TARANAKI.

Colonist, Volume III, Issue 312, 16 October 1860, Page 3

TARANAKI.

(From the Taranaki Herald.)

FAREWELL DINSFR TO MAJOR-GENERAL

0. L. GOLD. The Officers of the 65th Regiment at head quarters entertained their late Colonel, MajorGe- eral Gold, at dinner on the Ist instant. The regiment furnishing so many detachments tlnouohout the island the number of officers at head quitters is consequently small, but, they evinced their esteem and regard for the Colonel in the warmest manner. The party was con h" <ed to officers of the regiment, the following yentlenieii i>ein<r present: —-Major-General Gold, Captain P-uil (toring M.j >r <>f Brigade), Captain Strange, Dr. White. Lieut. Biilie, Lieut. TJrquhart, Lieut. Wiiitbread, Lieut. Toker, Lieut. Wrixon, Dr. Neill, Lieut. Lewis, Lieut. Peunefither, Li^ut. Chevalier, Mr. Withers (Quarter Master), Lieut. White, Lieut. Talbot, Ensigns Pagan, Mwttit, and Butler. After the cloth was removed, her Majesty's health was proposed and honored as usual, the .band of the regiment playing the National Anthem. Captain Paul, (the senior captain of the regiment,) then proposed the health of General Gold, the guest of the evening, and said: — Gentlemen, the sad duty to say farewell to our much-esteemed, honored chief devolves on me. I say sad, because it is always sad to part with those we have long known, and with friends with whom we have been long associated, and particularly so with him who has endeared himself to us all by many acts of kindness. I had hoped Colonel Wyatt, our new commander, would have been here from detachment at Wanganui, to convey in suitable language our warmest, our best wishes to the Chief who, before parting with us, honors us with his presence this evening. No doubt Colonel Wyatt would have done justice to the toast I have the honor to propose, hut it would be presuming on my part to speak the praises of our guest, though I will say we one and all part with him with ragret, and wish that it had been in our power to entertain him better; but we can only hope that on some future occasiou we may ayain meet, and be able to welcome him at the mess table of the old corps, of which he has been so long a member, and which he has f«»r so many years commanded. We would, indeed, heartily welcome him, our old chief; and, therefore, let us now drink to " the health of the Chief of the gallant, the brave old Tigers: long may he live to enjoy happiness and prosperity," with all the honors and three times three. Band—" Auld Lang Syne." General Gold returned thanks in the following words:—Gentlemen of the 65th Regiment, or, as you are (in every acceptation of the term) my brother-officers,—lt is with feelings too deep to describe that I now rise to return th inks for the toast oO eloquently and with such feeling proposed by my very old friend Captain Paul. He has indeed permitted the warmth of his good heart to carry him away in my praise, but as fate resolves, after 34 years in the Old Tigers, in which I have from youth up rejoiced to serve in all varieties of clime and duty, I must at length address them for the last time. I am proud to say, Gentlemen, that for the 15 years I kave had the honor of being your Chief, no party feeling as ever existed amongst us. I have found at your hands the utmost good-will and support, and I earnestly hope that the same feelings will cheer the onward career, and lighten the duties of my worthy successor, Colonel Wyatt. Gentlemen, when I consider ihe body of officers, non-commissioned officers, ami soldiers I am about to resigp, my grief is r<-« oubl d, fur they have ever shown a mutual good feelii'g of respect and honor towards each ofchttr, and as the officers spare not themselves, neither do the meu, and many a time has my hearc throbbed with delight when I beheld you ail smiliug at difficulties and dangers, confident in oi<e another, determined to work to the utmost the weal of this Province. I can appreciate, and shall not soon forget your services iv the Southern Expedition, where, with the gallant sailors of the ships Pelorus and Cordelia, you destroyed the villages of the Warea and Wareatea, some 30 miles down the coast, with no end of pahs, a mill, canoes, and much valuable property and corn and crops, belouging to the Taranaki tribes. My last advice, gentlemen, is— stick to your men, and your men will stick to you. I must advert to a subject for which I regret to say I can obtain no redress; which is the deliberate insult passed upon my old Com pany (the Light Company) by the Provincial Council of a neighboring Province, who, in a vote of thanks to the Navy, Volunteers, and Militia, for services at Waireka, purposely omitted, t© mention the soldiers, whose conduct on that occasion is universally acknowledged to have been beyond all praise. I need scarcely now iaform you that the reasons for my not being allowed to attack William King for a considerable period were political ones; nor say, that I do not regret having foregone my own aggrandisement, and eclat as a military officer in the eyes of the world, rather thau risk some 2000 women and children being barbarously murdered by a sudden nocturnal onslaught of the ferocious and bloodthirsty savagts, concealed in the closely approximating bush. Come what may, I have the ' mens conscia recti,' and can afford to pity the anonymous scribblers who pollute the pages of the Press. My regiment tells a tale that ought to make them blush, as the love a.id. respect; of such a body could not ba lightly earned; and its expression sends, me forth- from them, doubly armed against false and calumnious accusers and slanderers. Gentlemen, much would I say to you, but I have already, I fear, been too long; but let me truly declare, with ever) feeling of respect and brotherly love, that along as memory lasts, L shall cherish the recollection of my dear old regiment; their valor, iheir numerous virtues, aud, above all, the kind feelings they buve ever evinced towards me. shall never, never be forgotten. Once more., my friends (with my adieus), let me add,—May every Messing aitend you all. Dt. Witite proposed the health of Mrs. Gold and family in short and very uppiopriate words, to which General Gold responded. Band —" Ever of lliee." General Gold ihtn proposed " The Regimental Stall'," and thanked them for their zeal, iv tel'igence, and attention to their several duties hiring his commaud of the regiment. Band—" For they are jolly good fellows." Dr. White replied for the Medical Officers of the corps. Lieut Toker, as instructor of musketry, reurned thanks iv a short, but facetious speech, which gave great amusement. Lieut. Lewis, aiso, as Adjutant, returned hanks, in a very few words, and Mr. Withers, the Quarter-master, said: Colonel Gold, I rise to thank you for the very .kind manner in which you have been pleased, to

notice my services to the regiment during the time you have known me for the last 32 years. My friend Surgeon White has just now boasted that he has had 15 years' service in the Royal Tigers, but I have a far greater boast to make, for my service extends over a period of 38 years, all of which, I am proud to say, has been spent with the old regiment, whose honor is as dear to me as that of my own children, and I only regret that circumstances will not admit of my serving 38 more with them. I beg to offer a few words of advice to all young officers which j I have found always to avail. First., treat the soldier well, and then he will never forget his officers My bost wishes attend the old regiment, and I only hope they may have the honor and pleasure of serving under thoir old chief again, if not on this, at least on some other station. General Gold proposed—" The old corps, its non-commissioi'ed officers and men," which was received with rapturous applause. Band—" British Grenadiers." Captain Paul replied as follows:—In thanking our Chief about to leave us I would say, for the non-commissioned officers and men of the old corps, that there is not one who would not be delighted to again serve under his command, and I speak the feelings of all present as well as those absent, when I say that he will be long remembered by us all; and his memory will bei cherished and engraven on the heart of everysoldier in the regiment, of which he has so long been the head; we all love and value him as he has ever been a friend to all, to every one ; and the Royal Tigers were proud of him as their chief, and part with him with deep regret-~-we are indeed uuwilling to say farewell, to bid him good bye. At io p.m. the General retired, the officers in a body escorting him to his quarters, when they wished him good night, and returned to drink his health with Highland honors. We have been requested to give publicity to the following letter to the Colonial Secretary :— Tanmaki, 26th September, 1860. Sir, —As one of the oldest settlers in this Province, its olirs*. representative under Representative insmuMOiiS, and its first Superintendent under the Co-siimtiiiu A.ot, I take the liberty of addres.-ing vm on the subject oi the Native War, a question i;i which, as appears from the letter of the Bishop of New Zealand, recent'y published, there are five parties concerned, the Natives, the Home Government and its P'i'icy represented by His Excellency, the the Responsible Ministers and tdeir policy, the Bishop of New Zealand and his policy, and lastly the settlers, who are simply and vaguely accused by his lordship of having raised land questions at Taranaki in which the natives have become entangled, who were previously the most loyal, peaceful, industrious tribes. The Home Government policy has been to represent the natives and settlers as natural enemies —to deny the native all political rights, all rights of property of any value, and to consider him in ail matters as a minor, without any j rospect of coming of age, —the main object of the guardian having been to buy at his own price the 1-inds of his ward. This policy for twenty years has been slowly and surely alienating the natives from the Government, and has brought unavoidably their mutual relations to be decided by the sword, in a way that could not be honorably declined, when Teira and others offered land to the Governor, to which they had a clear title. The Ministerial policy was to grant the native individual rights of property, and some steps to political freedom. This policy, laid before the Assembly in 1858, I supported, as an advance in the right direction, but it has borne no fruit, irresponsible influences having induced the Home Government to refuse its sanction. When I come to the policy of the Bishop of New Zealand, I am at a loss to stfrte it, because I see no beneficial result from it, and he has uever stated it for himself; but judging with the means at my disposal, I should define it as opposed to every policy of which his Lordship does not pull the strings Now for the policy of the Taranaki settlers, whose cry of" more land, more land,"-is said to have been so' mischievous, I will take for our policy my views expressed in the laranaM Herald, 18th May, 1853. I look forward with hope that the time is not far distant when the Government will buy no land, and have none to sell, and that its office will then be nonfined to extinguishing the collective title of tribes, and giving individual titles available for sale.—Charles Brown. This wa? when I was candidate for the office of Superintendent, these view.} were affirmed by my election to the office, supported by me in the Assembly, carried out by me as Superintendent, and our cry of " more land " must be taken with our views for its attainment. In March, 1854, Mr. Commissioner McLean* asked my opinion on an offor of land at the Hua Block at r high price, I then said it was worth ilie price if he would introduce the principle that the natives should hold individually the land reserved for their use ; this was done, with small exceptions, and I w.is present and gladly heard Mr. Commissioner McLean explain to the natives tli.it m inspect to these holdings, they would possess a i the rights and privileges of the settlers, and in the House of Representatives I stated that, (he Native Territorial Rights Bill would do more to xtt^e the native disputes at Taranaki, thau anything else. In Juue 1858 a public meeting look place in the Hua district * Superintendent's Olh'ce, New Plymouth, 6th March, 1854. Sir,—\ recent purchase having been effected by Mr. Commissioner McLean, of a tract of land in this Province, I beg to draw the attention of his Excellency the officer administering tlie Government to the peculiar features of tuis purchase, as bearing- in the most important manner on the relations of the two races Mr. McLean did me the honor to request my opinion on the offer of the land in question, at what he considered a high price, aud in waich it was proposed to exclude ;>ll but a few pah reserves, securing to the natives the pie-emptive right of purchase of 2000 acres ,tt LOs. per acre, each native to purchase separately nd possess a separate Crown Title for his property. As an opportunity of introducing a principle so beneficial to tlie native race, breaking up the common rights which crippled their individual energies, and -,iviiig them separate rights with Crown Tides, might iot occur for a long time, I expressed the opinion which lhope will meet with the approval of his lixcelency, that the introduction of such a principle was worth attaining at any cost, whether as regarded the 'rovince individually, or its benefit as an illustration o the whole native race. I have no hesitation in anicipating that the adoption of the principle by any native tribe, will convert 'the members of it into ethers and citizens fully as -valuable as the European population. 1 have the honor, &c, (JriAuLEs Brown, Superintendent. The ColouiaL Secretary, Audd( aud. j

under a Local Ordinance for imposing a road rate, when Europeans and natives met, voted a rate of sixpense per acre and elected two European and one Native Commissioner. The amount of land thus held by the natives was 2000 acres of the best laud of this purchase, without any restriction on its alienation, in six years 150 acres have been sold to Europeans, showing the fallacy of the argument that land belonging to natives must be taken care care of for them. The owners of these individual holdings are the most. loyal, peaceable, and industrious na tives in the Province, as well as the beet neigh bors the settlers in the district could wish for. : • Thus much hwe we done to advance the position of t.lie natives, ami although I am not a warm admirer of the Provincial Institutions of New Zealand, I can honestly say that they have done most for the real advancement of the natives, and this for one good rea>on, they have not been.fettered by the Home Government. In the Home News, of the 20th July, just received, I find that the Duke of Newcastle was pleased to say " there was another reason why this country had a right to interfere in questions between the natives and the colonists, because if quarrels arose between them, as was now unfortunately the case, and if these resulted in an outbreak, it whs upon the Imperial Government that the whole expense of quelling such an outbreak fell," one of these statements the settlers are indebted to the Earl of Derby for correcting "so far as he had been able to understand, there was no question of jealousy between the natives and the Europeans." And also to Mr. J. E. Fitzgerald for correcting it in his able memorandum. I wiil however add a circumstance that occurred. The question was debated by the Southern tribes (before they murdered the settlers at Omata on the 27th March), whether they should confine their attack to the soldiers; who were fighting the Governor's quarrel, or, include the settlers, when it was determined that, a? soldiers and settlers were one race, they should be treated alike. As to " the expense of quelling the outbreak," that will wholly fall on the Imperial Government. Can the home Government restore the lives lost, the ties broken, the homes destroyed, the years of industry swept away ? His Grace takes a narrow view of the expeuse. I have, &c, Charles Brown. To the Elonorable the Colonial Secretary. (From the Taranaki News.) It is gratifying to learn that, though late, the suggestions which have been from time to time urged regarding the cultivation of land about the town in the present extremity of the settlement, have taken root. Arrangements have been made by which a block of land near Fort Stapp will be en closed for the growth of vegetables, and that about 30 persons have applied for portions of it. The benefit in a sanitary point of view of a liberal supply of vegetables cannot be over estimated, and there is little doubt that a great deal of sickness has been caused from the want of them, particularly amongst those who havp come from the country and who had before used them abundantly. In the summer this want Would be more fe'.t we have therefore to express our gratification that tlie subject has a ttracted the attention of the military authorities, who have given great assisance in carryiug it out by providing fencing for enclosing the block of land in question. It is very desirable that arrangements should if possible be made, that farms in the immediate neighborhood of the town should be cultivated for potatoes and root crops; the small allotments being devoted principally to the growth of other vegetables. Potatoes couid be more economically grown in fields, and there is yet time for a large breadth of land being planted with them, or sown with turnips and I with oats to be cut for hay. The poor animals we use are entitled to some modicum of consi deration, ptrhaps, are more to be pitied than the bipeds who drive themj and although our satisfaction is great at what has been done we shall feel nothing like.content until the Lad between the friendly pah at Moturoa, and the Naval Brigade's fort at Mount Eliot is turned to good account. It is true that any large amouut of field cultivation would necessitate a temporary remission of military duty for those engaged; and could this be managed it would be a great benefit not only to the owners of the land, but to the community generally, for if we have to import potatoes, we shall find them very costly, as no doubt the Commissariat has found the iin poi tation of turnips aud hay. If then anything can be done to obviate this necessity, an attempt should be made. Assistance given to repairing fences, with the understanding that the land should not be depastured, would also furnish a large amount of hay, an article absolutely necessary for the cattle engaged for the Commissariat. Syria.—-A letter from Beyrout says :— 'Tyre was very nearly being the theatre of excesses similar to those which have taken place elsewhere; but the energetic conduct of an Englishman saved the town and the population. A band of Daises andMutualis were marching on the place, to the great terror of the people, when a small light vessel was seen to enter the port. The Governor ol the town, the English consular agent, and the chief's of the Christian communities imagined that the vessel was one of was, and they prayed the commander to take measures for saving the town; but she turned out to be only a pleasure yacht, having on board her owner, a wealthy Englishman, Mr. Harvey. That gentleman however, without hesitation, promised his cooperation; and immediately placed his yacht in such a position as to enable her lour small pieces of cannon to bear on the street, and he armed his crew with muskets, swords, and pistols. He afterwards landed, examined the town in order to see the points

Syria.—-A letter from Beyrout says :— 'Tyre was very nearly being the theatre of excesses similar to those which have taken place elsewhere; but the energetic conduct of an Englishman saved the town and the population. A band of Daises andMutualis were marching on the place, to the great terror of the people, when a small light vessel was seen to enter the port. The Governor ol the town, the English consular agent, and the chief's of the Christian communities imagined that the vessel was one of was, and they prayed the commander to take measures for saving the town; but she turned out to be only a pleasure yacht, having on board her owner, a wealthy Englishman, Mr. Harvey. That gentleman however, without hesitation, promised his cooperation; and immediately placed his yacht in such a position as to enable her lour small pieces of cannon to bear on the street, and he armed his crew with muskets, swords, and pistols. He afterwards landed, examined the town in order to see the points by which the Diuses coulo. enter; he then caused the women, children, and the more valuable property to be placed in safety, and had certain points occupied by his tnen, taking other measures of defence. All ihis gave confidence to the peaceable pan ot the population, and overawed that which was suspected of connivance with the Druses. The latter were toid by their spies that an English vessel of,war was in the port, and that English troops had been landed; and they in consequence abandoned their projected attack on the town and went away/ _