AUCKLAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 666, 3 September 1864, Page 6

AUCKLAND.

(FROM THE DAILY TIMES OOBKESPONDENT.)

18th August. The latest news received from Tauraugi goes far to prove that the attempts to bring about a peaceful termination of the native dithculty in that district have been attended with complete success. The conference terminated on Saturday the 6th, the proceedings having passei eff with the greatest unanimity of feeling on both sides ; and the natives feeling in the libera l minner they hai been treated by his Excellency the Governor in regard to their lands, that they had acted wisely in giving in their submission. Hia Excellency the Governor arjd General Sir D. A. Cameron left Tauranga on Sunday in the Miranda, and disembarked at theKawau.The hon ministers however, the honorable Mr Whitaker, and the honorable Mr Fox, did nofc lesve T; uwnga until Saturday last, being busily engaged arranging all the minor details, a^certainicg the amount of ■district belonging to the Ngaiterargi t ibe, to be confiscated ; and visiting Maketu and other military outposts. On Monday w»ek, the honorable Mr Wfaitaker and Mr Fox started on a trip to the nver Puaa, in the colonial gunboat Sandfly, which also had on board a number of natives of the district. The object of the visit was to ascertain the nature and extent of the country babnging to the Tauranga natives, and to point out to those on board the patches of land which the natives who had surrendered would be permitted to occupy, on the islands of Rangiwaea and Motuhoa; and also at Otuinoetai. Th? islands face tho entrance to the harbor, and though great portions of them are what may be called mere sand hills, there are here and there excessively fertile patches of I ground, well known to the natives, and which they will be allowed to cultivate with, the seed j potatoes to be given to them in acoor-ance with j the previous promise at the Saturdays conference, in order that they may bet;in life afresh and with good prospects. The natives have been supplied since their submission with biscuit, flour, rice, &c, from the Commissariat, and wlierp money was required, money has bpen given. So much for the harsh dealings of a fatherly Governor and Government. The natives appear extremely desirou3 that Government ahou'd permit them to settle in as close proximity a^ possible to the stations occupied by the military, in order that they may be protected from injury by Kingites, who have not been sparing in their threats to punish the Ngaiteraepi for their cowardly submission at a time when (so they c nsider) the King cause was looking more hopeful. The chief Taraia. of the Thames, an old enemy of the Tauranga natives, whose hatred <hfces so far back as 1862 when he practised his cannibal propensities upon a few of them — is ranked amongst one of their enemies who would at once take -advantage of an opportunity to attack their broken force should the troops be now withdrawn from the district. Their onlj hope of safety is, that they may be located near to the camo, or to other military posts which the General or the Government may deem it wise to fix in the confiscated territory. A military station is accordingly to be established at Te Puna, and with these arrangements the natives heartily coincide The entire area of the Tauranga district, pointed out by the Maoris to the hon. Ministers, is stated to have been about 15'J,00) acres -excluding the 50,000 acres which may be covered by the waters of the harbor, but the maps of the district show an extent of about 395, C00 acres. The plans of the district owned by the Ngaiterangi tribe •show that it begins on tUe north at a place on the coast called Nga Kuri, on the other side of the Eatik&ti; then runs in irregular line to the Aroha mountain ; thence following the range ot hills in a eouth-wescerly direction to the range above the Wairere It is bounded on the south by another range of hills— * very prominent one in the chain being f J outihi ; thence running on the south side of the Otawa range to the VTairakei— the boundary line be tween the Ngaiterangi territory and the district belonging to the Arawas. The east coast forms the eastern boundary, with Flat Island * few miles distant The whole of the district extending from Te Puna to Nga Kuri would be confiscated by the Government, and Taraia will thus have to cross the Qjeen's territory and p.iss a military settlement before he could carry out his threat of punishing the Ngaiterangi ; the great object of the Government being to bring the Queen natives, as it were, inside the lines. The great highway to the Waikato is also secured by this portion of the district being confiscate 1 -], also the high road to the Lakes. One of William Thompson's farms is said to be comprised within the district taken, so that ho will at last feel him self affected by the confiscation policy. One-fourth of the land will be given up by the natives as <utu, in accordance with his Excellency the Governor's decision at the conference, on Saturday, and for the remainder Crown titles will be granted to the owners. The native claims to the land once having been individual! Ed, there can be little question the greater bulk of the native owners will be anxious to dispose cf the grea'er portion of that— which otherwise would lie a useless waste— and the land hitheito unobtainable will be placed in the market for the highest purchaser. The natives appear anxious that the arrangement which has been come to between | themselves and the Government, should be carried out as speedily as possible ; and as they have now j free access to the camp every day —the restriction as to their yisitsjjthereto, and purchases fiom the stores, having been removed since the Governor's ! visit, — they are not slow to take advantage of their opportunities to importune all who they may think have any influence with the autho rities that be, to make no delay in fulfilling their agreement.

'An extensive coal field, situate on the Puna side of the district, is included in the land confiscated ; but the old settlers, who ate acquainted with tts position, and informed the hon. Ministers here of its existence, do not appear capable of giving much information as to the value of the coal for commercial purposes. Time alone must be permitted to reveal this ; but it is to be hoped the General Government will nofc permit a very long delay to take place before some stepß are taken to ascertain the value of the mineral wealth thus" thrown upon their hands. The Provincial Government have set a precedent in despatching recently to Russell two practical miners to ascertain and report upon the worth of the coal of that district ; and now that peace may be fairly said to have been established here, at least as far as the natives of this district are concerned, no impediment can be expeoted to be thrown in the way of operations in the same respect being commenced on the site of this coalfield. The chief Tareha and a few of his followers came in on Saturday last and surrendered.

The news from the East Coast is certainly not of the most satisfactory kind. Large meetings of natives were at the last advices being held at all the settlements along the coast, for the purpose of determining upon future operations of a hostile nature The Union Jnck and the King fiatr were fiying in opposition to each other. The King natives had heard of the great victoiy by our troops at Te Ranga, but stated that we had taken an unfair advantage of the rebels opposed to the troops on that occasion. That the soldiers had advanced upon their riQe pits and fought with the Maoris before they were in a position to fight on an equality with them. The British Boldier was trained to fight ia the field- in the open ; and the Mioris behind their protective pahs The batt'e was therefore an unfair one, and there was not an equality in point of numbers. There was a piobability spoken of that inten al divisions were likely to arise between the kingites assembled at the meetings to discuss their future prospects.

From the Waikato news has arrived that a party of rebels numbering about 30, and Kviog at Kopua, near Te Awauiutu, Mr Reid's station on the Waipa river— have made overtures of submission. They belong to the Kgatimahuta and Ngatingawaero tribes, the principal chiefs being Te VPinhana (Wilson) and Manahera (Maunsell). They are said to be in great dist>e<s from want of food. The natives in the river Thames district, Queenites, intend, it is now . c aid, to keep themselves aloof from the Kingites : and to endeavor as far as possible to prevent the latter from buying anything or selling to Europeans. Some natives irom the Waikato who had been allowed to tike up their residence in the district, believed that thpy would be enabled to put the laws of the King in f jrce in dealing with the Queen natives. In thisattempi;,;however, they have signally failed. The Queen natives proved to be by far the strongest party, and the King natives were ordered off their land and ftrced to submit. It is reported that Mr Mackay is likely to be appointed Commissioner of this district. Having disposed of the latest intelligence regarding native doings, there is little to communicate worthy of occupying very much space in your valuable columns. The New Zealand Agricultural Association held its ploughing match yesteroay, and in which ten teams, out of seventeen that had entered, contested. The annual dinner afterward 3 took plnce at the Criterion Hotel, Otahuhu. The Port Albert Agricultural Union also held a me-ting recently— the principal topic of discussion being the improvement af the means of communication with Auckland.

A new survf y for the railway between Drury and the W aikato is to be made forthwith, and the General Government are said to have given reasonable encouragement for carrying out the line to Mere Mere at once.

The Prince of Wales' Theatre and Foley's Circus still continue to amuse the pleasureseekers of Auckland. Fawcett's Theatre at the Odd Fellows' Hall is to open shortly.