IMPORTANT NEWS FROM TARANAKI.

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 43, 7 April 1863, Page 2

IMPORTANT NEWS FROM TARANAKI.

SIR GEORGE GREY AND THE SETTLERS.

MILITARY MOVEMENTS.

TARANAKI. (From the laranaki Herald, March 14.) The deputation appointed at the public meeting on the 26th Februarywaited upon Sir George Grey by appointment on Wednesday last, Mr Domett and Mr Bell being present at the interview. After a few preliminary remarks, they submitted to the Governor the first of the questiors they had prepared. His Excellency said this question was of such great importance that he could not answer it without serious consideration, but desired that the whole of the questions should be read, which was done. His Excellency then requested to have them m writing. The deputation stated that if His Excellency wished the questions to be put m writing they would re-write them, as m the present form some of them were contingent upon answers that His Excellency might give. The Governor said he wished to have them m writing, as he could then give written answers to them, so that all misunderstanding would be avoided. The deputation thanked His Excellency, and said that that would "be the course that they would prefer. His Excellency said that the questions were of such great importance that they would probably take a considerable time to answer. He regretted that the usual course which had been always followed m every other place he had been m, was not followed m this instance. The custom he referred to was for the leading gentry of the place,, whether ; appointed by a public meeting or not he \ could not tell, to wait upon him and acquaint him with the state of the plaec, to tell him what were their grievances, and what measures they thought weuld remedy them. In this instance he was quite m ignorance of the state of things here, and wished to be made acquainted with them, and what the deputation would suggest as a remedy. He wished to have the matter discussed by persons having local knowledge; even where difference of opinion existed, he often gained much useful knowledge. The deputation replied that they thought nis Excellency was fully acquainted with Uie position of the settlement, Loth from the memorials and addresses to His Excellency and Her Majesty, and also from his own officers ; but that if he was ignorant of the state of the province, the deputation would willingly give him «i written statement of it. With regard to the remedy to be applied to the disease, they had not dared to suggest any, as they understood it to be their duty to lay their grievances before His Excellency, and for him to devise measeres to give them redress. The Governor said he had s o en m a memorial to the Queen that her Majesty's representative had been forbidden to niaicc roads on the Queen's land. This statement was untrue, and he should he obliged to contradict it : lie had not been forbidden to make roads on European Imds. The deputation said that it was not their duty to defend the memorial ; that if" there were any incorrect statements m tint memorial, the settlers would, of ecu is. -j, have to suffer for them. With regard to the case referred to by His Excellency, the settlers knew this much, that the men were ordered to commence the road, that the order was countermanded, the rebel natives telling- the settlers at the same time that ihpy had forbidden the carrying on of the road. The several members of the deputation then related facts that were within their own knowledge, ili cat rating the state of the setLlement. at some of which Jib Excellency expressed much surprise, saying he had never known them belo c The deputation replied that had the settlers supposed that his officers were so remiss m informing His lixc -liencv of whntoccurrfid, they (the deputation) wo ild undoubtedly have made him acquainted with it. The fact of armed natives crossing the bush from nor h to south within the las' day or two was menti >ned io His Excellency, who said he w.is assured that these natives had gone south with the must laudable intention. The subject of the murder of the boys nt Omata was then spoken of, and His Excellency said that with regard to Manahi, he had every reason to believe that he was not concerned m the murders. If Mannhi could be advised to come m and stand his trial, he thought it would bo a very good thing, which, if he was innocent, he, no doubt, would do. With regard to the stolen property, he was decidedly of opinion that any one found with any should be d-'alt with l)y the civil powers as the law directs ; but thought it very doubtful how the iaw would deal with such a case. j "With respect to the case mentioned by ! the chairman, which was brought b fore i him as a Cattle Ownership Commissioner, he did not think that, as the owner had recovered the bullock, it would be advisable to proceed further m the matter. [The case referred to was one m which a butcher m this place had bought of a native a bullock, afterwards proved to have been stolen during the war.] The deputation replied that now they knew his Excellency's desire m the matter they would use every endeavor to secure the man that had sold the bullock m this case, and anj r other similar case that, might occur. His Excellency repeated that he did not consider this at all a good case to try the question ; if done, it would be quite against his advice. His Excellency said the whole question was involved m great difficulty ; he had found some goods m possession of a native at Waikalo, and was going into the matter at once, but was met by the natives who said, " You can't punish us for thieving while you | allow the pakeha to keep our property ; there is Commodore Seymonr riding about on one of our best horses and Colonel Gold has just sold two ; you can't punish us and not the pakeha." He felt the force of this, and did not proceed further. He thought the law would perhaps cut both ways, that perhaps (he best plan would be to find an European with some native property, and then try the question. The deputation replied that they saw no objecti'ui to the question being tried m any way His Excellency thought best; they must tell him that they knew not a horse or cow laken from the rebels was held by I the settlers ; every one that was taken was, by a brigade order, directed to be given up to the military authorities. All property taken during the war was considered to belong to Her Majesty, and applied

to the usesorVFler Majesty's troops, while all the property: lost belonged to the settlers; thie settlers, therefore, were very anxious that the question should be brought to an.issue. ■ :, In the bourse of the deputation complained of the thistles growing, on native lands, which the settlers could not, and the natives would not keep down ; and which did the former great injury.' His Excellency said an opinion had lately, been given by the law officers of the Crown to the effect that the natives were not legally the owners of any land, and he expressed a doubt, therefore, whether they could be called upon to perform the duties of landowners. Respecting the L 200.000, a long conversation took place, which can be only summarised. His Excellency stated that he must take, the opinion of the law officers upon its bearing, and they submit it to the Executive Council. He was of the opinion, Which he still holds, that the settlers should have received compensation m full for their losses, and said as much to Ministers during the Session. The case was not analogous to that of Kororareka. That was a sudden attack upon a town ; whereas, here Taranaki had been deliberately chosen by the Government as the field on which certain questions should be tried which it was deemed necessary to the welfare of the colony to have tried. It was not fair that men should be used like chess-meiij and thrown away when not wanted. He had grave doubts, however, whether the Loan Act granted compensation. His Excellency to show the interpretation he put upon it, and that lie had thought it might be applied to other purposes than making good the settlers' losses, said that at one time he had formed a plan involving a large civil and military expenditure, which he' had only not brought forward because lie found the L 200,000 would be insufficient to carry it out. He believed it could be appropriated to other purposes, but would take the opinion of the law officer, by which he must be bound. Mr. Bell stated that if the Executive Council differed upon this subject, he should advise the Assembly being called together, and the scn.^e of ihe House taken upon ii, to which his Excellency agreed. On stating his intention ot moving troops to Poutoko on the following morning to make the road, His Excellency sad m answer to remarks about the dangj ■ to be apprehended by such settlers as were away from the town, that he felt so sure that he was doing what he had a perfect right to do, that lie could not believe there Avould be any objection. He said also, that we must, indeed, be m adograding position, if he could not move Her Majesty's troops to any part of her Majesty's land. His Excellency stated that the national opinion of the Maori people was that Tataraimaka should be occupied, and he thought these Southern Natives might see the advisaof it. A peace brought about quietly and gradually was better than hostilities. In answer to a question, his Excellency stated that lie was prepared to assist those who wished to go away, to the extent of a free passage, but deprecated this action on the part of the settlers, as the abandonment of the settlement would be the deepest degradation to the British name, and he would be ashamed to govern a colony if such occurred ; m fact he should not continue Governor, he should most probably resign his commission. Mr Ilulke pah! it all arose through bad government. After nearly four hours' conversation the deputation withdrew.

Jt will be seen that though much information has nor. been gained of what we have yet to expect, several noteworthy things have been put on record. His Excellency's ignorance of the state cf the place until ha came here — his doubt as toihe nature of the transaction by which the natives became possessed of the settlers' property during the war — the opinion of tho law officers of the Crown as to the natives' title to the land, and his Excellency's conclusion from it that it was 1-ardly fair to expect them to cut their thistles — his comparison of the Kororareka and Taranaki ease-, are all points of great importance and interest, but v/hich we shall not further touch upon until we get the correct ieport. One thing there is which should be clearly ascertained before the governor and his advisers leave. If they think it is necessary that Taranaki should be sacrificed lor the sake of the colony, we have at Jeast a right to know it. AYe must not be understood as savin;* that it is likely Taranaki will be sacrificed, but merely as providing against the possibility of such a tiling. Tt is said on authority only too good, that the pay of the A r o!unteers and Militia, now on active service, is to come out of the 1/200,000. Marching men about ihe country m. the dark ■with guns not loaded, is ono way of reinstating the province, if not the inhabitants, and may perhaps be the very way contemplated by the House of Representatives when they voted the money, but it is certainly not what the people of this place were led to expect at the end of last session. Military Movements. — Some excitement prevailed m town on AYednesday list when it transpired that a force of military were under orders for Waircka. On that day bullocks and carts were pressed for immediate service, and otl:or signs given which, meant that a mov. lent to some part of the province was intended. On Thursday morning at 8.30 o'clock 300 of the s"th regiment, under Colonel AVarre, C.8., Captains AVoodall and Sorton ; Lieuts. ISrutton, Thomso i, Tragett, and Waller ; Adjutant Clarke, and AssistantSurgeon Hope, together with Lieut. Ferguson and a detachment of the lloyal Engineers, paraded under Mount Eliot, and marched off by the Great Soutli Road towards Omata, preceded by several car s laden with baggage and ca up equippage m charge of Lieut. Cox, 57t'i rejirrert, His Ex 2llency Sir George Grey, Ge.ier< n l Cameron and suite followed. The troops reached Waireka at ten o'clock and .-camped on AVilkinson's farm, near the i-sutbern boundary of the Omata bloc 1 :, wlrre a s'ockade is to be erected. A number of the Ta. naki tribe have been for several»days at Wairau, a native settlement between Omata a '1 Tatr; amaika, who, no doubt, were surprised by the sudden occupation of the territory said by them to be theirs by conquest m 1860-Gl, and it has given rise to considerable conjecture as to their intentions. The smoke of large fires, supposed to be signal fires, was seen at Tataraimaka and beyond it after the arrival of the troops, It was bringing back old times when the wellremembered picket bugle call of the volunteers was sounded on Thursday evening, and 1 0 men were told off for inlying-picket and b^ock-h/mse duty, and were marched off to ir respective posts. The regulation system of guards and pickets has been re-estab-lished, the volunteers alone having as yet been called upon, but as some of,, the blockhous.s are now garrisoved by them, a portion of the miILK we presume, will have to take a share of the duty. The detachment of the 65th, uuder Captain Gregson, came m from v the rifle practice ground on Waiwakaiho on Thursday, and is stationed m the Maryland Hill barrack and Mount Eliot. Six of the volunteers, under Sergeant F. Mace, have been appointed mounted orderlies to attend J upon the Governor and General Cameron. AYe understand that the road will be at once made by the military between the Poutoko pah and the Omata stockade. It is quite impossible to say what will be the issue of His Excellency's movements at Omata, or whether the natives will interfere with him, but it is not probable that they will. Sir George Grey, General Cameron and staff, together with, the Colonial Secretary and the Native Minister, have daily visited the camp and the Putoko. It is said that oh Thursday two delegates of the Taranakis met

the Governor at the Putokb! ,'We ] been. ma*de acquainted withjthe qbje< the result of the mission,' butt bear tl told his Excellency that 'they claimei European land around the .town,. -« George replied that they had better a! the sun, moon, and stars." * Wehear \ theyij'inforrnedf his Excellency th should'b'eSvilling to give Tip Tatara .all the~runangas-north.and»soutlju>{ and if he gave Waitary to them. „..-* The Xatest from . the v Pam?.^4-T tary have commenced a redoubt oh son's farm, on a hill overlooking the and surrounding country which' th< pidly [constructing. Natives are to on one of the spurs of the ranges^ By the Sea Gull we' have ; the Ne 19th instant, which contains the foil The Harrier arived this morriin< fore our hour of publication, bringh i the 70th Regiment. We have beer with a sight of the New Zealander < | day's date, which states that 100 a i artillery are also destined for Tai I serve as a mounted force, t They, have not arrived by the Harrier, an a report that the Airedale has been for an intermediate trip, which maj lation to bringing them. There is news of importance.