THE SOUTH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume II, Issue 496, 15 June 1865, Page 5

THE SOUTH.

The ?toamers Esrmont and Wellington arrived, the iirst if the Waiteruata and the second in the Maiiukau. during the course of yesterday. As we had expected, the very objectionable articles which have appeared in the columns of a local cotemporary. raving nt the acceptance of submission from the rebels on any terms, is heme held up by the enemies of Auckland in the South as an expression of the feelings of the Auckland public, who are represented as " clamorous for war, and its consequent commissariat expenditure." We expected this, and we mention it to show the evils which unsound journalism may inflict on a people. The Taranaki journals contain fuller particulars of the skirmish which resulted in the death of O'Neill, an account of which we gave in an extra on Saturday last. Another incendiary fire has taken place at Invereargill. The house, a five-roomed cottage, was insured in the London and Liverpool for £"W. The market reports and other extracts of local interest wii] be found re-printed elsewhere. iIMPOKTANT FEOM THE EAST COAST. PATAEA AND 70 PAI "MAEIKES AT WAIAPU. AX ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN THE QUEEN'S AND THE KING'S NATIVES IMMINENT. By the arrival of the schooner Tawera, Captain Kennedy, yesterday from Poverty Bay and Wniapu" we have the following important intelligence :■ — "The Tawera left Poverty Bay on the Ist instant, and the natives there were all peaceable up .to.that time. llYhen she sailed from thence the Queen'si Hag was still hoisted, and Morgan was raising men to prccced with him io Wainpu, to endeavour to capture Patara (Butler), who had just arrived there. Upon the arrival of the Tawera at that place. Captain Kennedy learned that Morgan nnd 500 men had already marched from Poverty Bay, and had arrived at Waiapu on the 6th. Morgan went to the Eing's natives, and asked thein if they intended to assist l.im in capturing Patara."or whether they were inclined to side nith the Pai Mairircs. to which some of them replied "yes." but the majority "no." Morgan then infotmed them that he had 500 men armed, arid that all those who attempted to resist him in capturing Patara would be killed. On the Oth instant, Morgan and his party started in search of the Pai jMairires, but as the Tawera sailed from thence shortly afterwards, it is not. known whether any engagement had taken place. Ihes.s. St. Kilda arrived at Waiapu on the Btli, with his Honor the Superintendent of Napier and Bishop Williams, who supplied Morgan with some arms and ammunition. The St. Kilda subsequently returned to Napier, and arrived there just in time for Bishop TV illiams to proceed to Auckland by the Egmoiit. We understand that lie will shortly return to Hick's Pay with more arms and ammunition. Captain Eennedy informs us that the King's natives mustered about 300 men, and that Morgan had 500. *■ THE LAW OF MUEU. OUTSAGE AT WHAKATANE. The cutter Whitby arrived yesterday morning from the East Coast, and shortly after her arrival the news was spread through the cut that the house of a settler at Whakatane had been plundered, and his life threatened. From Tvhat we can gather, the facts of the case are really as follows: —Mr. A. B. TV lute, trading in that district, has a native storekeeper in charge of his place of business at. TV hakalano, and this native has been discovered in an illicit intercourse with the wife of another native in the settlement. The Maoris therefore proceeded, as in native custom, to take payment for the alleged injury, and put in force the law of Jturn—not, however, as the case happens on the goods of the guilty party but on those ot A.r. White, who is thus unfairly made to pay the penalty for his servant's loose notions ot morality. We understand that these are simply the facts of the case, and that Pai-Marireism has nothing to do with the matter. It is however most disgraceful that such a state of things should be possible within so comparatively short a distance of the capital, and that the barbarous usages of Maori custom should be allowed by an imbecile Government to supercede the laws of the Queen. No other countrv in Europe has yet sunk so low as to allow the property of its citizens to be destroyed and pillaged with impunity, while the means to prevent the , insult or avenge it, lie idly floating on the water within a hundred miles of the scene of the disgrace.