THE STATE OF NATIVE AFFAIRS PUBLIC MEETING IN WELLINGTON.

Colonist, Volume XII, Issue 1169, 8 December 1868, Page 3

THE STATE OF NATIVE AFFAIRS PUBLIC MEETING IN WELLINGTON.

(from the "Evening Post, December 4.)

The public meeting announced for last Tuesday, on tho Reclaimed Land, and adjourned then to yesterday evening, took place at the Oddfellows' Hall. The hall was crowded, and all eliS3es appeared to be fully represented. His Honor the Superintendent took tho chair, and the platform was occupied by a number of our most prominent citizens. ■• The Chairman in opening the proceedings said that the meeting whs convened to consider the state of native affairs, and to express sympathy with the suffers from the war. The policy heretofore pursued may have received the s motion of the public, but it became their duty to consider whether, under present circumstances, they should not depart from a course which had been fraught with such disastrous consequencies. He (Dr. Featherstone) had opposed the removal of the Imperial troops, being supported by General Chute, who, after the West Coast campaign, considered the removal of the trooos would lead to a general rising. He had implored Sir George Grey to retain 5000 troops in the Colony—General Chute having offered to retain them on his own responsibility until advices cjukl be received from England. Sir George would not act without the advice of his Ministers, and his Ministers would not give the advice. General Chute, finding his advice rejected, had only to follow his instructions and remove the troops. No man in the room could deny that the course recommended would have been most prulent —no man cogniscnt of Maori character would deny that the advice was good. Three thousand troops would have kept the peace and saved the Colony. His opinions perhaps were not acceptable, but ho never shrunk from doing his duty to his fellowcolonists. He had ur^ed upon Sir George Bowen to charter vessels and send at once to ask the Governors of the Australian Colonies for troops. His advice had been rejected. Ministers refused to sanction such a course. He had always denounced the self-reliant policy as a delusion and a sham, impossible to be carried out, because we neither had the material for an army, nor wherewithal to pay them. He did not wish to cast any slur on the gallantry of the colonial forces, because he himself hud seen them fight gallantly. It is easy for the Middle Island to clap the North on the back and say " Go in ;" there had beiMi no real desire to assist. Self-reliance means that the outlying settlers must protect themselves. These men, after placing their families in safety, had to return and risk their lives. It was absurd to expect untrained men to cope with the rebels, who were trained warriors. The most, powerful nations, on goin" to war, courted alliances ; why should wo hesitate to ask f>r extraneous aid. 2000 colonial force? were engaged, and £30,000 to £50,030 a-yenr expended. Double the number would not enable them to hold their own. Large sums of money would have to be spent in compensation to settlers, which Government cannot refuse to pay. England was willing to give them .as many regiments as they might require, and Royal troops were the cheapest after all. He had seen all descriptions of forces in the Colony— 1000 tronps were equal to 1000 colonial forces. He assured them that unless Imperial aid arrived, frightful disasters would ensue—tho out districts would have to bo abandoned, and a frightful sacrifice of life be caused. Having impressed on them this advice as the only moans of saving the Colony, he would c.ill on those who had resolutions to propose to bring them forward.

Mr. Dransfield said : The resolution he had to propose required no eloquence from him in its support. It was " Thnt the people of Wellington desire to express their heartfelt sympathy with their fellowcolonists on the East and West Coasts of tliis island on account of the horrible sufferings and ruinous loss which have fallen on them in consequence of the recent atrocious outrages porpetr.ited by tho rebellious natives."

Mr. Bort.ase seconded the resolution, wliich was unanimously carried.

Mr. BoRtiASE moved the next resolution, " That the grateful thanks of this meeting be given to his Honor tho Superintendent of Hawke's Bay and our native allies for the services they have rendered in protecting the East Coast." (Received with loud acclamation.) Ho did not wish to stir up muddy waters, or reflect on the powers that be, but there were certain resolutions proposed by Mr. M'Lean last session of the Assembly, which were negatived by the casting vote of the Speaker. Ho was afraid that that vote cost the Colony £300,000; in fact, it was a thing which no one could deny that no men wore so well acquainted with native matters as the Superintendents of the North Island, and had they been left in their hands, this war would never have occurred. There was no bettor man than M'Lean ; he was always prompt, secret, and ready ; whatever he did was done clearly and quickly, and if ho was not interfered with, the war on the East Coast ■would soon be stopped. Mr. M'Lean deserved the thanks of everyone in the Island. (Acclamation and cheers.)

Mr.' Pharazyn' said that Mr. M'Lean had rendered gr 'at services, and fo did the friendly natives, which Mr. Borlase had omitted to mention. Mr. M'Lean understood the Maori character, and made use of their fighting capacity better than any ono else could do ; and, as Mr. M'Lean had showed himself so competent for liis place, he thought the Government deserved credit for appointing him. (A perfect storm of hisses and groans was called forth by this remark.) After various ineffectual attempts to render himself audible, tho speaker complained of want of ftir play, and said that tho Government ought to bo supported when right; thnt tho f iendly natives deserved credit, and under proper leaders would do mow than they have done a3 yet. He considered that Co'onel Wliitmore's appointment was a g'-eat mistake, much better have left the natives alone.

The resolution was agreed to amidst general acclamaiion.

Mr. Ward said the Colony was in a state of desperation ; that the Government was the direct cause of all the nvsery we wore suffering (cheers and applause). Tint many places were much exposed. He did not believe that English troops were better than colonial.- (Loud cheers.) The war was caused by mismanagement, and he called upon the meeting to express censure on the Ministry.

Mr. Hart said : The self-reliant policy had proved a failure, because the Colony had not been willing to pay for the maintenance of a colonial force, and, consequently, when raw levies had had to be raised to meet an emergency, they had not boon successful. Mr. Hart concluded by moving—" That, in the prosent emergency, the colonial forces are inadequate to deal with the difficulty ; and that, in tho opinion of this meeting, it is essential for the preservation of life and property that assistance be obtained from Australia, and that the Governors of tho Australian Colonies bo requested to place the Imperial troops stationed thore at the disposal of this Colony." Dr. Grace urged tho careful consideration of this crisis, which had come like a mighty avalanche upon us, tho temptation of our unpreparedness being too great for the Maoris to withstand. Our unpreparedness was caused by tho southern members paring down the estimates, but the b3st thing to do was to send at once to Australia for troops until we had forces of our own trained to defend ns. Soldiers were not to be made in a day. He know what our forces were—had seen them all j and in the course of an amusing speech, which was mos favoraWv received, ho strongly advocated the application for Imperial aid.

Mr.- Anderson proposed an amendment to the effect that this meeting declines to admit the inability of the Colony to punish native outrage and protect life and property without assistance from Australia or elsewhere. 'lie said it was not advisable to get troops. If we asked for them we should not get them ; and if even they did come they would only garrison the towns, and we should have to raise troops to fight. Imperial troops had always brought along with them Imperial interference in our affairs. He reverted to the policy of the Fox Ministry, the only policy evor inaugurated.capable of finishing the war being rendered abortive by Imperial interference ; how Fox and Whitaker, fightiug the battle of the Colony, were defeated by Sir George Grey with England at his back; the stoppage of the effectual confiscation policy through English interference, which had left us in our present position ; that Mr. Weld was forced to adopt the self-reliant policy to rid us of that interference; that the Colony deliberately accepted that policy ; and that we should not humble ourselves in the dust to ask for help which would likely be refused ; that the pitiful economy of the Government was the cause of all our disasters ; had the 1500 men proposed by Weld been ready to face Tito Kowaru, all wonld have been well. That pitiful economy in leaving only 15 men at the Chathavis as a guard, produced the East Coast War ; that a great deal of unnecessary harm had been created by false reports obtaining circulation. Our true remedy was to return to our self-reliance, and trust to ourselves for extrication from difficulty and danger.

Mr. Travers seconded the amendment. He said the origin of the war on the East Coast was the escape of the Chatham Island prisoners, which escape wns highly creditable to them in the manner it was effected. They left their guarJ, who it was wellknown had often ill-treated them, without inflicting injury on them, and we did not know that they intended aggressive operations till we began the war. There was no war before they came, and we drove others into joining them. Although the- West Const war was different, some blame attached to us there. We must nob contrast our civilisation with theirs. He did not attempt to justify Tito Kowaru, but the Maoris were only carrying on war after their own fashion. Ha mentioned the rumors of disaffection in outlying districts, particularly Wairar.ipa, where we had eight hundred able-bo lieJ men, and in the event of an outbreak, said we should shako off the trammels of Exeter Hall, and fight the Maoris in their own fashion. He thought asking for aid a fal<e step, as we wore competent to deal with our difli-ullies ourselves. He mentioned the false alarms about the Untt and Wairarapa natives; but if thpre was a prospect of their rising, we should anticipate "them, and at once arm ourselves and drive them into the bush. He spoke of the honor of the Maoris i-i not being tempted by the reward of £1030 to give up Tito Kowaru, which contrasted favorably with tho conduct of E iropean3 in similar circumstances. H.> thought, on the whole, things wero not so bad as represented, and we should bo able to deal with our dilfi. ulties ourselves. He alluded to a lvmnrk which fell from Dr. Grice, in reference to the Southern members paring down tho estimates. He said Southern members inaugurated the solf-reliant policy, and ought to be exonerated from such a charge.

Mr. E. Bull (of the Wellington Advertiser), then came forward. His appearance was tho signal for a perfect hurricane of hallowing, groaning, and hissing. As soon as he was able to obtain a hearing, he siid he was awaro that ho was on the unpopulat sid.;, but that his only object in coming forward was to ask a question from the mover of the motion to bring trjops from Australia that, was. In the event of its being carried, what action would bo taken on it ?

Mr. Hart said this wa? not the House of Commons, nor was ho a Cabinet Minister ; at y resent he was only tho mover of this motion in a public meeting, and could not say what action would be taken on it.

Mr. JonNSON alluded to Mr. Travers' speech as being apologetic of the Maoris' excesses, and condemned (he self-reliant, policy.

Hi 3 Honor then put the question to the meeting, and being unable to decide by a show of hands, directed a division —those supporting tho motion to take one side of the hall, and those against it the other.

The amendment was declared to bs carried amidst much cheering.

After a vote of thanks to the chairman the meeting broke up.