THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. SATURDAY, MARCH 20, 1880.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVII, Issue 5722, 20 March 1880, Page 4

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. SATURDAY, MARCH 20, 1880.

At first the Government appeared, to be inclined to construe the spoeclies of To Whiti, which were published in ouris3ues of Thursday and yesterday, as having a peaceful tendency ; but further rellection seems to have led them to the conclusion that they were not peaceful. Our correspondent at the camp at Worekino, which is the nearest post of the Armed Constabulary to Parihaka, informs 113 that extra precautions have been takon, and that increased anxiety prevails. An oflicial report has been sent in by the Government agent present at the meeting, and our correspondent states that he has reason to boliove that it i 3 to the

effect that Te Whiti will not allow the road to be proceeded with. .Supposing Te "Whiti to proceed to stop the work, how will he do it ?—or rather how can he do it? No doubt Te Whiti .would act with regard to the road parties, if he could, as he did with respect to the surveyors — that is to say, he would send a party, and peacefully cart them and their implements off the land. But that course is not open to him. The road parties are all strong in numbers; every man is armed ; and in those cases where the parties are working near the Maori settlements, strong pickets are posted all round. Any interfeience, therefore, with a road party means the commencement of hostilities. The position is renders:! peculiar by the interim report of the Royal Commission. There oug'ut to be no delay in dealing with this, and we think, in the circumstances, that it ought to be made public at once. There is, it seems, some objection to this in the absence of the Governor, but we do not see that that ought to be an obstruction. It is essential that in this important crisis Ministers should obtain the support of the country, and for this purpose the constituencies must be posted up in what is taking place, and especially in the results of a Commission constituted for the purpose of making inquiry as to how the natives of the Taranaki and Wanganui districts had been treated with respect to their lands. The occupation of the Plains, and the works that are at present going on, amount to an assertion, on the part of the Government, of the right to construct roads across confiscated lands, and so far the country will fully bear them out. But the fullest information ought to be affordeci; the colony ought not to drift into war, and then set about discussing whether thi3 or that might not have been done which might hare obviated the necessity for fighting. The latest rumour is that Major Kemp arrived at Parihaka yesterday from Murimotu, and urged Te "Whiti to join him against the Europeans. If this be true, the position is extremely serious, as the junction of Major Kemp would involve the defection of a large part of the Wanganui district, and of many natives who have hitherto aided our troops, and would give Te Whiti the aid of the best fighting Maori chief in the Island. But we decline to believe the report till it is confirmed. Kemp may have gone to Parihaka, but we cannot believe that lie has determined to take up arms against the Europeans.