NATIVE AFFAIRS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 819, 26 June 1879, Page 2

NATIVE AFFAIRS.

DEFENCE OF OUT SETTLEMENTS!

Prom our exchanges and telegrams we gather the following items relative to the strengthening and defending the out districts : — • < At Tauranga a requisition was presented to Captain Morris, Chairman of the Town Board, which read as follows : ; — " Sir, — We the. undersigned inhabitants uf Tauranga and surrounding district, request that you will, at earliest - possible moment, convene a meeting of the residents here to take into consideration the best nieans of" protecting the lives and property of . the settlers from outrages on the part of disaffected natives m Te Puna and elsewhere." The requisition was signed by all the leading settlers and business men of the district. The requisition was m due course presented to Captain Morris, but that gentleman declined to move m the matter without first interviewing Major Roberts, to whom he considered the requisition should have been addressed. At Opotiki a large meeting has been held, to which the public were invited. The meeting was held m the Settlers' Hall, and as it was pretty generally known that the question of ways £nd means for the defence of the settlement m the event of an outbreak was to be considered, the room was crowded to excess. Captain Angus Smith. N. Z. C. , »ook the chair ex officio, and addressed the meeting, briefly stating. that considering the disturbed state of the country m reference to the threatened outbreak of rebel natives at Taranaki, and the fact of the Government having withdrawn all the members of the A.C. force from the place excepting one noncommissioned officer and two men, he thonght it his duty to use every effort to increase the strength of the Opotiki Cavalry, and it/ was with this object chiefly that he had convenedthe meeting. He was glad to be ftble to say that j the old corps would be found " ready when wanted," but they would be glad to have a few more volunteers so aa to keep up the strength to 40 efficient members. Trooper S. Bates than rose, and made, the following proposition, which was seconded by Lieut. A. Parkinson : — " That m the opinion- of | this Corps some steps should at once be taken for the better protection of the armoury and magazine, containing a million rounds of ammunition and 105 stand of arms, also that the bullet-proof barrack-room be taken proper charge of, and that Captain Smith be requested to take the necessary steps for the attainment of that object by opening a communication with the Commanding Officer of the district upon the subject." The motion was agreed to. It was proposed and seconded — " That the Chairman be authorised and requested to forward a letter to the hon. the Defence Minister, praying that the arms be restored to such of the military settlers as still remain m the district." The motion was carried unanimously. 'The Volunteer Company atOhinemuri are 'well provided with arms and ammunition, but would make little stand against the over-whelming foroes of Maoris. Parihaka is situated m a most defenceless position m a hollow on the banks of the Waitotoko, and is commanded by several vplcanio hills. There are no sign; of any attempt at defences, and not more thau 250 fighting men were present at the last meeting, the majority being non-residents. A breastwork is being formed round the Okato block-house. .From Wairoa we learn that the arms and ammunition m the Constabulary ■ barracks will be brought to Clyde, and stored either m the Council Chambers or Court-house, under a guard of Volunteers. Extra precautions are also being taken at Frasertowii garrison. A public meeting was held at Frasertown, Wairoa, on Tuesday evening last, when the following resolutions were proposed and carried : — " That m the opinion of this meeting the fact of 200 stand of arms and about 20,000 rounds of ammunition lying at the magazine at Te Kapu, with only six constabulary to guard it, is a temptation to ill-disposed natives." (2.) " That the Defence Minister be requested to strengthen the constabularypostsatTe Kapu and Onepoto." Proposed, "That the Government be requested to issue arms and ammunition to the settlers of this district for protec tion m case of any disturbance." Proposed, " That the resolutions passed at this meeting be wired to the Defence Minister, for his consideration and reply." The number of Volunteers sworn-in at Carlyle was 134, which, with 70 cavalry men, make a total over 200. The settlers at Kakaramea and Manutahi and other places are also organising for mutual protection, A corps of about fifty has been enrolled at the township of Halcombe, Manawatu, m . consequence of the natives m the neighbourhood being it is allegad, strongly imbued with the current faith of Te Whiti. A telegram from the Defence Office on Thursday required a return of the men under arms m the Wanganui and Rangitikei districts. The return was given as follows :— Horse Alexandra Troop, Wanganui, 57 ; Wairoa Troop, Waverly, 60 . Alfred, Rangitikei, 36. Foot — Wanganni Rifles, 96 ; Marton Rifles, 70 ; and Palnwston Rifles, 78, making a total of 3w. We presume this information has been asked for preparatory to calling out a section of the militia.