WELLINGTON.

Otago Witness, Issue 625, 21 November 1863, Page 2

WELLINGTON .

[from the daily times correspondent.] Wellington, 12th November, 1863. As you have not only your own correspondent at Auckland, but just now your special correspondents and special Parliamentary reporters, it would be out of place were I to do more than merely allude to what, has been going on ther?. Tho bloodless capture of Mere-mere will no doubt uisippoiiil your readers, as it has disappointed us— not that either you or we are a set of sanguinary creatures, hut because we all fee! that the sooner the lesson is taught the sooner will the natives become wise enough to turn it to practical account. When two meu have '' had it oui' they are always better friends for ever afterwards, and never want to come to blows with each othur again ; but until it is settled who is the victor— al the while each fancies him«elf the superior of the other— neither chooses to give way, The evacuation of Mere-mere took place on Sunday afte noon, the Ist November. The General ha<i on the previous Friday located 60'J men on the southern side of the position, which being the opposite one to the camp (from whence the natives naturally expected the attack would be made) was much weaker than the others. He intended to have reinforced tint body at daylight on Monday with 600 more, the combined force making the attack on that (the southern) side. The northern side, where the camp has so long been, was of course prepared to prevent the natives from escaping in that direction. The Western, or side fronting the river, was commanded by the gunboata, so that there was only one way ot escape, vis,, across the swamps on the eastern side, where it was impossible to station troops. The heavy rains having flooded the creeks and the swamp I through which they run, the nitives were able to piddle their canoes, and in eigh'een of them they escaped on the Sunday afternoon as the attack was to have been made oa Monday morning. The Qeueral moved troops to the river front of the position as soon as he heard of their attempting tc escape, but there was nofc a soul left in Mere Mere when they reached it. There could not have been more than tea or twelve hundred natives in it. notwithstanding the lowest estimate always greatly exceeded that number. It is said that the whole country is now before us as far as Ng»iruawahia, just before getting to which the river runs through a gorge, which might present facilities for the natives to make a stand if tlr y choose to do so. Rangiriri, of which we have heard so much, is commanded by a hill, ai d will prti»e no obstacle lo the whoieof that country, as far as ixTjaruawahia, being held by the troops. Be-yon-1 Ngaruawahja the country comprises a couple of million acres of fine open land. It is no doubt highly sati factory to learn all this, and to 'avail ourselves of every circumstance that can serve as a balm to heal the disappointment which tho evacuation by, instead of the capture from, the natives has oaused ; but the question is anxiously asked here—" Where are the natives gone to 1" We cannot help feeling very un« easy. There is a report in Auckland that they have gone to the East Cape, and nothing is more likely. VY"e fear lest they should make a raid on Hawkes Bay. There is nothing to prevent the scene of war being momentarily changed, Fancy the enemy suddenly appearing in this part of the inland, and tee troops in the other part. I assure you we feel very uneasy, and no one would be surprised to hear in a few weeks of the natives turning up where they have been hitherto least expected. That they have not done so before, has always been a mystery, and therefore has now for us all the greater probability. I may be permitted to remind you that ia s recent communication, I mentioned the General's plan of throwing 4 large force to the southern side of Mere Mere. , I don't wish to cQme out in the garb of a Derby prophet, but it is justice to you, no less fhan to myself, to point out the accuracy of the information L supplied through your Cotytnns. Turning from war to politics, my last letter will have informed you — what I can scarcely thiuk was known to many, that an effort wns b^ing made to effect a coalition Ministry, with Messrs Fox and Wflittaker as its two prominent members. The news now conveyed to you will show that that information was correct. Mr Whittaker being 1 Premier Attorney-Genepal, and Mr Pox Colonial Secretary, Native Minister, and leader of the House! The thoroughness of the Ministerial war policy pleases "m, especially because while it confiscate* the lands of the natives in rebellion, if still guarantees that No such measures are to lie resorted to at J^awkc's Bay or 'Wellington, while the natives remain peaceably inclined. The policy is one which will com men 'l itself to the Southern Island as one fitted to reduce the cost of suppressing rebellion by instant activity, without increasing it by driving other districts into arms by appearances of intended severity toward!) any but *bo^e overtly engaged in the rebellion. Although it will take a long long while before the chain of settlements along the district between Taranuki and Wangamtf are completed, still as it hag to be done before the rebellion can be extinguished, the more vigorous the policy tjje more quickly will this desirable end be attained to. Some folk here say that Mr Pox has sold himself for offiej, but Iknow forafacttbatsinje the Oalsuru murders last May, Mr Fox has seen np other mode of restoring quiet than by fighting it out. Much of his repiarkable quietude on public nutters, dejug nothing jn that direction, but occasionally corresponding with a friend or two, has been mainly from a delicacy lest his avowal of opinion might seem like a bidding for power, and be6au§9 for important relative consideratipns he yas anxious to yl^it England, I do not, however, think he was so fully prepared for some of j the steps' bis policy indicates, I rather fancy, for ' instance,- he preferred troops to military settlements ! of siugle men, because of the social e\Us that have resulted elsewhere, But possilily a fevy days at the | seat of war does more to change or modify opinion I tha i ordinary persons can imagine, and tho advantages ol instant actioa , having shown themselves, necessity lias exerted its authority and proved itself the kind of taskmaster It isi proverbially represented to be. Tua appointment of Mr Gijfies as a resident Mini* ster down South ia in accordance with your own suggestion very recently, and if he fulfils that office as well as Mr Mautell did here, you. wjH be very

fortunate. I need scarcely say that here we look with the greatest distaste on the plan for creating a Lieutentant Governor for your Island. It will annihilate our chances of ob'nining the seat of Government, a chance to which we cUng most tenaciously. Of local incident 1 have notliiDg whatever to communicate that is worth the postage, or that w uM be wise to intrude on your pace— demands on which by this opportunity must be heavy. Ido not know a single circumstance thiil is interesting to your readers, except that the Presbyldrian General Assembly is sitting here, and very much annoyed and di appointed lo find that the Southern MiniM; rs have not only not come up as was anticipated, but have sent a protest against the legality of the basis of their constitution. The Northern Ministers arrived in the Ashley.

I wteh, however, to guard myself from leading you to suppose that-, our quietude in native matters is because the spirit of rebellion is dead. It is scotched only, and not killed. Only the day before yesterday, flic ftev. Mr Buller, of Canterbury, but formerly of Wellington, and a mis>ionary of 25 years standing, wns riding down the west coast, and met Wi Tako with sixty-eight men ia uniform exercising. In the course of the conversation that ensued Mr Buller pointed out the folly of bis proceedings, when Wi Tako stopped him by saying, " Now you are a minister, and 1 don't want to discuss with you, all you say is, uo doubt, perfectly correct ; but as for that butcher" "Butchw," said Mr Buller, " who do you mean?-' "Why, the Governor," was the reply, " and so he « a but her : hasn't he done so and so, and sx" Mrßullcr declined further conversation, and rode on; but this will serve as an instance of what spirit some at lea?fc of the natives arouud us are. Tainihana llauparaha, a great friend of ours, dare not sleep at his sh D ep station, but is obliged to rosort to his pa every night, fearing violence from the king natives in the neighborhood ot Wi Tako's place. Truly a pleasant state of things to contemplate, in connection with ttie scattering of the Mere Mere nativL's over the country.