A SUCCESSION OF NATIVE MURDERS

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

A SUCCESSION OF NATIVE MURDERS

To the Editor of the Herald

Sib, —When Cyrus Haley was arrested and tried for fire-raising and attempted murder, in Auckland, we were treated in the Cross ■with column upon column of printed matter, in which the enormous magnitude of his crime, and the importance of his safe custody," to prevent a recurrence o;t Buch like attacks in future, were the chief topics descanted on. Some time after another attempted murder occurred, near Cambridge, in the Waikato, the intended assassins being tome rebel natives, who succeeded in wounding their intended victim with a spear, and only failed in accomplishing their design through being disarmed. On this occasion, the Gross published about a dozen lines, in which it deprecated the exaggerated rumours that were beingspread about concerning the affair, and explained that the alleged crime was " merely the result of a private quarrel between some natives and a European." I knew at the time that this was a falsehood, but as any native disturbances vould only reflect upon the immaculate polioy

pursued by the Native Minister, the Cross suffered its readerß to remain iu error. Some months after, a brutal murder (perpetrated by the selfsame natives, at the same place) occurred The murder was deliberately planneu and executed, without the slightest provocation, yet the Cross again publishes the same untruthful statement. "It is merely the outcome of the quarrel between the natives and the murdered man," and we are told not to "attach any political significance to it, and we must " wait patiently" and not " embarrass the Government" by "raw haste in bringing the murderers to justice. The difference with which this impartial journal speaks of a crime attempted by a puny individual who probably had «me just grounds for revenge, and who was at all times within easy reach of justice, and of a murder coolly planned and committed without the slightest provocation, oil an innocent individual, is certainly most remarkable, if not unaccountable. It is the craven and cowardly policy pursued by the Government, of which the Cross is naturally the ardent supporter, that has led to these continued murders and bloodshed. The unprovoked, and still unavenged murders of the Rev. Mr. Whiteley at the White Cliffs, aud of Messrs. Todd and Lyon in Waikato, have nat urally had the effect of rendering the ruthless natives utterly regardless of human life, knowing, as they do full well, that they can shed blood with impuuity. As a 3ettler hourly exposed to the selfsame risks as these four innocent victims, I beg to enter my solemn protest against allowing these cruel deeds to go unpunished any longer.—l am, &c., Settles. Te Awamutu. A NEW RULE FOE INTEREST. To the Editor of the llkbald. Sib, —The following simple rule for calculating interest will be new to most of your readers, and of great use to those in country places who have uot a ready-reckoner at hand. Rule Multiply the "principal" sum by the interest to be paid, and divide the product by five, and the ainouut this gives is tho interest per annum in shillings axd PENCB. Example : Required the Example : Required the interest ot £13 at tip.c. inlerost of £47 at i p.c. 13 47 U _4 5;7S SJISS nearly 15 7} : or 15s. ] 37 71; or o7s. and 7 id. aud 7id. Where any odd slrllings accrue as the result in multiplying, then, before dividing by live, the shillings must bo represented by the figure bearing the same proportion to a SHILLING as the shillings accruing bear to a rou.ND. Thus the interest of £17 10;. at 7 per cent. 17 10 122 10 ; or 5)122 6 [fibeingthesame proportion . of Is. as 10 is to £I.] 24 0;or 24 shillings and 0 pence. Again— The interest of £29 at SJ per cent. 29 si S7 14 10 10S 15 ; or 5 103 9 [9 bearing the same propor- ' tion to Is. as 15s to £I.] 21 9;or 21 shillings and 0 pence. The examples given are quite sufficient to show the rule. El Guajiro.