WELLINGTON.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 579, 26 October 1863, Page 9 (Supplement)

WELLINGTON.

PUBLICATION OF THB WAITARA. ' PAPERS. _^_ .(FttOMToUH, OWN CORRESPONDENT.) [." ' ' Wellington, 19th October, 1853. lam sorry that circum9tauoe3 have compelled me to neglect the last opporluuity or two ; though had I never been mora afc leisure, incident has bsen . so wanting that I should have been compelled to have .furnished your readers with most uninteresting; communications. The Wonga, from Auckland this morning, brings us news from Auckland to the 14th instant. Affairs . are at a stand still, and ara likely to continue so for a little while longer. There are reports that in a few.dajs something important would take place, every day tending to show that all the available force is being marched to the front. . But- this has been the cis 3 for several weeks j indeed, a month ago the.4oth and 65th were told off as storming parties, and the 13 iix, (last Tuesday) was even fixed in private communications as the day on which Meremere was to be attacked. I hear that the General is desirous of waiting for saina of his lulian reinforcements, and he will,- no doubt, certainly remain quiet until the gun boat isready. She is still in Manukau having alterations made at his suggestion, with a view t» • allowing a greater firef rom, rifles to be maintained thari her original arrangement admitted of. Gossip says that before attacking Meremere the General is anxious to place a thousand men further down the river, so as to cut off the retreat, arid as he cannot do this in the absence of the gun boat, oruatil reinforcements arrive, it may possibly be sometime yet before the order to advance is given. The slow progress of the war i 3 very_ disheartening, and the constant disappointment which the arrival; of mails without any - decisive news creates, dispirits us, and makes us ready to give credence to the opinions of those who declare the war will be one ofyear3, and that we shall yet want, (to use Mr Fox's ofc quoted expression) the loan of half the British army. The war correspondents make tha most of every little affair, but after dressing up the veriest trifles, as they do, there remains absolutely nothing, and they are forbidden to iudulge in* hints and *' specu-lations,"-that would in the slightest degree give wind* to the" General's plans. Oa the 13th the Governor' rode to the front to .see/the General, and the visit had created numorous reports; but as the information I have given to you relative to the General's desire to send a strong party of mea to the rear of Mere mere before attacking it, is contained in an officer s letter, I think it may be considered -reliable as what is intended if opportunity should allow of its being done. ■At Parapata a large pah is buildiog, and the natives seam t> be in good spirits. A Sergeant Johnstone had been shot while travelling from one redoubt to another, his companion securing his arms. Thisis called amercilessdeedandamurder; butitmuststrike everyone out of Auckland as being only an incident of warfare, to be reckoned; upon and guarded against. If it be recognised that every death from rebels, is a murder, then of course this would be one; but otherwise it is the merest cant to call the shooting of soldiers and others murder, when our own flying columns, forest rangers, and what. not, never lose, (and rightly so). an opportunity ol picking off a ni- : tive when they can find one. I trust lam not destitute of sympathy for my own countrymen, but I do ; not see any . difference of criminality between (for i instance): the late attack on the Coihmissariat canoes: •at Cameron Town and the .attack which the New s Zealandir^s correspondent thus describes as having • taken place on the sth:—" A party of Maoris from '. Meremere were emboldened by the seeming quiet at Warigamarino to take a little recreation, and therei fore went out fishing on the river ; but Mr Pickard, i R. A., who was at the front, fired a shell at the s canoe, which burst immediately over it. and effec- ; tually put-a sfcip to the day's amusement, forthe i party iustantly put back, and were seen, by the aid ..of glasses, to draw out a helples3 body from out ofthe , canoe, evidently a man either dead or severely i wounded." I know we are naturally apt to call the - same thing by different names according as it is done l by ourselves or our foes; yet Ido not think we need t go out of way to do so, as the Auckland press.so constantly does. 1 From Taranaki there is nothing new requiring: no- - tice-from me. > ■ i Native matters in this Province, are not quite so c quiet as they,have been lately, but it is only v as , between the natives themselves.' In the Wairarapa i there is a great disposition on behalf of sections of the d natives to come to blows with each other, and nothing ■. would please the Queen's party better than that tho i settleis should get mixed up in it, as in that case s they fancy that they would ba supplied with arms and ammunition ad libitum. At Wangauui, Colonel Lo.?ari has directed pickets s to be stationed round the town, in consequence of y information received by him from Taranaki, that 1 the natives had written letters, and otherwise • expresspd au intention to avenge the deaths of those c -who fell in the late skirmishes there. The picket is i. only a precautionary measure, nothing definite having g reached him. Taiiiana, an up-river chief of some 's rank, has returned with sixteen men, ostensibly in is consequence of the scarcity of food,at Taranaki, but :r really as sf>me suppose/with a view to rouse the riyei d natives. It must often occur to your readers what a to vast amount of rousing the natives in this Province Ld and iii Hawke's Bay require. To my certain knowledge, emissaries from the Waikato ani Taranaki is tribes have been at that, game for the last six months, iy still -'thecanoe ia nob launched." From whatevei ;y cause it may. arise it is quite csrtaiu that there is nc g desire ou their part to .fight, except under the. idea r. that they ara themselves in danger from us. Th. ,n Chronicle of the 15th says:—" Tiie Ngatipamoana Id and Ngatihine (Lower Wanganui hapus) have seal the Governor a numerously sig -ed address, accomit panied by a gun, two full cartouch boxes, a bag coa- -- timing 250 bullets, and an axe or large tomahawk. I .to which tie following history is attached. It was sr given by Captain Cook to Manaoixmgo, a chief ; al ;h Queen Charlotte's Sound, who gave it to one Man-a---id runga. His wife, Kawa, gave it to her brother, iv Kowha, a Wangauui native, and it is said to have It been the first iron implement ever seen here. From n Kowha it has come down to his son Parau and grandt* son Komene, the last of whom has sent it to the

Governor. From the ancient appearance of the tool, and the broad arrow deeply stamped on both its faces, the history may not unlikely be true," AtKangitifeei, the grass money feud between the Ngatiapa and.Ngatiraukawa is every day becoming more and more likely to result in mischief. These tribes were a few; weeks ago induced to resolve that the disputed ownership of a large tract of country, let as runs, * should be referred to the Governor, but, at the instigation of a stockholder interested, one tribe has been agaiu induced to assert acts of ownership, and .last week it was generally believed the* quarrel would have.come to blows. One tribe mus-i ters about 50, to the other's ,300, but the Wanganui tribes would be at once drawn in, and a general row j. ensue.'••..' ■■■./•:--V-:.-:-,-""'..-.,. :y/-.-.fiy -.',-'.. - ...'"'': ''"•'-'•"■ The defence force (troop A) are now quietly stationed at; Rangitikei. The way this was done was as follows:—A greats deal of blame was continually being hurled at the .head 6f*the' Superintendent for suffering the force, to .remain •ia -Wellington when their presence at Rangitikei was so much required, in case%f Mfc-Rayner's. murder leading- to an out-; break. /The fdVcewere-really under "no one's entire control, and could not be moved without an order from the Governor.' Mr Mantell ws?, however, in- . duced to direct that a third of them (say 50 when all told) should at once go up by. steamer to Wanganui, ; where they were for the present to remain, strict orders ■:'": being given to. Inspector Leatham that on no account were: they to be marched from the town—it being the intention to purchase horses and complete the drill before directing them to take up tbeir final station. The Superintendent, desirous of being pre- ' sent when they arrived, lest exaggerated accounts : shouldget about amongst the'natives.rodeup overland; ; At WiTako's place he was stopped'by some natives ,'.i on the-lookout for him for a week'past, with a view to request him to visit their pa, which is a mile or two inland. ■ The Superintendent went up and told them that he hod intended never to visit. Wi Tako again, after, the letter he wrote.to Ngairb of ■ Wairarapa about ; hi3 (Dr Featherston's) having swallowed his spittle; but as they had stopped him and v requested him;to see-them, all he had to. say was that the Defence Force were going to Rangitikei,- as he hed previously said they should go. They offered no opposition, Wi Tako taking great pains to exonerate himselfwith regard ito. ther-letter, declaring.that it' was.a garbled copy-that hai been shown to the Super- V intehdehti and appealing to the strenuous efforts he -\ had lately ..beehf making to' prevent the young men, i from Waikanae and- 0 fcaki,: going to rescue the native I and half-caste -while confined., on suspieidn of being- *' concerned in the murder of Mr Rayner. At Otaki, 1 also, the Superintendent told the natives that the < Defence Force were, oh .their way to Rangitikei, at I which they likewise expressed no surprise.but seemed t to look upon it as a matter of course, afterwhat the ' Superintendent had told them a few weeks before. \ Believing that the fitting moment bad arrived, and ] that any delay wpuld only: be tempting the natives to 1 hold ruuungas and become pledged. to an opposition, 'i the Superintendent arranged with an extensive far- i mer at Rangitikei,: named Hammond, for accommo- 1 dation for the force, and on their arrival at Wanganui 1 urged Inspector Lsatham to, march out at once. He < had most positive orders not to do so; but on the im- i portunity of the'.Supe'riutendent,. backed by Colonel ' -Logan,:-they were .marched pub next- (Friday) morn- . ] ing arid reacKed&Keir;.quarterSoif Saturday afternoon. "'\ The _Superint®eht-:hs^l|l)ellevey -beeid- .'for some "'. time 'desirbusto-getsthe other two companies into the _j -g££*&=^i^ *i resistance-which. Ithis': force was to jifeet. with 'at Rah- 3 gitikier'liadso long been- the cphsfent. talk, that'it i kept people in continual fear. The complete success ] of the movement has; won '■ golden opinions for his 1 Honor, and the ready forgiveness of those whose j authority he-had invaded. ;- v .. .' 'I Hovv quiet Otaki and.Waikanae just now; are, may s be inferred from the followingletter,.which the inter- < preter showed* me this morning, tie writer being one i of the three principal Kingite chiefs in tlut part, and. j lately very courteous and well-disposed. •( ';:; . " Otaki, 16t!i October, 1863. A ''Tb the Superintendent^-: X I "Salutations to you; ._ I write to inform you that < I intend leaving-, with ten companions, for Ngarua- ] wahia on the; 19fch, if ;you have a desire to goto t Auckland, as I am; also going. It there are auy bad men at Wellington send them to where the fighting, j is. Wi Tako, Heremiah, and myself have agreed ( that this; place should remain quiet. When you < arrive at Auckland write a letter to nic addressed to ' Ngaruawahia. You must print this letter, that our " European and Maori friends may see it. Enough, from your friend, i- •-.'< v .. ."•••/-. -■' ■■■'".- .'fWißßi«W r Hoi Whits." The tall talk-of the We?t Coast "natives about . attacking theredqubtsat Rangitikei and its neighborhood, has be:h apparently silenced by a joke of Mr Fox's. . An-armed party went up to Rangatikei lately, with a view, it was said; to hold a rununga ou that question.; About 150 local and other i natives were present, and after,, every concievable question r had been talked over, that of the stockades vjas introduced and disposed of in a single speech. Mr Fox told them that they were built for the purpose of enabling the settlers to defend themselves, and their- : families should they be attacked. .The settlers had no intentionto attack peaceable- natives, but if the natives attacked; the settlers, they didn't mean toleave the dktrict, but light for it; that if was' all very well for the natives present to. say that there was no intention-to attack the ■ settlers, but it was "< well known that the King, Wi Tako, and others had circulated letters urging the natives to do so. Tbe latest stockade having been built in consequence of a warning from: Hapurona, , that a large party bf A armed Waikatos were only a few miles '..' off, ■ he proposed to call that HapuronaY stockade, the one that was built, in consequence of" the King's letter to Wi Tako should bs called Matutaera's Stockade, that built-when the news of Wi Tako's letter to Ngairo reached them would in like manner, be'known a3 Wi Tako's Stockade, a,nd so on. lam : told, by oue who was present, that this ioke wa9 received with shrieks of laughter. The Natives love a bit of fun dearly,1 and fully appreciate it mothers—; nothing more has been heard,of resistance to stocka.de building in. that part of the Province. Before I quit the state of the Natives, I may as well illustrate the absurd foundation there often is for the statements that get circulated, by a reference to what occurred at Porirua.quite recently. You have heard, perhaps, that under some circumstances a man would rather b3 shot than not. Thus—Shott and Nott went out together, when 'Nott was shot and Shott was hot. Under these circumstances, all of us would doubtless very much prefer being Shott thata Nott. Now oa the Poriruia roa-i there is a very quiet industrious settler named Nott, who, in company with " a neighbour or two, was out cattle hunting. Suddenly, they came upon a road clearing, which^ to their certain knowledge, was not there a few: weeks . previously, Instantly * the solution of the mystery flashed across their minds—the natives were cutting a track from Waikauae and Otaki to Wellington, and. presently their suspicions were confirmed by hearing confused talking at a distance, eviaently-that of natives discussing some plot with bated breath. Nott did not want to be shot, under any circumstances, nor did his companions either, so they beat a precipitate retreat^ and in an hour or two afterwards the Poruirua Road was convinced of the treacherous designs of the natives, and the volunteers were even spoken of as likely to be instantly assembled. It turned out, however, to be simply a roadway Mr Brandon was haying cut through some hilly sections of his, abutting on ahe harbor._ Tnis will: make a companion panic picture to that in Wanganui, arising from three natives following their ordinary pursuits' .being converted; into 1500 armed men from Taupo. The force of absurdity can no,further go! • Very few 3 members have as yet gone through, here .to the: Assembly. Mr Fitzgerald and " N Nabob" Wilson, from Canterbury, and only Mr Gillies,,from » Otago; there were besides, a Lord or two, but in their, i mo.yemeuts we never felt auy particular interest, and , feel still less now that their house can be swamped,. *if refractb-yv . Dr. Featherston, Captain Rhodes, and ; Mr.Rennal only, have gone from here, so that there; > will be very little done this week. They will; all go v by the English mail steamer in a few days. MrFox I was to have gone by the steamer from Wanganui, • advertised in the time-table for the 14t.h but which, 3 from various delays, will not leave here until Wedf nesday. Itis impossible to say how things will go, t hut I. fancy Mr Fox will be a comparatively quiet - member. He has let hisstation at : Westoe itaugitie- kei, arid will leave here in a few months on the toui\ _ of the colonies; India, and home, he has so long prol mised himself. •: All his arrangements were completed I .last May> and he would have gone:by _the June i steamer had it not been-for' the Taranaki .murders t and' consequent troubles. -Mr Fitzgerald, : I hear, r; goes in for a temporary session of ouly two or .three a weeks how, and a full one next yearat Christchurch; c and we are told that all the Southern members; will - this time immortalise themselves -•; by their practical i realisation of the principles of Joseph Hume. It was i, long ago settled that,militia and other local charges r should be borne by the colony,.and not by the Impeo rial! Government;/ but the Southern members a policy is" said, to:be. to fix as much as possible eofit on this island instead-of. oa: the colony, a We can scarcely think that, after getting_ u-i t into all our trouble by the support of the Stafford - war policy, they will now.shirk outofthe consequences of their acts; but I ana bound to say that if :, they do so, many of the plans which now find favor s with the people of this Islaid, will be very differently ,t regarded. ' The' Auckland' papers hint at German- .- emigration for the Waikato as. the only answer- to ■, why so few military settlers as 2000 have been cue listed. We, here, contemplated at first with much i satisfaction tbe intention to locate a thousand in this • province ; but if we have to pay for them ourselves, c if Auckland has to pay for her military roads, settlers,

and so forth, the general cry will be against much that would otherwise be approved: If money is lo be' spent by millions, we say let us have our share of tile scramble; but it is to become " a first chargo on the revenue," then we would rather not have any part of it. Nor are we altogether clear about the value in these military settlers; experience is against setrlfements of men only, and if the account which Sir George Grey gave of its working at the Cape be anything like what we are to expect, .we had better spend the'money oa ordinary emigration even though itshould be twice as expensive instead .of twice as cheap as it really would be. Sir." George Grey published a; pamphlet sonje few years ago explanatory of his recall from the Cape. One of the principal grounds on which Sir Lytton Bulwer; then Secretary of State, recalled him,.was for the part 'he took to prevent the evils resulting from the military settlements established there. .. The .Imperial Government had sent out the Crimean German Legion* (I think several, thousand) to the Cape,- arid after a time, wherever they were located, the settlers wives and daughters were equally afraid; either to go outside their houses or to stop inside them." The evils became so flagrant,. that t-ir. George Grey' arranged for the introduction of some thousands of German women, at which the Colonial Office took offence. In the Waikato and elsewhere great social evils must inevitably ' follow from establishing the' contemplated townships, unless a supply of women, suitable for wives, is 'also arranged for. The N.Z.S. Navigation Company hold their halfyearly meeting to-morrow, when they purpose to raise the capital: from L5Q,000 to L250,000> The amount of capital already paid up is L25.0G0, and on ; it;there;is'a profit of L 3040 for the last half-year, or say 12 per cent. I will sendyou particulars of dividend declared &c. if the meeting closes in anything like time before the Storm Bird sails. As is' gener- "■ ally the case before a meeting takes' phcttthere are many who declare that the boats are'valued, at too high p rate, thnt they will cost;thousands to repair, that the* prosperity is fictitious, and so on; Whilethere is* no'question that a large sutri must be shortly spent in repairs, yet there' can be none as to th£ efficiency of manageirierit, ■ and the' : thoroughly -estaWished position of the company. <* The Rangatira-wa-s purchased, last week for: Lll.OOb,'but the compjuy was jammed: for;boats;to do the contract work for which, it is liab'e, and riibre are wanted and must be got speedily, if the company wishes tokeep pace with the traffic. The difficulty is not how to employ tb. boats, but how to get boats y to do the work thatoffers. The Lady" Bird will shortly have to go' to* Sydney to be put slip.; if the Company are wise they will go in for a slip of their n^, 3/to encourage which the: Provincial Government";would gladly contribute a guarantee* fbr a limited!.terins*:J*^* , ■■■'■■ „■.;, The Court of Appeal bpened-. this, .morning, JTudges Araev, Jolriiston, aud Gresson Were present, Judge Richmond being absent; Two cases of not much interest will be heard, when the .Court will apjourn untU next Monday; to give time for'; Judge. Richmond's attendance; -Mr ;■ Justice Johnstbu-has cer- / tairily evinced great anxiety that the-Court'should^'', have soinething'todo; and hence tour out of tjiofijb . cases are from this Province;. only; one from elsewhere. ".; The other Judges.are probably not so fond'of " fine points,'', the constant raising. of wbich/ncourages' litigation, byi giving more Cprommerii;''weighfc tb quirks and;qtubbles than to -the; justieß:,of the case. This pyactjicEfoi 4? having *a '; by*' no.' maims 'boneficitd Wardell,: ;.-ha^ng^b'een.for somotimepast :irT?st^^f health totally unG tling him- for duty; harobfcanied six"-'* months leave of absence, and is. to ;be succeeded by Lieutenant Willis, of the 14th,.stationed here. Mr Willis is a young man; and wheuit wa,skiio-yn last year that' he; had been promised a similar berth by Sir George Grey, the public were.very dissatisfied at so young a military gentleman being,placed over a district where the mixed population required a much more experienced; person.:.;.Of;,^course;his;"present appointment is considered to be. only'introductory to a permanent one ;-but though the Wariarapa settlers wiiljTeel annoyed aud grumble,, I suppose there will be no help for it.: The regimental and Defence Force officers, aided by a civilian or two, gave two dramatics performances last weekj/ which were fashionably attended, and gave exeat satisfaction. -.'; fix 7 The only other item about which I have to write': is the publication, on Saturday last, in the Independent, ofthe whole of the papers, relative to the aban- v donment ot the Waitara. They were communicated by the Hon Mr Mantell, and are w<Jrthy of attentive perusal by tlibse who can appreciate the skill with which Sir George Grey has converted two ofthe most decided supporters of Governor Browne's purchase into twoi bf the most determined -opponents. I was most interested in; the: Waitara .business, -and diligently read the debates and papers of 1860 and 1881, arid I think I may safely-say that there is not a single new fact oE importarice. There may be a few trivial points/that, are new, but all the principal Cir_cuinstance3 aire recorded .in the debates, evidence, and papers then', published.: Yet the whole, of these lengthy documents go upon the, assumption that all that has transpired is for.the.first time.J 3 Even the tact of Katatore having been invited into New and told iby .the .Government to come unarmed, does not strike me as bring new, although I could not put my 'finger upon.the exact reference. Katatore . wasthe chief who, shot Rawifi, the assessor, 3 while engaged in cutting a. boundary line of land offered tb the Government., After a while Katatore, iwho had kept himself close for years through fear; of being murdere'dj was sent for by the N. P. Government one day and told to come.unarmed. :On returning he was shot on the highroad by natives secreted on one of the settler's farms. -The Government tak:ingno steps to punish the murderers of Katatore, the Government's unarmedrffuest, the; natives rose in arms for that purpose. ; The principal leader against Ihaia and the other, murderers of Katatore, was Wm. King. Teira was a relative of Ih'aia's,' and subsesequently offered to self a piece of land at the Waitara, which he,now, admits to have included pas and cultivations "/..belonging to Win. Kingj and to obtain which Kin" and 250 nf his people were turned oft. When taxed by 'Mr Bell, on the 16th April- last, with .having-/ concealed William King's interest in this laud and not having it reserved in the deed, Teira and Ihaia both said,;*' If we could answer that we would, do so, as it iswe are silent.''' .*". The Papers commence with a despatch to tho Duke of Newcastle, dated 2ith April last, in which the Governor regrets that he is obliged to re-open the Waitara question, and furnishes grounds for believing that the view heretofore taken of it,V by the Governmenthas been an unjust one.'.*. He says :'— . "It is now my duty to report to.Your Grace, that since I have been in New Zealand I have made every effort in my power,, and have exhausted every argument and influence i could bring to bear upon the Native race,- to induce' them to acquiesce in this /decision of the Government. But I have altogether failed to shake their dogged, determination upon this question^ They say:generally, that the title to the land is quite clear and well-known, and that what they regard themselves entitled to is an: open enquiry, into the whole subject.; in order that ifc may be ascertained who is to blame for the evils which have befallen themselves and the whole country. ■ "A great part bf the Native race may be stated to be at the present moment in arms, in a state of chronic oiscontent, watching bur proceedings in reference to this Waitara question. ,', JLarge numbers of them have renounced the. Queen's, authority, and many, of them declare that they have been so wronged that they will never return under; it. Other most influential men state that they will not aid the Government in any war that may arise out of this Waitara; question. -The . great maj ori iy of them declare that if a war arises from; this'cause, they will rise and make a simultaneous attack upon the several. • European settlements iri the Northern Island. , " Mjr belief is that the Natives, have made up their minds to act on thepolicyL have above stated : and that they will '.do. /so, uuless the greatestcare is takerioriburpart. ~';/ v " f' Your -Grace must be, well; aware that this Waitara question was from the .first made a party question, regarding wliich the most violent controversy raged, and meu's passions were much excited. Like all other questions between, races in a state of hostility,ltwas by many taken .up ,as a question of face, and it will, I fear, even-ribwbe difficult for any European to allege tiiat.the Natives: are, in the main, right in tlfeir answers to the allegations made against them "regarding the Waitara purchase, without raising afeelingbf violent hostility in the minds of manypeople. . Leaving apart, however, 'those far higher considerations which influence your Grace ; I know that we are both to stand at thebar of history, when bur conduct to the Native,race of this country will be judged by impartial historians, arid.that itis our duty to set a good exanple for all time, in s;uch a most important affair. I ought therefore to advise your Grace, without thinking of the pergonal consequences which may result to myself,:t,hat my settled conviction is that the Natives are. iri the main right in their allegations regarding the. Waitara purchase, and that it ought not to be gone on with. I have given tlie same opinion to my responsible advisers, as your Gracß will find from one of; the enclosures to this despatch, -.i lh«pe they may adopt viy opinion and act speedily u-wn it. I shall probably before the mail closes be able to report what has been done upon this subject," '■''A"'fiA " Afifi'fifi7' ; ;J The grounds of the Governor's opinion are thus ' stated by himself in a memorandum tb Ministers :— ..'' Since. the Governor haij'. arrived at Taranaki, from inquiries made by the/Native Minister and himself, the: following facts; .have c'o'ine to light in reference to, ; this. piece. of land which have hitherto (if known) never,been reported tb her Majesty's Govern-. ment, or in ariy "way ufad'e public/ which are of tho most important nature,- and, in the Governor's belief, alter the whole character of the transaction. i They are as follows:—

.."Th« It'ock <;f land of"980" acres, said io have been bought from Te T. im, has never been pc.id for: a deposit of LICO has beeu paid. The block was oriirinally to have consisted of .COO acres, for which L6OO wi:sto be paid, ieira fxpects, therefore, to receive' .1980 for the, present block. By the arrangements made with him, he would be entitled to this sum. i . ".This block of 080 acres of land now appears to have .been'inhabited at the time Teira undertook to sell it. by William King and between two hundred 4pd three hundred of his people.' They had been in occupation for twelve years; had villages, cultivations,- houses,aud other buildings on it, —their homes for years. Teira how states that William King and these people ocaupied this land under a valid tribal arrangement, which would appear from his statement1 to be of surh a nature that no person could sell the lnnd without WiUiam King and these people being consenting pa: ties to the sale. " Teira. also now admit* that there are other legitimate claimants to" .various portions of this block of . land. ... - . " Teira further states, that he had never intended to sell the sites of the native villages, although these werft what the Government especially wanted to form a town site on the river. ■ "Finally,'l'eira alleges that it was arranged that lie was .to have' a reserve of two hundred acres for native purposes kept on the block of land, and that this reserve has not yet besn settled." The _ Governor was fully aware that the natives might ju.l»e the abandocmant of .the Waitara to be ' - the result of fear, and, if be had not quietly taken possession of the Tataraimaka, would have considered it looked too much like a bribe to induce the natives •to let the colonists settle quiet'y on their -owrUands, to warrant jfs being. carried out. But as peaceable occupation hai ithen).been allowed, the Governor was anxious by a boM stroke to cut away all grounds of opposition from the natives,' they having everywhere declared to him that his holding the Waitara was the great source pf evil. ' He says :-i " Tht country is in such a state that the Governor by no means feels confident that this act will quiet-the minds ot many of th-j-native population. On ' ' the contrary, he thinks it may now be impossible to • ■ avoid some collision with them ; bufc he believes it would afc once win many over io the side of the Go- - - vernment; thit it is a proper act; and thafc if a con--tesfc must.come, that the closest scrutiny instituted ■ into the conduct of the Government, "either in England or in this colony, would result in-an ad--mission that every possible precaution had been taken to avoid such a contest, and to prevent the horrors of war falling on this colony, and that it was therefore clear that war with, the natives was au evident and unavoidable necessity, which the/European race must meet with that resolution, fortitude; and energy, which they have never failed to exhibit in- a ' cause of undoubted justice." Mr Bell and Mr Domett (the only Ministers concerned) could not unfortunately take a large grasp, but naggled about whether the abandonment should not rather be of a part thau the, whole, and with' it was mixed up the question of granting a general amnesty, except to such as had been engaged in the murders of somebody and others, with which the. war x of 1860 opened, Mr Bell ■ eventually expressed his \- concurrence to Mr Domett in a Minute dated Ist May. Mr Domett expressed his concurrence to ,»the Governor in a minute dated the'2nd J May. -The Governor received it on the morning of Sunday the 3rd. On Monday the 4th, the Murder of, Dr, Hope and the escort took place, and of course complicated "'~'^&^sfi^i^l^sF_?S^^ alludes to | I think best to quote entiret^~ a£-K£3scastlfi l _ l -"-"'"""';,', T • " Taranaki, May 5,1863. " Mv Lord Duke -Upon the 24th ult. despatch No. 39, I transmitted to your Grace the copy bf a minute I had addressed to. my responsible advisers recommending the issue of a notice to the natives, that the Government had abandoned the intention of 1 completing the purchase of a block of land on the Waitara river.' In that despatch,, and in its enclo- . sures,-1 explained the reasons on which I justified that r.'oommendation; and in my despatch I express i' my hope that my responsible advisers-micht adopt my opinion, and act. speedily upon it,; for I '~ knew that al depended upon rapidity of movement in this matter. I-had,-well knowing tfh'is, pressed ' the subject on Ministers in conversation, andl laid it befo'e them, in writing, on ihe 10th of April, for I ,-,., . *h°u&ht that the natives had-, encouraged our p'eace- " t • able occupation of the Omata and Tataraimaka blocks in, the hopes that, having taken these without . opposition, we woii'd relinquish ihe purchase at tho Waitara: and I thought.that no very lengthened ; time might be leftfor our determination, it being mv ; belief, as I reported to your Grac>, that the'native's were anxious to briDg on a general war before we were prepared for it. • '• 2. ()n the evening of Thursday, the 30th of April. I received from Ministers the minute, a copy 'of which I have the honor to enclose, in reply, to mine of the 22nd of April, giving rit-as theiropinion.ini as far I can understand Ihe minute, that they only thought that the intention of purchasing a part of' the block of land should be abandoned by the Go- ' - -ye-nmen't,—leaving the decision regarding the mode 4 . .of dealing with the remainder of the block to me, undertaking, however, to.aid me in carrying out my decision, whatever it might be. -I enclose a?s6, for your Grace's information, a copy of my reply to the 'Ministerial Minute. "3. The qu stion of abandoning the purchase at Waitara was mixed up with the question of a general - amnesty, excepting therefrom only certain persons accused of committing murder. I enclose a copy of' ,my minute on this subject, and of the reply of my ' responsible advisers, which I did- not receive' until . , Sunday, the 3-d insiant. . , "4. Upon the morning of the 4th instant I regret to say that what; was in truth a most terrible and shocking rmirder was committed by the n-itives,~on the land between Omata and the Tataraimaka block the details of wbich -I will transmit in another despatch. -' This sad event -has much complicated affairs. ... ; ■ "6. A small party of men were coming along the beach' about nine in the morning, bringing into New Plymouth a military-prisoner for trial. They were accompanied for the sake of the protection numbers ' gave, by two young officers, Lieutenant Tragett, and Assistant-Surgeon Hope, of the 57fch Regiment, coming into town on private business, This party was fired on by a body of natives lying in ambush, and-^t a single volley—all of them, but one or two, were killed or mortally wounded. The wounded were brutally cut about the head -with tomahawks. Two officers, two sergeants, and four men were thus ' - njurdered.onthe very day aad month we took posbesslon . of Tataraimaka block. I enclose to your Grace a - Jetter I only received this morning, a'though written on the 29th of April, in which a gentleman, who has a thorough knowledge of the native race, foretold that some such terrible event was likely to take place • he informing me as fdlows:—"Thev (the natives) ar.*ue that these places (Omata and Tataraimaka) are their* by conquest, and that they had a right to . hold them, and tliat they were determined to do so so long as we hold Waitara. , We propose to decide Waitara by a-titration; but ti this they object, and contend thnt, so long as we hold Waitara,'they will hold the other places or fight lor them ;. and that if they fight, they have a right to fight in their own way, even as we fight in our own way," > ' '' 6. I fear that I cannot now prevent a war, by acting iv the manner I think justice required, in regard to the land at the Waitara. I take great blams . to, myself for haviug spent so long a" time in trying to get: my responsible advisers to agree in tome general pian of pro-eedintf. "Ii think, seeing the . urgency of the case, I ought perhaps to have acted at once, without or even against their advice; bufc I ■hoped, from day to day, to recei7e their decision— and I was anxious, in a question which concerned the iutnre of both races, to carry as much support with me as I could—indeed I could not derive' its full advantace from what I proposed to do, unless I did so. I believe that the violent of that party of the natives who thought their conquest and degradation would, • inevitably, ultimately be attempted by the European race, were desirous to hurry on a war before we were prepared for it; and that they, were most • anxious to make the Waitara the cause of it, as uniting so many sympathies in their favour — to anxious are they to do this, that the cril<lispo<ed of the Waikato trihes are holding William King violently in a state of captivity in their territory, in the hope that his people will not dare to come to any'arrangemnt with us regarding the Waitara during his absence; but I had hoped that a few days more would elapse before any such disastrous event would recur as has taken place. These are the only _ ( _ excuses I can offer for not aciing with the prompitnde I now think I ought to have done. I have, however, still this hope left, that the shocking nature' of the wholly unprovoked murders now committed , ." mity strike with shame and horror the better disposed . ( omchgst the native race, and thus prt vent them from ennf'dindinar the' troubles which must result-from - thrse murders, with the land disputes which have arisen regarding the land at the Waitara, •" I have the honor to be, &c, frc, "G. Grei-. . " His Grace the Duke of Newcastle, K.G." No doubt Ministers deeply regretted they had not used creater diligence; they appear to have made fell ■ the amends in their power by takiug the entire re3ponsibi ity of the abandonment ,on themselves Tne di lowing despatch and its enclosure tells the result:— " Taranaki, May 27th, 1863. "My Lord Duke, —I have the honor to transmit for your Gr.i-ee'a information a copy of a proclamation, declaring that the Government would not 'jDtocsed further with the negotiation for a block of Uand at the vVaifcara, which Jiad been commenced bout three years ago-

"2 Your Grace will •bserve thafc this proclama- - tion was issued upon the llth, although the ter- 1 rible murders I have reported took phcs. on ths < 4th instant. But the Waitara lies to the North < of New Plymouth, whilst- ths trib?s who committed i the murders Jive to the souUi of this place, and i are of a different race to the Waitara people. And, i aa the Waitara question was one to which all the ] Natives of New Zealand are looking, I did not think i ifc became a powerful Government, like that of Great i Britain, to appear to be deterred by a few murderers i from calmly and steadily pursuing a course, which j the officers acting here felt that'justice and right 1 imperatively ' pointd out, as that which should be ; adopted. The Proclamation was therefore issued. It ; was.presented to me by my Responsible Advisers in < its present form, with a recommendation that I i should sign it in that shape, and I thought it right I to comply wifch their wishes.' i ' "Ihave,&c, &c, c "G. Gret. '' His Grace the Duke of Newcastle, K.G.". " Enclosure in Dpsfatch No. (56) 15. ■ A PROCLAMATION DELATING THE ABA.NDOXMENT OP XHJS .WAITARA";PURCHASE. "By His Excellency Sir George Grey, Knight Commander of the Most Honorable Order of the Bath, Gover- " nor and Commander-in-chief ia and over her Majesty's Colony of, New New Ze landandits Dependencies, aud . Vice-Admiral of the same, &c , k.c , &c." " Whereas an engagement for the purpose of a certain tract of1 land at the Waitara,"commonly known as Teira's block,- was entered into by the Government of New Zealand'in the year - one, thousand eight hundred 'and fifty-nine, but the saitf-purchase has never baen completed. .-a^-.-" - . " And whereas circumstances! connected with the said purchase unknown to the' Government at the i time ofthe sal 3 ofthe said land have lately transpired whi'-h make it advisable tnat the said purchase should not-be further proceeded with: ." Now, therefore, the Governor,. with the advice and consent of the Executive Council, doth hereby declare that the purchase of *he said block of land is abandoned, and all claims to the same on the part of the Government is henceforth renounced. " Given under my hand, at New Plymouth and issued under • the Seal of .the Colony of Zealand this eleventh day of May, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty three. "G. Grey. " By His Excellency's command, " Alfred DosiaT-r." I do not presume to offer any opinion on the position in which these documents place the ministry. The papers are most voluminous, ami comprise, besides, a host of minutes, memoranda, statements and despatches on the Waitara purchase, others connected with the state of Taranaki before 1860—-to which I have thought it best not to allude. I ought to say that Governor Grey entirely acquits Governor Browne from all cognisance of the facts on which his own conviction is based. He appears to have acquired his information and formed his plans while at New Plymouth early in April; aud from that time to the day before the^ fatal 4fch May, was busy in moulding ministers to |his views. I merely say again, the facts were not new, but only disbelieved and ignored by the Government of 1860. The only item I think it necessary to mention, is, that Teira is to have his purchase money in full. Th^|ealffT^i£±^" • r- -.Tuesday, 6 o'clock, p.m. only just closeoTby an^jOTummek^USSgS^fe The report was satisfactory.'-, The.small slip erectedin Evans" Bay has paid' !20 percent, from its use by other vessels than.their own jVn'd-unless the Government erect alarie slip shortly, the company would be compelled to seriously entertain the erection of one, suitable for the largest class of vessels. The directors ask far power to increase the capital as required by the issue of new shares to the total value of L'250,C00; and they recommended a dividend of 10 percent, for the ha'f-year, on the understanding the accumulated profits up to date should be wholly 'appropriated to the holders of the bhares already issued. The report concluded by paying a high compliment to the managers, attributing much of the success to the industry and zeal displayed by them. The meeting examined.very closely into the details i of expenditure, and appeared to be well satisfied that all due economy had been exercised compatible with thorough efficiency, .A discussion ensued as to the rate ot dividend, some requiring that the whole of the reserved' profits should be divided now, in preference to its being distributed when the issue of new shares takes place;, this would admit of more than 20 per cent, but the report recommending 10 per cent, as above stated, Vas adopted. The question of increased capital was reserved for Thursday.