WANGANUI.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume III, Issue 123, 3 October 1846, Page 2

WANGANUI.

By the Katherine Johnstone we learn that 'thirty -four.pigs which were on the road from that district to Wellington were stopped at Rangitiki by the rebels, who seized them, -saying they were intended to be food for the soldiers. Through the persuasion of a chief at Raugitiki, the rebels were induced to give them up, and they were driven hack again to Wanganui. A whale has been driven on shore about six miles from the mouth of the Wanganui river, and the natives have been •busily engaged -in getting the whalebone and oil. " The following is an extract from a communication we have received from Mr. Nixon •of Wanganui, which we have previously re--ferred to : — " Wanganui, 28th Sept,, 1846. ■** A. number of the rebels' friends arrived last week in small detached parties, who almost immediately proceeded up the river in three cannes, twenty in the first, sixteen in the next, •and five in the other. Last Ft day, the 25th Te Karatnu (or Mamuku, as he is called here,) •also arrived with some twenty-five men, all well •armed, his two wives, and a few othei women. H« reception by Tahaua and other natives at the pa Purua, nearly opposite my house, wai very warm and seemed greatly t'> please his followers, _H« spoke to me and offered his hand, but seeing me- hesitate, at once said, "Have you forgotten your Former friend ?" I replied "No! but you have been fighting the Pakehas since we parted last." He said, " But I never hurt you, and never will. I left my anger at Heretau"£«. Here the Pakeka is my friend, tfcre tie is my enemy. 1 ' They then proceeded to tangi, and I soon left them. " Yesterday he came across to my house for medicine 1 , (lotion for an inflamed eye,) and after some conversation he agreed to abandon his intention of building a pa close to my farm. I I represented to him the absurdity of supposing .that Mr, Bell, myself, or any other- European, J would ever reside there if he and his men were to be our neighbours. We had a long torero | about his late campaign : he said, (but this Ido not altogether - believe,) that he never should have supported Rangihaeata had he been able to ! escape in his canoes back to this river ; and that Rauparaha also taunted him. with cowardice, when he proposed to leave Heretatfnga. Having once commenced, he could notretfjeati ; He admitted having been one of the party- with Kaparatehau, who attacked the camp on the Hutt; but strenuously denied having ever suggested to his men to murder the Gillespies and Rush. Thefor.mer, he said, was murdered by Epau and Charley : Epau wa3 killed in a subsequent skirmish ; the latter is nbw'in the pa here, and impudently boasts of the deed, and shews his notched tomahawk. ' - ''< "Three men were at the murder of poor Rush; one of them named Ewiti is also here, and' the other two named Te Pare and Te' Warre are with Rangihaeata, who has 'fixed his position between Horowenua and Manawatu on a- small ' sixtain some seven miles from the latter place. There is a very strong old pa a little distance inland, and cultivations, &c : we bivouacked on tbis identical stream one night, when I came up the coast last month. A considerable extent of bush and swamp lay between the "river's m 'tuh and the Tarawa mountains, which evidently will afford a secure place to retreat upon. He (Te Karamu) made no secret of Puaha'a behd- \ iour, and sketched ou paper a plan of the ikir-

nmh at Horokiwi : he made Puaha's men on th j left, the troops in the centre, and the t tiawas on the risrht. Hi* menjill say, either 1 Puaha himself, (David or Rauidi they call him) or a Ngntitoa native near him shot Mr. Bl >ckburn. Did Mr B's wound corretpond with their respective positions as (hu* laid down ? if so their statement is pr bably correct. They also state that Puaha and his men that very nighi met the rebels on the left side of the hill and Rave them ammunition from their cartouch boxes; that they also toldJCaramu to make his men fire lower as their musketry wou'd then be mure destructive to the troops, that Puaha's men often fired blank cartridge into the hill arid up in the air, anywhere in fact so as never to injure the rebels. That he afterwards misled both the militia and t}ie Ngatiawas: that he was in communication with the rebels, when they were encamped near Wnikanae, (ride my note dated there August 30th, also Major Last's despatches of the same date, but which do not quite coincide as to the position of the rebels) and purposely misled. Captaip .Stanley.to Otaki. "These statements respecting the 'much maligned Puaha,* without placing implicit reliance nn-tbem, are certainly worthy of some consideration. Are there any facts to corroborate them? There are, most undoubtedly ! Captain Stanley had no occasion to proceed with Puaha to look for the rebels near Otak', when at that time they were encamped within 1 J miles of the open beach at Waik.inae. had he not too faithfully trusted the representations of the " friendly chief Puaha." Karamu also says, that Wirenm Kingi, at Waikanae, is a faithless ally, and that neither he or his men would attempt to capture Rangihaeata, though they would not scruple to attack him (Kavamu) if they dare. Perhaps ere this reaches Wellington, Major Richmond j may nave thought it necessary to disarm the Ngatitoas and Ngatiawas: if so, Puaha's behaviour may throw some light on the character I have here proved him to be. Does not the undisguised apathy shewn by Wiremu Kingi in the conference at Waikanae on Thursday, 27th ult., rather tend to confirm Te Karamu's assertion ? Karamu and his men go up the river tomorrow. " I can have but one object in now writing these remarks, viz : the welfare of my fellow .settlers. Rangihaeata is still at liberty, and he ttill intercepts our communication with Wellington. Parties here have fat stock, which might be driven dowa the coast, but they have no inclination to be murdered by thrse vagabonds near Horowenua. Karamu will doubtless collect a large body of men up the interior, but I do notpreiend to divine his ultimate views: the ensuii.g autumn will doubtless develope them. Personally, I know nothing of Puaha, never even saw him ; but I am not the only one here who is fully convinced of his treachery. If his admirers are willing still to uphold his integrity, let them do so ; -I sincerely trust that the honour of British soldiers, and the lives of British settlers, may never again be committed to the care of such a perfidious and contemptible wretch. He richly deserves a handsome reward for his past exertions; if Karamu's statements are correct (and they are all substantiated by his men and women) a halter would not be uselessly applied." We have also received the following comrau» nication from a settler who has been long resident at Wanganui : — "' Mamuku is very civil, and appears well disposed towards us; he says that he was very unwilling to take up arms against the whites until urged by the taunts and threats of T« Rauparaha and Te Rangihaeata, and that he has no intention of again doing so except on the defensive, though he leptns to threaten to revenge himself on the Ngatiawa for interfering ; he says that the Ngatitoa have completely deceived the Europeans and have furnished Rangihaeata with information, &c, all along; he declares that he was averse to the murder of Rush and (HUespie, which was entirely Rangihaeata's doing ; he acknowledges that two of the murderers arc here, and that one is snot and two remain with Rangihaeata. ; he talks of remaining here in peace unless followed by the Europeans, in which case it is most piobablehe will go up the river, where, from the nature of the country, it will be quite useless to follow him. I must say that I believe the opportunity of taking him is now gone by, as if it were found impossible to conquer 140 men with ISOO in a practicable cout.try, how is it to be done in a district like Taupo, where, in addition to the great difficulties presented by nature, he will b* surrounded by thousands of hia own friends who will assuredly take bis part. I do not -anticipate any danger to this place, as all the maories agree in saying that so long as we do not interfere we have nothing to fear; and here I. cannot help remarking on the very little judgment that has been shewn in sending up here a few muskets, when-I am quite confident there are not twenty persons in. ,ihe place able, nor half that number willing to U3e them. I believe they were sentfor without advice being taken on the subject, and now they are here I f mcy some people would be glad if they could get them off their hands, for though their arrival was kept a profound secret, and even at present is not acknowledged openly, yet there is not a white or maori wlio is not aware of it; no notice has been given that they are here, or for what purpose,- nor do, I hear of any applicationshaving been made for one. The Rev. R. 'Taylor was applied to to take charge of them which .he very prudently declined; had he consentedto receive them it would have been the ,most likely means of causing a disturbance, as it would have appeared that it was the intention to arm the friendlyi natives. I again repeat, that as long' as we remain quiet and make no warlike demonstrations, wejiave.nothing to apprehend, nor do I im.-igine that making this a military station, if such a measure were contemplated, would be of much avail; the shortest and most direct road from Taupo being down the Rangitiki, and a large taua might be beyond the Manawatu on the road to Wellington beiore/ the news, *rrived here ;, but I sincerely trust we shall have occasion, for neither troops ior muskets, but that his Excellency will St'Oii settle our long-deferred land question, »o that we may be enabled. by, some means to make amends for those ditfiuulues, losses, and vexations which we have so long and ao patiently borne."

ABSTRACT of the Revenue and Expenditure of the Town and District of Wellington, for the quarter ended SOth Sept., 1846.

Customs £1952 5 8 Fees and Fin?s, Supreme Court . . 15 5 0 Fees and Fines, Police Office, Wellington and Petre 28 14 6 PubVcans- Licenses (9 day) £270 1 onn n n do., do., (3 night) £120/ 39 ° ° ° do., - do., bush license at Petre 5 13 5 Fees received on issue of Crown Grants 5 5 6 Fees and Fines received by Registrar of Deed 3 7 19 Surcharges recovered 3 16 1 £2408 1 11 Receipts in aid of Revenue. Amount of Bills drawn by his Excellency the Lieutenant-Gover-nor, on the Lords Commissioners of her Majesty's Treasury . . . .£IO,OOO 0 0 Debentures received. Special Debenture Certificates received from the Colonial Treasury 7 17 0 Debentures paid in at the SubTreasury for the purpose of being exchanged for new debeuturea 1199 9 0 £1207 6 0

REVENUE.

SUMMARY.

Levenue 2408 1 11 Receipts in aid of Revenue 10,000 0 0 debentures received 1207 6 0 ialance remaining from last quarter 67 7 10 £13,682 15 9

Department of his Honor the Superintendent 268 0 10 „ the Supreme Court 400 8 2 „ the Court of Requests 48 0 0 „ the Sheriff 87 18 0 „ Police (Wellington and Petre) 1117 5 2 „ Customs 141 5 0 „ Coroner (Wellington) 10 0 „ Sub Treasurer 16 6 10 „ Assistant-Surveyor 97 16 8 „ Harbour Master 47 2 0 „ (Medical) including medicine nnd medical attendance to natives, gaol and pauper lunatics, and allowance for native hospital 20 0 0 „ of Public Works. — price of erecting a wooden building inside the stockade at Fort Richmond 20 0 0 Repayments of excess of Property "fates levied 3 10 0 Militia, Wellington "battalion of .. 2406 J 7 6 Department (late) of Protector of Aborigines 2 5 0 Imprests advanced to His Honor the Superintendent 200 0 0 „ advanced to His Honor the Superintendent to be disbursed in the payment of parties employed in this district in the formation of Roads 800 0 0 „ advanced to Captain Russell for payment of road parties as above 400 0 0 „ advanced to Mr. AssistantSurveyor Fitsgerald for payment of road parties as above ...... 200 0 0 Department of Native Interpreters 31 1 0 „ Registrar of Deeds 10 5 0 „ Interpreter to the Forces .. 33 7 0 H.M. Colonial Brig Victoria .... 110 1 9 Repayment of Advance-ht-aid or Revenue. Paid to Union Bank of Australia (including interett) 216 0 0 Sum advanced to D.A.C.G. Lardner in aid of military chest on 23d April, repaid by Mr. Lardner to Sub-Treasury on 11th June, * but which sum having been also paid over to (he military chest at Auckland, is again directed to be handed over to Mr. Lardner 1000 0 0 Miscellaneous (per Police Magistrate, H. St. Hill, Esq.,) for supplies to be disbursed .to persons plundered by natives on the River Hutt 103 110 „ (per his Honor the Superintendent) including printing, advertising, stationery, &c. ...... 64 12 1 ' „;. (pet, his Honor the Super- . intendent) for flour mills is■ued as presents to native chief 5... ......... ..£3O 0 0 Potatoes supplied -to- - - the native-chief £ - - * Kuri and his tribe £40 14 6 70 14 6 f , (H. T. Kemp, Esq.) sum appropriated for the purchase of « section of land near Kar-warra for the use of the chief £ Kufi and his tribe .;...;. 350 0 0 „ (Per His Honor the Superintendent), sum expended (in part) of the purchase and equipment of a gun-boat, required for the Porirua Station *. 60 10 3 (The entire cost of the gunboat is £102 15 3) „ Sum overcharged on spirit license of Jonas Locket, Petre, for 1842-3 authorised to be returned to him • 10 0 0 £8337 8 7 1 Charges on Receipts in aid op I Revenue. I Commission paid on the negotiation of bills drawn by His Excellency the Lieutenant-Go vernor on the Lords Commissioner! of Her Majesty's Treasury ............ £500 0 0

EXPENDITURE.

Remittances to other SubTreasurers. To Sab-Treasurer, Akwoa 55 0 0 Debentures. Cash balance being one -fourth of the amount paid on the exchange of the old for the new debentures Debentures withdrawn from circulation, and remitted to the Honorable the Colonial Treasurer 299 17 1199 9 3 0 £1499 6 3

Expenditure on account of district. 8337 8 7 Charges on receipts in aid of revenue * i 500 0 0 Remittances to other Sub-Treasu-rers - 55 0 0 Debentures (amount of cash balance paid on exchange and cancelled debentures) ».. 1499 6 3 £10,391 14 10 Balance carried to next quarter . . 3291 Oil £13,682 15 9 P. D. Hogg, Sub-Treasurer* Sub-Treasury, Wellington^ Sept. 30, 1846.

SUMMARY.