ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

Taranaki Herald, Volume I, Issue 16, 17 November 1852, Page 3

ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

TO TUB EDITOII OP THE " TARANAKI BKRALD'." "" Sin,— ln your last paper I observed a letter from Mr. Payntcr about injuries and injustice by the Natives, for which the Bottlers here appear to have no remedy from tho Magistrate's Court as at proBent constituted. It will be small sati>f»ction to him to know that he is not a solitary sufferer,. I have to complain of a series of annoyances which not only effect my property, but are of a character calculated to destroy alt personal comfort, and prove and re-provo beyond n doubt the utter eupinencss or inefficacy of our present Magistrates:, and the inoperative state of our laws for any wholesome purpose. "An Englishman's house is his castle;" oat on this trash, lie down and lick tho dust. lam nearly a helpless man, holding a 50 acre section : upon pnrt of thii-^-my own land— a party of natives have squatted for nearly tiro years. I valued much some knraka trees, and would not have had them destroyed, being so ornamental ; I had a sort of love for them, but they cut them down. On tiiis I applied to Captain King, the lato Resident Magistrate, and was referred to tho Police Sergeant, who promised to interfere with the trespasser's, and get them to remove ; bnt no remedy followed this promine, and I applied again, and the result was the same. SuUictjuently I applied to Mr. Flight, our present Ucsident Magistrate, who referred me to the Inspector, and he gave me a promise that he would consult the map, and if the Natives bad no right they would be removed. I was confounded at this, as it was my own land. Afterwards Sergeant Halse was gent to ascertain whether any crops were in the ground, nnd at that time no cultivation wns going on j and hero the matter again retted. Hut I made another npplicaion, informing the IMagluttntcs of (he cgntinail

trespass, when the Inspector promiicd to do all ho could to get me relief, and thnt Mr. Hnhc would bo iunt to valuo what tho Natives had in the ground, but nothing was done. Now that their crops arc In, they heva token in moro land, ami enclosed the whole. Not long since, for peace sake, and to save my wife and self from njury, I paid 2i Gd to Iho Natives for a trespass (oddly called so) on my ortn land. Inm literally bullied into submission, for at my time of life, nnd in my helpless condition I nm obliged to sftbmit to everything for qmctneii, Ifoni* of these nativrs wishCa any utensil, he demands it ami has ir, for I dare not rcfoso. On a late occasion orfe of thrm struck my wife and knocked mo about, inying Its rtoiild set lire to tbi house If he got not what he wanted ; and ho was s->mo time sinco paid £6 to gooff anothor pcrioii's land, and has been heard to Ray that ho will squat in order to get more money. There h a great don] (aid now a dny nbout our rights and responsibilities — of tho latter we aro constantly and practically reminded, hut, Sir, yon will perhaps bo able to tell me whnt has become (if tlfe former*. You tfill ace that I havo made a , patient search in the direction of the Court House, so yott need not trouble yourself to apply in that quarter. Yours, &c, William 1 Tilling. Now Plymouth, November 15, 1852.

s ; to Tnß EDiTon or Tffe " taranaki iibiuix." Sir,— ln your publication of the 10th iust., 1 observed a letter signed Win Payutcr, a man whose voracity has not yet been questioned. The (acts Which he has to simply, y^t plainly stated in that letter, even were th'ero n<> others of a liko character (hut unfortunately they abound) ought to satisfy any good government that that obnoxious, cfusrrcl-brceding fencing ordimnca is a disgrace to any civilised government, and ought to be forthwith repealed, and ono originated that should place the white and coloured races on an equal footing. We, ask no more titan this, and with less than this I hope British subjects will neVer bejdontent, nor ccaso to demand ns n right given them at 'heir birth. Tho men who could frame a law which compnlt n man to fence his laud before he can recover any compciunilon for damages done to his crops, and cyen then not from natives ; and on the other hand, leaves the Coloured man at liberty to fence or not, and yet awards him compensation, ought to bo held up to public execration. There is not its parallel in ancient or modern history. , „ I will give you a few facts which occurred during tiio five yenrs I resided close to tho very natives of whom Mr. Payntor complaint. They refused to do their part in fencing off their land from mine, because, aa thoy frequently told mo, tho law did not compel them to do it. It was a common practice for them to sit on the ground, watch their stock cat my crops, and in sumo instances they would even como through the fcuco and tether their horses on my ground. Should any, of my stock have found its way on to their UDfcnccd ground, they would cither spear them to death, or they would collect a pack of dogs, and set them on the anlmali and worry them to death. Two of my pigs nnd one sheep died from treatment of this kind. On ono occasion the tract of a homo was discovered on their ground, for which they thought fit to rctaiu a cross cut saw which they had of mine. This was dono without knowing it to be my horse. J am, Sir, yours, Sec, \ ' IP.TEH Ei.MOT. New Plymouth, Nov. 15, 1852.