THE KAWAU ESCAPE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume II, Issue 324, 25 November 1864, Page 4

THE KAWAU ESCAPE.

In' yesterday's ]S'ctr Zcafdndt-r an attempt is made to fasten the responsibility of the removal J of the Maoris from the hulk to the Knwau on | Hie Ministers. It is there slated that the ministry was in charge of the prisoners, and a i portion of the memorandum of the 2'2i\d June is quoted without context, as proof—as follows Ministers have never considered, and do not now consider, Ins Kxcdlency responsible for anything con-n-cted with the detention of these prisoners. Thev have id * nvs considered it as a matter of Governmental a hniiuViiation for uhi h them-elvcs and not the Governor are re>pon>ihle. precisely in the same manner as tSiev are responsible and the Governor is not. tor tin; system ot «!• O-nl e»n adop'ed towards oUier prisoners in ilie \ari"Us L'Ji'ds of the e.»!ony. * * * Un er h'c.qmisd>lc t inr. rnini iit. as they understand ii, they at-* » ith-v responsible i-ohdv or not at sill. They are <:uiie prepared t • answer to the General Asseinh:\. by whose vote* they hold their position tor all that ha« ben done in reference to the imprisonment of the rehel >Htives. The above are disjointed paragraphs. which may he fottiul in a memorandum containing twenty times the amount quoted. AVhv did not the Xrw Z< ti/antf< r quote another paragraph of the same memorandum, which is as follows :— 1. 'I he whole cost of the nudntenancc and custody of these prisoners lias hitherto heen defrayed hy the colony, and it has never heen attempted to make that cost an Impeiial liability. If, because they were taken hv Her Ma;eM\'s t loops. Uiev arc not under the sole control of i'erponsjhlo ]\linis'crs as his Kxc»*' 1 e•' ey seems to conti-ml m his recent despatch to the ].) n l-.e of > f\\ cwt Je, ! licv oupht to have been r«tainevt in the custody of those who took them, and not handed over to the Colonial Government. M inMcrs most respectfully to rtquest ids Kxcellenev to inform them whether if' they should acquis s<e in the position taken hy Icm i ■ his late de-pateh lf> His Grace the luke of Newcastle and in his present m» moronlum. he i- prepared to refund to the colony the he'ivy ooil y whieh has been already incurred about the imprisonment of t : e rebels, at d t ■ r -heve tin; colony tor the future of all liability for such expensr. Why, if it had wished to afford impartial information to its readers, did not- our cotemporary quote the above. and follow it with his Kxcelleney's reply of the succeeding day, the ! !?:»rd dune, in which »Sir George (Jrev states I that He therefore oraf /*■ '''•/ accepts the olfcr contained I in the memorandum of Ids luspoiHtble Advi<ers. and | having seen the General upon the subject, will at j • >nee onler 111 at tic r.ative prisoners should a;:ain he j taken charge of by the military authorities, and h" j wll forthwith proceed to deal with thecals of tiej prison- rs conjointly with the Gtneral. underlakiei: lh.it the Imperii! Government will ref. nd to the 1 colony all the »*\prunes wh : ch it has legitimately in- - eunvd in the imprisonment of these men, ami tiiat : the co'emy *hail he relieved from all future liability | of e\pense on t heir account. • "Why did not the Xcr *.ro «"'n to ! that on the same day. the !Vfinister> ; rtijain elainn-d the charge «»!* the until 1 an enquiry had been made into their past deteit- ! lion: but thai, on the Ultli. Governor Grev : repli- d that, he would ,mf jt'n-'if (he /nn\it <>J ' •/>//////, and in these words- - i, . . I he mi? hitherb>, «n the p s< ater )o)mher of instances. I iiKcn way on this subject to his !\(mi-ters. whilst he | do.rs not think that they havt* equally rect-L'ni-e ! or Ima irll-iw tii'v? for his region i!>ii it vin lie* matte- . • lie 1 f'eU it fo he liis duty at ouee To »-Jo-e 1 wi' bth * t i rins -Uited in the piira:ir.qi!i of thenj nit•!)i ora!)dum of yesterday s ihite. and to <>■<>:>'m- th<- ! rvs,iu\is,h>H(tj nf the disposal of these pri-oners on J he! uf/'o/'flre Imperial < •overnmeet, who, he bedeves. ; will lie •'euer.dly hehitoinue a responsibility | in : ids quest ion. I \ a reply dated the 2">th June. Ministers ; yield tip- point, thus to his Kxeelh-ucy :—- j i In thus yielding to his Kxcrlleney\s wishes, ?.[intV : ters uudeivjaud that tiiey cea-e, 1.-.v a-it r> co: t . |mi! r' iona'Jy J-r tin in to -•». tu ,',r fwy ■ tf'-t/ r> th>- or i{<-o-o -/■' of tho rebel : j.'iis ne:s, uidri. will entirolv wiih Hi-, l-lxcel- j [ h'Mcy on ti.:.! ba>is «>n which he ha - placed it in hi- j n.eui 'iM.ninn! <-fthe li'Jrd in-dan', nnd oil tlu» tiMjn- j a *5 to feline I t" the « 'niuuv of the expenses, exj»nv ; sol j i;t the 3iaiu-e w induui of Ministers of the pn.viou> | day. ! 'Hie same inetuorandum contained for his Kx- ■ celb'tiey'sperusal i he i'oliowing draft instructions which had that day been forwarded to Dr. ! by aI misters. I His <e, ]l,»n:*v lrivie.tr taken charge t)f the ichel p?"!:-'>n» rs on m ■omit of the Imperial Government, tin* < '<»l"ni.i ! '• 'vei nment is very d sitons of avoiding for t l»e fir mi •• oi.tli tbe realit v and the aj>j)earaneo of rosponsihii. in connection with their or custodw Vo'i wi'l bo so good infe'-m tho ofueors in charge of the prisoners tiiat the Colonial ment has no lomrer nnvtliing to do u-.'th the custody or Maintenance of lite prisoners, and direct tiiem no lon;v'' hi repoitor erimmutucatu with the Native 01 iiec on tlu> suhject, hut directly with his K-xeullene- ; and you will bo so good as take care f hat no oilicers of Ihe Native Depuilmeut have for the future any!hing to do with the matter. ]fhis ICxcidlem-y should wish for any assistance from that : ep:«rtment, lie Will uo doubt request it in the usual way through the Colonial Secretary. JI ad the X''/r '/jftht/nfrr \\ ished to place nilgarbled exiracts before its renders, it wtmld have done, as we now do, place the questions and replies as consecutively appear in the papurs, ■

Can any one read the above arid declare with Lis Excellency's paper, iliat the Governor never at any time accepted the charge of tho Maori prisoners, or made himself responsible for their custody, itc ? We have shown how little reliance can lie placed on statements coming from that source, and yvc have shown with what little scruple that journal has not hesitated in its issue of yesterday to attempt to mislead the public, by stringing together disconnected extracts from the oflicial papers. On the authoritative statement, made in its loading article of the Slli of last month, on the question of pa role, that "the assumption that hi.* Ji.reetlenei/the Guecriiorhailrercived from 'he tali■ .1 faori prisoner*, whether through 3Tr. Til us H'hitc or othericise, their parole I hut. I hey iro/ild not .seel- /o escape, from the Kawau was totally false " —the iVe/r Zetifmidcr is nowdumb. On the question of responsibility of the charge of the prisoners, if would have been better for the reputation of that journal and ot its " Ownor-in-Chiof." had it also preserved a modest silence. The use of one deceit, proverbially necessitates the use ofmanv to support it. The man w ho at once confesses the first direliction of truth, is always more readily forgiven than he who seeks to brazen it out by a persistence in the error. We cannot take leave of our contemporary without, noticing the remarks in 11is article of yesterday, concerning the nature of the papers. He says, unhappily," no doubt for the Colonv —but fortunately perhaps, for the lovers ol interesting reading—the .papers are for the most part controversial." I'nhappy indeed for t he country is it Ihatthey are so. At a time when action was imperatively needed--tile policy of the Governor was to'" delay"- -aud this lie succeeded in doing by keeping question after question unsettled, while he compelled his Ministry to enter into controversies with him on abstract questions, and wihl theories of his own. aye and worse still in the refutatioi of grave charges made by him against their personal characters—charges that had no foundation whatever in fact. The following rebuki administered by his responsible advisers, wa; well deserved by his Excellency - Ministers deeply regret that his Kxeelleney slionli bine arrived at (he eon elusion that, his principa function as Governor, under the system of Kesponsibh I-over-anient, is lo criticize, in a spirit, of uuspairin; severity, the administrative acts and conduct of hi Ministers. A very largo part of his Kx,:el!oncy' nine is consumed in framing bilis of indicimen . a„ain.-t his Ministers; whiie a very h.rge part o ihei's, and that oftlie ullicers of their departments, i employed in rol'iitinjr his Kxcellency's charges. 1 his Kxeelh-ney merely impuned their policy or the! w-.sdom, lliev might, pei haps, be just i'ied in passim over his remarks in silence, lint, when so many o his charges affects their personal character for huaia nity, for vigilance, for administrative ability, am even the:r litness to enjoy the pr:v.leges of self gov crmiieiil.it is impo.-.-iUe lo pas- tiem over witliou reply, it is, however, greatly to !>'• di ploixvi th it hi Kxeelleucv's time, and that of his Ministeis shou d b tiias occupied i:i the inee-saut controversy which hi K.\ce!!e'icy provokes, while ihe critical circuiuitance ol* ihe ''oiony demand th : vigovi us and en- rgetie co operation of all who are re pnn.-ible for its welfart 11 is the earnest desire of M i i.-ters iliat such unhapp relations between his Kvcoiiener and Ihemselve should cease to exist, 'they have proved their sin ceritv in saying so by placing, a month a.'o, tle-i r. -signal ioits in his Kxeelleii'-y's hands, which he st ii declines to accept. Jl is not the r fa-.lt if they con tinue in a | osition which render- it possible for hi Kxc •llency to ilu-u-t upon them the neces-ity of furthe conflict with himself. His Kx< eiieney may think il a very light thing t make such a grave charge of a matter of fact, an when asked for proof, to jay that he had a vague itn pre.-siou (oi his mind derived from circumstance whi' h li" does not piitieularize, and lion document which he canrot specify, that tho fact was as he ha stated it.. M nisicrs submit thai such charges ough not. to he made unless convincing proof of the tint existed before they were niado. It is litlh-satisfaetio after sui h imputation- have been hazard d. to lj told, that if the Governor is in i nor he will bo ver :rlad to be t.oid so. f-ueh tilings Ministers respect lully submit ought not to lie said, unless they ar know-r: to be true at the time they are sa d, and h who says them is leady with pioof of their truth. These passages occur in a memorandum datei the Ist of the present month. .For months past his .Kxccllenev has xvastei the time of the country, and lias kept th Ministry in continual embarrassment- by hi cavillings ami inconsistencies, denying one d:r Ihe pledge which he gave tho day before—refer ring to tlie document, and giving anothe reading to the words—wearying his Ministers like a spoilt child for some concession (like tlia of iin' sole charge of the prisoners), and the: having obtained it. changing his mind, am seek ing lo return il. Those papers abound with proofs of Si George CI rey's duplicity and cunning—insult gratuitously levelled at his Ministers; breacho of faith ; accusations against -Ministers scnthonu by one mail—their refutation retained and no sent until tlie successive one : these abound ii every page. Nad Sir George Grey's charade: for honor and. truthfulness boon unblemished nj to tlie time that these papers were published, i would no longer have remained so. No wotule: thai the now Ministry required a written gua ranlee. am! were not content to take his wort for the policy which he avowed himself prepared to sanction. I AW again urge our readers to procure tlu papers and to read them for themselves. j A.-rox-r, the painful disclosures which tho recent • publication of " papers relative to Native ati'airs" ! has brought forth, is the character of tiie treatj men! which th" Colonial Treasurer. Mr. Header I U ood. experienced at the hands of Sir George G rev. in i hvember last, previously to his leaving Auckland for London, on the mission from which he has lately returned so unsuccessfully, he sought fin interview with Sir Ocorgo Grey, anxious lo be assured from the Governor's own iqis of ihe exact pi.-siuou iie might assume at homo in treating, not only for the loan, but for the lmmigration of a large number of persons to occupy tho land which it had been proposed, to confiscate from the reheis. On the occasion of that interview with tho Governor. liis K;;ee!!cncy read t > M r. Wood t he dra!l of a despatch which lie was about to send to Downing-stre'-f. by tiie first mail steamer, as that by which .Mr. AVood was then leaving. I'lie object o: tiis; draft was to request: instructions as lo ihe extent of confiscation, on the ground that, in his i-.xeelleiiey s opinion there were persons who thought he would not. carry the principles of coniiscation sitllieiently far. It was then that -Air. Wood, feeling how necessary if was (hat there should be a:i unanimity of purpose between tlie Governor: md the Ministry on this point, inasmuch as tho whole policy of the session ol IS(>:1 depended on confiscation being carried out on the scale expected by the Assembly and sanctioned by the Governor, asked his Excellency whether upon the question of confiscation there was any difference be!'.vcen himself and his advisers, and added, "your jixcellency is ot" course fully '• ".ware of our views upon'this subject from the speeches made by us on the Settlements ami •' Loan iJiiis in the Ifouse of JJepresentatives." Tiiis was the question of .Air. Wood, ;":d wo '.low draw attention to the rejoinder of his .Excellency Sir George Grey, " that lie was aware " of those views, and that he did not know that •' there was any difference of opinion between •' himself and his Ministers on the subject of " confiscation : if anything" lie added. " ho wen! | " further than then iliit." Wo can quite understand the surprise of the , Colonial Treasurer on hearing this, nor do wo j wonder that be should quietly ask. " fn what direction." The (.'overnor replied, " you would give them back some of their lands, but I " •/coiiht not.'' The Colonial Treasurer then Hiked what he would do, aa if the rebels had no '

land they -would "be driven to despair. The G vernor in reply said, " No, fhal icoul'd vol l e a, " case, as their tribes in different parts of th " country would give them land enousrh fn! their wants." h Can we wonder if. after this conversation wit! his Excellency, Mr. Wood went away satisfied that there was no hitch in the question of confiscation. He lb re leaving for England to endeavour to obtain the Imperial guarantee to the loan, and to organize a system of immigration for the purpose of fillincc up extensive districts of the to be confiscated territory with population, Mr. "Wood was accredited to the Colonial Ofliee In- his Excellency, and the Secretary of State was informed by the Governor " that the " Colonial Ministers are of opinion that Mr " Wood is in all respects qualified to acquaint " your Grace, whenever you may require liim to •' do so. with the views and opinions of the pre. "sent Government of New Zealand on the state "of the country and its requirements. For my ■' own part. [ am quite satisfied that Mr. Header •' Wood's large experience of New Zealand will " enable him to afford your Grace much valuable •' information upon all questions connected with '• its interests." Amongst the documents forwarded bv his Excellency to the Secretary of State was tile financial statement of the Colonial Treasurer, in the concluding part of which, the proposed Frontier line from Tanranga tol!aglan is pointed out, and the points at which the Government proposed to locate the settlements of the Waikato Militia. The Governor also, says this memorandum of Mr. Wood. " in his despatch, dated January G, '• lstif. 'earnestly recommended' the Secretary "of State lo aid the Colon) by granting the " imperial guarantee to the loan of £i,OOO,(XH), " which loan was for the purpose of enabling " the Government to suppress the rebellion, to fill up the confiscated country with emigrants and to undertake public works for the maiute- " nance of the emigrants on their arrival: in " tact, to carry into full effect the policy which • " was afiirnicd by the General Assembly." ; Mr. "Wood, on his arrival in London, found that considerable anxiety existed ill DowningI street as io extent of the confiscation intended. [ Upon this point he gave the fullest information, . and when asked if the Governor knew of these ; intentions and sanctioned them, he referred to « his conversation with his Excellency in the s previous Deeernber. t This evidently. Mr. Wood says, told with Mr. I Cardwe'i in favor of the Loan—but. judge of the * Colonial Treasurer's horror and surprise, when ' one day ?>1 r. Canhvel! told him that lie had just r received a despatch from New Zealand, from his j. Excellency, ill which Sir George- Grey stated that it was not until 15th of April (four month's I h'.tter than Mr. Wood's alleged conversation with Sir George) that lie first heard of the MiI nisters proposed plans of confiscal ion. This , minute of Sir George Grey to Mr. Cardwell, i_* which condemned the scheme of Ministers as s being far too comprehensive, placed Mr. Wood s in the position of a man wiio had knowingly and willfully attempted to deceive the Secretary of State. Can any man place confidence in the word of 5 Sir George Grey after so disgracefully treacherous a treatment of one of his Ministers as this ? j "What Ministry indeed could accept office with bis bare word promise to sanction its intended policy. AN e place the most, implicit reliance on ~ the above statement for it is otlicially published by Mv. Wood the Colonial Treasurer, and ho d at any rate is a man. on whose character for 1 veracity, ihc people of Auckland have for nearly - the last twenty years had an opportunity of s forming a favourable judgment.