OUR NATIVE TROUBLE.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 3853, 1 October 1881, Page 2

OUR NATIVE TROUBLE.

■ MINIS I BBS 1 DEPABTVRE FOR WELLINGTON. . i% , The Hons. Mr. Hall, Major Atkinson, and Mr. Rolleston held a Conference at Opunake yesterday, lasting from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. We -understand that all the matters in connection with the native difficulty were fully discussed. The Honbls. Mr. Hall and Major Atkinson left at 5 p.m., by the G.S. Stella, for Wellington, and the Hon. Mr. llolleston returned to Tiingarehu. Everything was quiet at Parihaka this morning, but the natives, as usual, came down to the fences, to see that they had not been pulled down by the Constabulary. THE AFFAIR AT OTAKEHO. Our Hawera correspondent telegraphs today _u« I have just been talking with Mr. Hunter, of Otakeho, upon whose land the Maoris are ploughing. He tells me many settlers blame him for not deciding to torn the Maoris off, but as the Defence Minister threw the responsibility upon him -of deciding which course was to be adopted, he thinks, qnder the circumstance, he did what was best. The general opinion here appears, to be that Hunter would have acted wisely from the first in allowing the Maoris the,, .use of the potato-field, thereby securing good neighbours. Some other settjprjs o.n tl\e. o ßlaißS have,, made private arrangements and. exchanges with the natives, and both races appear quite satisfied, /inhere may be too much cast iron as ,well as 'tpo little -in- orxx', dealings with.' the*, natives. The absurd rumours lately prevailing are, now subsiding."'"' r ' : \. ;^., ; /f,,; „,a ^> * A correspondent at Manaia telegraphs ito us as follows The,, settlers to resist any' infringement of their rights by the . Titittyes. -/{jJpWTWaqGtffSS s & 1 0W^ arms' jssuerTlnst 'night.' "^Everything is apparently quiet." - -. -— - - ' A Press Association telegram' from Auckland, informs, iw that , in, Response., to^ , Major \yithe;rsVd vertWmentin^fh'e Auckl^ntl J^a'^efs. about'seventy 1 [hien^mn^ered at tlfe(d^iU' t shed •yestcrdAy' -nldhrii'i&}' ~Twe\4e J were 1 ' selected, and Major ,Wij|)ei ! §-.has f -it,elegraph,ed ,to)Wellingjtoii} fojs/f urther instructions. 1 A Press Association telegram states that the ChrisTdHurch Kn'gAri&rpjj&itjr&^idifrnd Yeomanry Cavalry have, offered their services to the Govern mxj'nfJ hi 'the r event- of hostilities breaking' oui'wYtli ihe^Ma'pris.- • -'- 1 ■•''* " ) ' > I A speciixl to the Wangaritii Herald, from Qkato, dateiV'Selifember 28, 'says-i-'^^atters are-rApiVily approaching a point when the settlers" will" take' the " law into ~ their "own hands. They,'Jir§'jbecdming"'exasperated at the increasing, insolence of the natives,, .en-cpdraged-by the^inact'ion of the Governmdrit." , The LyiiMby:snies\'&\ikii\3i\, who,h < a^taken i 'up his- J qukiters,al JreßeW^ l at"6)At(J J i/telbgraphs— •' ThingsWfaf 'dfe ih siahi quo. The natives for. some time past Have beecuturning eve^riftgiritb^cSshrselliS^tffeir'^fee^aM 1 cattle at a great s*cgfieg,"sej^bilct being to gfetbmojaeyijin every way possible. I notice t^jafc many of the small native settlements about-herey which ;yveref occupied. jon ; thcioc* ; cation of my last visit, are now deserted, the itihabitajataibnyAng artkgoaeitoDPjndh'afca..>!rhe ainse of irksoraeness and-u«easiness amongst Vtiefew Eur.opi(JaJif Settlers Jierftls^dry. great. tlii N,evy Plymouth the prevailing idea is that ftr.^Bryce^s plan shot/lrtttaVe'b'eeH-ad'obted'." ■ T'Offi SuAiiy SD^tKo to TM&tti&3&£3&&\ P^ymoutlv • He. -was- ver|y rJ -resefv^}-,nbulJriad-mitted that things'; did' not loo.k.Velf. "The impression prevails here that Major' Kemp is working in concert with the mpre.turbpleqt. spirits at Parihaka, but, of that as yet'- 1' hjlvc j obtained no confirmation. It is certain that natives from the Upper Wanganuj. haye regu- j larly visited Parihaka, but whether as emis- \ saries of Major Kemp, and if so, on what j mission, is uncertain., Te, Wetere,, the wellkiown Mokau cniel:, lias also been-about ( here .recently, ostensibly to interview Mr. Rolleston rq the sgile^f.Q large,,bloqk ,ojM^u4^he^;.but. if is rumoured thatch?. i.w^ntior sent to Parihaka. • fl^q; settlers- regard witlv great suspicion all To Wetere's movements, his-,re-putation being that of an extremely cunning and treacherous Maori. ,The.Gqvernm,ent arc evidently doirig their besi'to grapple With the difficulty, .and -to Be , prepared. f of 'any'Jemerg^ncy ; but there is no doubt tiiAti if '& sudden j outbreak occurred it would be at a disadvantage as compared AVitha'fewimdnblis ago." " Mr. Burgess^ recentlyfrom-E.rifjland^w.hp j .'was the first to,'take v u^hiDd ( ftiidbuil^lan J puse on the W^reaßiocW, south of Stoay River/rembvect' his l family and all his household, belongings to New Plymouth on Sjonday last. When the drays containing^h^ furniture crossed Stony River,— a- number of natives gathered 'around 'and made 'jee'rihg- Remarks'. Mr. Burgfess'is inno way to be' blamed for tcmpvitg ;his fanailyiifrom danger; butthere is no dclubt'thati thisJratreat will-Have fi nbad-* effect oq the native.mind. He himself -mean's to ; return to ihis : l'and as soon as he ha&Npettiled^his i family in New Plymouth. I had a long con-" vdrsation with h^m,|in of /^hich he told me he had applied to the Constabulary authorities 1 'for .prbtedtf6hr''batf ! was^toltf iUy j]iald qui^e enough, to tjo protect- th^jnsejY/esf MX SjlHnm B.ayly, quq Q^tMe'jf^rl^t.s^^erl' min^p ago f r,empv ( ed WU.tisJam,^ |to|e W| Plymouth, returned on Monday with thu.^u-. tention of taking awayjhis_stock. He told "me h g Mff c^, at fMiyfta,^. f wwi absolutely necessary to look after such interis admitted to^be.oE gre,at y ( alue, }S f U)a,t,iFin a first encounter the Maoris' should obtain' any advantage^ then the rising will be general. Mr. •Baylytralsß-eap'rain 'of the^lo^l^dlifn-' te^rs, and another^object he iiasTin^yisiting thp district is tb'»geVthenl intcPgbed^working

■order." „ % , r , .^ , i- . t The j of ; th 6 Auckland frerald telegraphed ,pniSeptem.ber : 23th; :— •' The Isev. has jus> returned from Parihaka, passing through {he, camps at Opunake and the Plains. *He^eports^Parihstka fb' Wclean and healthy, and most of the natives are out planting their annual, cr_ops.. ,Te .Whiti, is alsocaWftyJpiafcti&g- - <He-sa\\"-Tdhu/ whb-said the native grievances ha4< not been adjusted. Tlje natives would not iet-ilr. Luxford look about Thejn said ;h§ was 3 a spy. The natives are very short of food, L wnich consists of potatoes, and ,wil 1 greens. .The natives are ndf fencing across the road, bujt culttvjUiH&'iiear.-the' main xoad^ab.oub a mile and'a-half from Paritiaka, one"" of "their .old plantations. The Maoris' engaged about /here number about 400. Their, women and children are busy cooking and playing around them. One native said, '" J^allpa, parson, h{sVe you come to knock ddwn-^he 4 fence ? "

Plantations are to be seen in every available spot, the land being very patchy. There is not a very large extent of good rich land about there. The natives complain bitterly of this land being sold. The natives ploughing at Otakeho are cultivating the same field they did last year before the sale. The natives laugh at the idea of fighting. There was not the' slightest sign of war preparations. Every native seemci to be planting. You may safely consider the aff.tfr as much smoke and no fire. The glory of the Maori is to humbug us."