NATIVE AFFAIRS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1436, 31 May 1879, Page 12

NATIVE AFFAIRS.

New Plymouth, May 26:h. It appeara that a party of Natives have taken poEsession of Mr Courtney's property at Oakura. Mr Caverhill, Mr Shand, and Mr W. Carrington left town this msrning, and on reaching Mr Courtney's p!aca saw a party of seven or eight Maoris ploughing with four bullocks. They had come last night. Te Waka, a nephew of Puriri Kingi, and Tukino were in command, and they htated to Mr Shand tha l ; they were ac.it,g under orders irom To Whiti to go aud occupy all tin confiscated land, as the Europeans were now their slavrs. Te Waka, who was quivering with excitement, was evidently suffering irom a fit of fanaticism, and said Mr Shand knew that the Natives were his lords, to which Mr Shand replied that he knew it to be false. He was told that the Natives intended to occupy all the confiscated land in Waitara and any other place. Te Waka afterwards apologised for being excited, and said he hoped there would be no ill feeling between them. As a result of a meeting of gentlemen held to-day, Mr Kelly telegraphed to the Premier and Native Minister reporting that the facts were veiy serious, and urging prompt action to guwd against their becoming more ao. A settler who arrived in town tbia morning states that the Natives had warned him to leave hiq place. The Herald's Okato corMspondent tele^phs tb,U evening that ths

chief Potikapa informed William Baylev, who is living at Stony Biver, that the Natives were coming to-morrow to pkugh up part of hi* land and that of others in tbe district,. Tne settlers are in a state of considerable anxiety, and think that the Government should send reinforcements. A telegram was received by .Major Stapp this morning from Mr W. Bayley, in which he states that up to the time of his putting in the message there were no signs of the Natives who had threatened to plough up his hind. Beyond rumours of an unreliable character of what the Natives intend doing, nothing further has reached us than has already bean published. The Government have been telegraphed to, but the reply is of a most unsatisfactory character, Sir George Grey meraly hinting that the Natives will be proceeded against ia the Supreme Court. The Herald, commenting on matters, s»ys:— " None but utter fanatics could act aa these Natives have done, a mere handful taking possession of land held under Crown grant, in defiance of numbers, of law, and utterly.jregardleas of consequenc?s. The very act shows ""* how they rely, with the utmost certainty, on our forbearance, or that they feel so strong, and Lave so low an estimate of our power, that they have no fear of the result. The position is undoubtedly serious. If the men were not to utterly fanatic, it would be possible to deal with them by forod of reason, but reasonable argument is lost on men who talk as they do of being 'lords of the pakeha, 1 and ' that the pakebt, must corns under the soles of their feet.' What is to be done? Is it to be a protracted negotiation through Government officers, and after months' delay a reluctant withdrawal, or i« the Government to exercise its powers and deal summarily with these individuals, and so save a repetition of such scenes all over the district ? We think prompt action is necessary. Nothing but the consciousness that the Government haro the power to suppress such lawless acts with a strong hand will have the least effect on these Natives. Without, however, desiring to chalk out a course of action for the Government in this instance, we hope they will rue to the occasion and act with firmness and judgment) at such a crisis in our affairs." (FROM OUR OWN OOBRBBPOITOHNT.''.) Wblmnqton, May 28th. Minister* and the reft regard the Taranakl difficulty as seiious, but to reassure the settlere thwrt, all th» available Armed Constabulary from the depot here have been sent up. _^^^^^^ New Plymouth, May, 18th. Natlre matters remain tho same a,* yesterday, the only act of aggression beiog the occupation and ploughing of Courtney's laud. Numeroui seniUional rumours are afloat, but none of them are confirmed. There is, however, much excitement and unetslaess, and the situttion demands immediate precautionary action by the Government. Representations h*Ve bean wade by tho settlers to Ministers to oome personally and judue f>r themselves before permitting any decided local action. Either the Premier or Native Minister will arrive to-mo/row, and ihe Governor is expected soon. Industrious efforts are being 'made by a certain section of the people to heap a'l the blame on the present Government. (Per Press Association Special Wnur) Wellingtoh, Way 28th. With reference to the Native dmculty iniaranaki, the Government received to-day an important telegram from tbe Inspector of Police at New Plymouth. The inspector states that he has received a communication from one of Te Whiti's prin.ipal chiefs— one «f high standing and responsibility -to the effect that the late trespass upon settlers' lands In the Taranaki district was directly contrary to the order* of Te Whiti, who apologised for the conduct of hia fellowcountrymen, expresjlv repudiating all responsibility for, their misdeeds, and declaring that he bad given most positive orders that none of tho settlers on tho confiscated lands bhould be interfered with or molested in any way. Mr Parrii lins been lnitructed to (jo at once to see Te Whiti on the subject, and meantime the se'ttera whose land* have been Intruded on will be directed to take loual proceedings agair.st the Natives for trespass, in winch proceeding! they will receive the support of the Gorerinnent. New Plymouth, May SSth. The Natives are still at work ploughing up Mr Courtney's land tt Tapua, but, notwithstanding xumoura of their goicg to commence at other placet, no other movement in that direction has taken place. Mr W. Rinnell, of the Native Office, went te Waitara, yesterday afternoon, and instituted inquiries as to the alleged disaffection shown by the Mtoria in that locality. He found no foundation for the rumour, but on the contrary, was led to believe that the Natives are on the most amicable terms with the Europeans. The gentlemen who formed themselves into a committee on Monday to inquire into tho state of affairs have been in constant communication ' with tho Government, and it Is said that a telegram hv been received to tha effect that it wu probable tho Governor would, it he was well enough, visit, New Plymouth. The "inistry are considering the situation, and Sir George Grey, or tome other member of the Ministry, will oome here and consult with tha leading gentlemen of the place as to what is to be done in the preient critical state of > flairs. Mr P»rris left town this morning for Parih&ktt to see Te Whiti, and to ascertain from him if it wjb with his orders that the men had been set to work to plough Mr L'ourtnej's land It is ver? curious that, notwithstanding all the Tumours of persons ueini? warned to leave their lands, it is impoieible to hear of any single instance where a settler ban been in any way threatened Mr W. Ba>yley{ of t?ny Bivor, was ia town this morning, and statts th*t hit Native neighbours and himself we on v> ry frimidly terms. Te Whiti, io appears, sent word to Mohiiu(the head of the Natives living in that part of tho dihtrlot) ordering him to plongu uo Mr Bayley's land, but Mohitu wad equal to tho occasion it seems, and sflnt word back to the fanatical prophet that if he wanted the land ploughed up ho hid better come there and do it himbelf. Napiib, May SSth. The Maori scare turns out to have been based on wrong grounds. When the police arrived at Takapu in tho train they found that a Kative chhi named Hiroki Tuhiit, who is also a Native Assessor, had caused » barricade of keepers and a wire fence to be placed a'ong the line. He did it openly, and called attention to the barricade so that no accident shou'd happon. He was arrested quietly, and brought to t >wn thin morning, but was liberated on one o' the interpreters undertaking to look af'»cr him. He will be brought up at the Police Court to-morrow. Tho account he gives of his action appears to be perfectly correct. It is to the effect that ho was smoking in one of tho carriages in the morning trail, when w at» king, the guard, came to him and commenced te abn-ie him, finally pitohing him head foremost from tho train on to the platform at Kopua. He wentaway quietly, and aniiounced his intention of barricading the line, as the Government had never purohas^d his land for the line. The latter Btitement is true, although negotiations for the purct ate are in progress. Hiroki's aoim was solely directed at WatkiM, whom ho nv^rß be will marder. The sff&ir htd in it no polhiral sigoiflcarce wh tsver, being merely the result of •> jrivatefeud.