shots were tired as he was hurrying tip. lie saw a Kuropcan come out of the house, kneel down, and lake deliberate aim at him. The bullet, he says, passed quite close-by his shoulder. They then perceived the truth for the iirst time, that they were being pi rposely tiled at, and hastened on to overtake Mr. Tole.

.Mr. liugati then felt that ho ought not to return to town without having first investigated the whole aH'nir. and though it was now very late in the evening, accompanied by Mr. Lamli mill the native who saw the Kuropean, lie rode up to the gateway of the house. Air. Lamb then proceeded alone up to the house to see Thompson's men who had .acted so strangely. At lirst the men said that they were merely tiring oil' their guns at the time, tliat they did not lire at the native* at all. Iml that tliev were simply amusing themselves by firing at the house. Shortly afterwards. AH-ei, seeing Mr. .lu'gan at the gate, said to Air. Lamb, "if that na live comes up nil!, Mr. 'Kogan ! 'II shod him dead," and ran out of the room r.nc< commenced loading his gun. 31 r. Uoirati then proceeded at onec to town and gave information of the occurrence. Air. AVhitaker. the Attorney (M-m-ral. on hearing the case, with commendable promptitude sent lor the (.'ommisHoner of Police; warrants against these men. .\ bbot am! llenlev. were at once made nut. and by midnight the ollicers of the law M ere on their way to Ivaipara. Sorullianly an attack as that which is imputed to Abbot and Henley it has not been curlot (o record since the cou'iueneemetit of the war. They have not even the shadow oi'excuse which might have l een urged for Thompson, had he been the perpetrator of it ; but which would have availed him nothing, ami justly so. in the eve of the law. By the time that this reaches the public eye these oflender* will, in :d! probability. be iu the clutches of the police: and fortunately for them too. for so strongly do the sottlm; in the North execrate this da.*iardlv spirit of revenge and brutality, that they would, we believe, have stood, in danger of being Ivnehed had they not been apprehended by tlie p< lice. There must be but one law tor ?daoris and Kiiropcaus. l.f we hang the cold-blooded A'aori murderer, we must not allow the equally bloodthirsty .Kuropean to escape. AVe cannot live in the midst of a vast ponder magazine, and allow any one wantonly to play with lire.