MAORI TROUBLES.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 288, 26 March 1877, Page 4

MAORI TROUBLES.

The Anckland correspondent of the Daily Times sends that journal the following : The Upper Thames Maoris are still at loggerheads. They have strengthened their pahs, ami have been visited by Mr. Macfcay, whoao pluck in dealing with them has been again illustrated. They had threatened him with death and all kinds *»E penalties if he dared come near them. So he went in boldly at once, deßed them, and came away unharmed. Messengers from the King; Country have also been there to try and make peace, but without fH'tucrsst, as far ast we know. People treat the thirty as a joke, and a joke therefore let its I>e> but it will be a better joke if it do not last too long in the opinion of some who are very good judges of Natives, too. Thrre is stteh a thing as " drifting" into dWkntfcy, and the whole tendency of Native affairs has been that way since the famous "demilitarisationandpeace policy" on which Mr. Fox and others rode into ofclke in At that time the Maoris were learning to respect the Government. No one pretends that they have the slightest respeet for it now. In the Arawa Country the Government land purchasers have hopes of gitting the Natives to sell the fl»s Lakedistrict. There can b« no doubt this district ought to l>e public property, and not to fall into private hands. In other parts of the conntry the Natives are getting an awkward idea into their hearts. They believe that putting their (and through the Court and getting a Crown title to it will subject it to taxation by the County Councils. The Day of fkuhj Thwti has a strong article denouncing the land speculators, who have, it says, intentionally circulated the reports among thf Maoris. " Persons who have tor years," to tptote "*ts own words, " been working against the best interests of the Bay of Plenty, now, finding themselves in a eorrn>r, and no longer able to raise obstructions agaitrat the sitting of the Native LatuU Court, as a last resource have taken to deliberate falsehood and roisr.-pces-otttation, and have endeavoured to poison the Native nund with bogus tales e>; rates; and taxe* that have no evidence t-sypt in imagination." It has iimro of ihe s nut kind and nutdt s' r.»ng«r : but the Cast Coast has for a long time been notorio'tts. T, e Bay of Plenty, I may observe ff»r the information of thus'; of your readers who have not- attended to North Liaud geography, is the district next to that of Poverty Cay. which has become so welt known tUro«g.» the suppression by tli,' Government of Mr. J. A Wilson's r-.'port upon it last session of the Assemble