THE COLONIST. NELSON, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1859.

Colonist, Volume III, Issue 225, 16 December 1859, Page 2

THE COLONIST. NELSON, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1859.

In another column we publish a memorial which though short in itself- contains a germ of much importance. It-begins by stating that it is the humble memorial of the aborigines of Motueka. These words are highly significant, as showing the present feeling of the subscribers. Twenty years ago their remonstrance would have been couched in haughtier language, if indeed they had condescended to-parley with the Pakeha.That now they take a different tone we need not ascribe to our own power, but to their own intelligence; they have seen that, the laws of the white man bring with them civilization and comfort, arid observant of the progress which has attended the white man's foot, they have followed in the path and subscribed to a loyal and zealous adherence to the laws we have introduced, and the Sovereign we honour. From us they have learnt the power of mind, and have built largely on the small substratum of intelligence we at first offered. Though not yet equal in education to the colonist, they are rapidly improving, arid the Maori now presents his card at the Levee of a Governor, and enters in European costume, a room built where a few years ago was an impassible swamp. They have proved themselves well worthy of .being the associate of the Englishman in undertakings of toiltatid enterprize, and nbw feel, arid that acutely, that whilst we profess that the; Brkish.flag carries liberty with it, ■ and. assert ihat wherever it flies the slave is free who : .'is once under its shelter we,, the lately ar-! rived, inhabitants of this soil" impose upon , those we found here a fetter, which no states;-, i man dare venture propose for any class j in. Erigl an d. If t h c watiwea of New Zealand are i subjects' of Queen Victoria, iJjey;llaviHg wff-1 lingly accepted the thrall, should., if possible, ; have even greater license than is aibrdedtoj her born dependents; 'and not", have I prohibitory laws passed affecting themselves; only. The true way to either Christian-: iz.e or improve a savage race, is by trying to equalize with the more j educated class. It is ao^old. saying that you may lead many whom y&u cannot j drivb. Example is ' better than pcecept, and- that which the Englishman does' daily will at least have the value of exam-: pie in ithe eyes of ike Maories; The case i is simply thus, spirituous liquors are allowed to be, sold in any Quantity to the fietttle/, and only the milder form-of' intoxication, Bay be vended,arid feat under severe supeillau.ee i to the aborigine. .Why that whichj# sqch i excellent sauce for the^w^teje^^^ildi riot be allowed to the others w«fii*p^pt see,; the same penalties for misconduct apply jto:J both, each, is equally liable to fine £>£ &a-! prisonment. and yet a mark of distinctioo is; made,'.^; badge so to speak of inferiority; legalized between them; , - .-, :: : ..-.v-'^. Jaithaabbve we speak merely oppn- the! '' questic^fi^ualit^between the tworaipifes,and^ 'mthout any^GJerence to the.vexataqiitestw 'of tea-totalism^ : we.gimply argue that if it be: wrong to sell; a certain ajrticle to one it is I wrong -to sell it to another, 4jp.und by the : same allegiance and equally filiarißg^i^p-. porting the exißting powen, Sfciottla a

European war break out we should look, and with confidence* to the native population as ready to assist in supporting the Kondr,of our flag, and defending our newly acquired territory; to ask this, and at the same time allow an invidious distinction to exist is not, to say the least, politicThere were formerly reasons perhaps, for, the law to which we have intentionally rather distantly alluded, but there has been so much intermixture of late years between the two races that it is unnecessary now. Any. native offending against propriety, would be as much censured by his own aristocracy as he would be by the-respect-able amongst us. They have learnt many of those "ingenuous arts which soften manners'," and may fairly claim now not to be treated, as the concluding word of Cicero's celebrated proverb.;