NATIVE AFFAIRS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume X, Issue 2906, 22 May 1873, Page 6 (Supplement)

NATIVE AFFAIRS.

To the Editor of the Hebaed. ! S rßj I a ;n glad to see you and the Evening • Star, and the Thames papers, evincing such an ! interest to bring those murderers to justice. ; Whoever tries in any way to cloak them is just ! as bad as the murderers themselves, and they \ are traitors to their country. I am of the j same opinion as thousands more, that there ; should nut be one day lost, let the consequence ! be what it may. X have often spoken and j •written on this subject, and I believe that i there never will be a firm peace in New Zea- j land till the Maori flag is cut down, and the j Maori King driven out of the Waikuto, and j the tobacco, and flour and sugar policy stopped | altogether. Hundreds of the European j settlers, and some friendly Maoris and their | chiefs, have expressed their willingness to go j and take the murderers, and tho King that is backing them, if he offers any opposition. The , Maori King and flag must be put down before , we can expect to have a firm peace. That this has not been done we have no one to blame but the Governors and their bad advisers. Governor Kitzroy was the first to be led astray by those missionary gentlemen who ought to hare known better. lie had not been in New Zealand loi.g before lie was persuaded br Mr. C'arke, and others of the same stamp, to appoint a Native Protector, and the choice feil on Clarke and Good. The natives soon found out that whatever they did they had only to ask for protection and it was given then ; for whatever happened between the natives and the whites, the natives were always sure to be adjudged iu the right, and the whites were blamed. This was the beginning of tilt* view of the natives, that they could make their own laws, which permitted them to rob who they liked, without uny law being in force for their punishment. "When I tc-ok Maketu from under his own father's care, in the presence of two or three hundred natives, for murdering a poor old •white man, when he was asleep, and afterwards Mrs. Robinson and her children, and <»ave him up to Mr. Beckham, our Resident Magistrate, I was threatened by Colonel Godfrev" what he would have done to me if I interfered, if it was a native that hud comicil ted the murders ; but I gave the murderer up, and he was tried, and executed. When tlirt'fill?ni*il by Colonel Godfrey, I told him that, let it be a native or a white man, I would take him dead or alive, if I could come across him. I told him this up to his face before Captain Kichner. He then showed the white feather, but I was blamed by scores of Maori worshipoers for taking the part I did. I do not hold with the editor of the Southern Cross making so many idle excuses, and trying to get us to believe to take things easy. I read an article in the Cross, of the 1-th instant, which astonished me. Tiie editor first tells us " news arrived last night that there was a movement at Cambridge on the previous day, and that women were coming to the redoubts and things becoming most serious in appearance." He thengoes ontosay, " until the plans of the Government arematured itisexeeedingly desirable that no collision should occur, Now, I say, if we wait for the Government plans the halt" of the Waikato people might be murdered, and their property all destroyed. We waited a long time to see what the Government was ge:n/to do about the Todd murder ; and it is my opinion that if the inhabitants are satisfied to wait for the Government plans, to put a stop to those brutish murders, they will wait a loog time. I still say there should not be a dav lost in mustering a lot of men, and paying them to bring the Maori King down to Auckland dead or alive, for he is at the head of these murders. Then we shall have peace. The Native Minister ought to be here doing ! what he is paid for. The Hon. Mr. Yogel don't sit down idle when he has work to do, or attend to the good of New Zealand. Do away with the Native department, and the "flour-and-sugar policy ; let the natives know they shall be made to come under the law. Until that is done you will never have peace. It was a b::.l action done to this province, Stafford and Gillies them believe they should get back all the confiscated land, and have charge of the W aikato. That is what has disturbed th"ir minds. If I was as able as I was twenty years back, I would be the first to offer iny services to take the murderers and the Maori King j but now, as I am lame, I an» unable to be of much use. Still lam not like some — afraid to sign my own name to what I think. —I am, &c.,

B. E. TrE>-£B, Ketreat Cottage, May 15, 1873.