The Taranaki Herald. PUBLISHED DAILY MONDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1881.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 3854, 3 October 1881, Page 2

The Taranaki Herald. PUBLISHED DAILY MONDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1881.

We liave refrained duriug the past week from referring iv our leading columns to the aspect of native affairs iv this district, having no desire to alarm the community or embarrass the Government at a time when^t should receive the support of everyone, We have, however, as recorders of pass * ing events published day., by day the reports of occurrences and the various rumours that have reached us—^which by the bye have for the most part turned out to be 1 correct- -although from the Native Minister's statement to the settlers at Manaia it would appear that the Government was totally ignorant of the events which were transpiring: We would wish to believe that the Ministry are in earnest and intend to determine once and for all the native difficulty, which has retarded the settlement of this fine district; but from the remarks of the Native Minister to the deputation which waited upon him in town, and from what he told the settlers at Manaia, the 11 taihoa " element appears so prominent that we fear, notwithstanding the assurance of the Government to the contrary, the present difficulty with the natives will be only patched up for the present, to be re-opened when the large force now being formed has been again reduced to a " helpless " footing. But will the Colony stand this shilly-shallying, and the waste of public money that must result from it ? and is the district to be for ever kept in a state of turmoil by the menacing attitude of a number of rebellious natives ? Although Mr. Rolleston considers "the newspapers are answerable for a great deal " for publishing what he terms "false reports," we suppose it has never struck him that he is far more censurable in displaying a total ignorance of the events which are passing around him. As an instance •of the false reports he quotes Daniell's adventure with the natives, which he states is " absolutely untrue," because Colonel Boberts knew nothing about it ; and further is reported to have said to the settlers at Manaia that "he (Mr. Rolleston) was knoddng about Rahotu the whole of that day, when the assault on Dauiells was said to have taken place, and yet he never saw or heard anything of it." Now, Daniells' story turns out to be true ; whilst the statement of the Native Minister, that he was at Rahotu on Thursday week, everybody knows to be incorrect, for he was in Wellington at the time. Still, little inaccuracies of this kind, when uttered by a Minister, are trifles ; but when occurrences happen unknown to the authorities, and are recorded in the newspapers, they are only worthy of " condemnation and censure." We stated last week, on very excellent authority, that a large number of natives, with their drays and surroundings, were seen on a road inland of Normanby — in fact, near Waihi. The Maoris were coming along a road which leads from the settlement of Titokowaru's people, and they were seen to turn off on a road in the direction of Parihaka. We also learn that it was common talk at Normanby that " Titokowaru's people were ' clearing out' for Parihaka." But, allowing that the talk was idle gossip, there still remains the fact that a large body of natives were on the move, and the questions yet to be answered are — what natives were they ? where were they coming from ? and where were they going to ? Tho authorities appear to be perfectly ignorant of any body of natives being on the move ; and if they were unacquainted with such a trifling matter as that, what opinion can the public have of their knowledge of native movements generally. Mr. Rolleston doubts the story of Daniells. We wish we conld doubt the account we have published respecting the natives ploughing Hunter's land, for that is a far more serious affair than a man being chased by a few natives, because he hit one of them who interfered with him at his work. Notwithstanding the Native Office tries to surround Hunter's affair

with its usual glatnoiiry tliere^tia&icls out in bold .I'ifeliefcijUe .'fact tuat the Native Minister l^as'sho^n great weakness? <w& fff&iti of Knowledge of native character in^tfre manner he has. dealt with tiiis;<sase. Eals^ ; steps in that direction will tie the mean's of encouraging the natives to defy the authorities, and at last will provoke hostilities. The attempt by Mr. Rolleston to fix the responsibily of any trouble arising through" 'the re'mdvat of -~ther natives from the laud on to the shoulders of a private person, only bears out what we haVe said on a previous decasion with regard, -to the. juifi.tness of that gentleniaii "fdr thk of Native guch pusjjllanimous attempts to avouTa dollisioii 'is "only calculated to incite •tfie ; '&a*;ivei&' to rebellion, as they will soon, get ;tq, imagine that they have only t f d '''strike the blow to conqwt.' :! Mr '; -Rdltestoh, no doubt, is a well-meaning man, but as he has failed on previous occasions when dealing with native matters, the prospect of success on the present occasion is very doubtful. We cannot forget the fact that Mr. Rolleston was Under Secretary in the Native Department up to the 'time 1 of the " Tito ■ Kowaru outbreak," which was followed quickly afterwards by the escape of the native prisoners from the Chatham 1 Islands j and the subsequent atrocities andblood^ shed on the East Coast, as well as in Taranaki. With a knowledge of jbhe mismanagement of the Native Department, and the direful events which, then occurred, we dread the future if; Mr. Rolleston continues to hold the portfolio of Native Minister. !

In reply to Mr. Rolleston's uncalled fo^ cemure of newspapers when addressing a. deputation >v ©f settlers that Waited hp6n him' at Manaia, Mr. Yorke said "he thought it, was scarcely fair to condemn the whole of the Press in such sweeping terms. He appealed: to the gentlemen present to support his statement that such wild and, false rumours had found no place in the Star. He knew that the journal had been blamed for not giving more native news than it had_ ■done. But although sensational reports might help to sell a newspaper, he believed it 1 to be their duty to publish, facts, ndt' falsehoods." All this savoars very much ■ of whafc a gentleman, in Jerusalem many years ago is reported to have said, when.goingup toVthe Temple. Mr. Yorke may '• thank God he. is, not, .as, other men are," yet we find in the newspaper he conducts, and in the same issue that contains the remarks qu6ted above, A far more sensational statement than anything we have ever published ; for from hts reference to Daniells his observations were evidently intended to refer to ns. We should have been very Chary of permitting a paragraph like the following to obtain admission in our columns at a time like the present : — ••Rumour says It is probable we shall have a brush with the natives before long." The publication of sueh .' " alarming and highly coloured rumours might help to sell a newspaper," but we believe it to be our duty " to publish only facts — not falsehoods.'" If, as Mr. Yorke states, "the welfare of the district was his main object iv view, and he knew that by publishing alarming and highly coloured rumours the wives and settlers would be alarmed "—why, in the name of all that is wonderful, did he allow such a seusational rumour to appear in his paper 7

The Northern S.S. Co.'s s.s. Rowena leaves Onehunga this day for Waitara, and leaves, as per. agents' advertisement, to-morrow for Onehunga.

The Northern S.S. Co.'g fine new steamer— the Macgregor — will leave Onehunga on Wednesday, and is advertised to return from Waitara to Onehunga on Friday, at 7 p.m.

The Mammoth Gift Company leave for Pungarehu to-morrow. They will play at the Camps, and on, via Manaia, to Hawera and the South.

We have been requested by Te Wetere to correct a statement which appeared in a paragraph we copied from the Lyttelton Times. He says he neither went nor sent to Paribaka during his last visit to New Plymouth.

Sergeant- Mn jor Goodall arrived here on Saturday, from Blenheim, to take charge of *he police stationed in New Plymouth. We understand that Mr. Bullen has obtained two months leave of absence.

Captain Edwin telegraphed at 11.35 a.m. to-day — "Bad weather is probable between north-east and north-west. Glass fall fully five-tenths more. Sea heavy, and very heavy rain within twenty-two hours. Wire urgent at 2 o'clock."

To show the spirit that pervades all connected with the Mounted Rifles, we hear that Captain Gibson, whose son is a member of Corps, but who is away with a survey party, has asked Captain Davidson to be allowed to take his son's place should the services of the Corps be required.

We have been requested by Mr. Bayly to state that the statement copied by us from the Lyttelton limes to the effect that since Te Whiti's speech he had taken away his cattle from his farm is incorrect. He has not done so, but has actually put 150 head of cattle on the land since Te Whiti's warlike speech was delivered.