The Star. MONDAY, JULY 27, 1808.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 63, 27 July 1868, Page 2

The Star. MONDAY, JULY 27, 1808.

Wr aro glad to hoar that it i« in« tondad i.o held a public moofcin/,' in Oliimhlclhu'cli lot* fcho piirpono of /m> tenting nyninnli tho natiyo policy of tint Ooioniiil Govorninont;, if' that can Ik» called a palmy whioh \vi\iU» th» <50Urno of (ivontrt and " ii'cinblort " lo«l a forcMuon itud vory probublo clinntitor mfty occjur. Wlion Mr Wl-uil'ord toolc oflico ho wa« at tioino puiiiii to iimlcc il; known that lii'h policy |.owhp<lh tlio nativofl coiiHiatnfl in "lulling Uion alono " Tho public, Hide of tlio iiuLivo qucHtion, and oxnfiporafced ftb Lho liu^'o oxpondlliuro incurrod on ilml, iwxownl, did nol; nl/op fco oiif|i)iro wlmli Mr Sfcufford mount by lulling i:!io Niilivon alono, Minlod by hin largo prominoM of rotrftijohinonl; and economy, i;hoy too o.mWy oiuno to t'l'ic coiidiiHion Unit tboro \vun an intiinaUi connoction botwoon tlio now Natiyo policy and tlio pi'omimid rodiictioiin in tlio CJlovorntnontoxpcMiditunj, In Hbort, it wjih tukon for grunted fclml lotting tlio Nafcivon nlono inoanl; no inoro llj^lifcing, and coiiHcquonlily no morooxpoiiMon in tlio diroetion of a Nativo war. Uo(sent cjvontu havo Horvud to nbow bow (rriovoiiHly tho publiinvdro docqivod, and thoy liavo proved, aluo, that Mr !St»lford ha« not adhered to the lot-ulono policy, Our roadorH have heard no froquently of confiscated landu, that thoy diuhl, uutloratand prntty woll what the pliiuno mo.;iifli They may not, howovor, bo nwnro tlmfc thoro nro thrpo principal pluees in tho North luland at which a eouHidorablo dofoneo forco ban boon muintaincd for tho oxj>rofi»

purjiOHO of ovor-awing ftiiydioalloofcod Natives who might bo iuoliuod to dispute Gin 1 ripjlifc to occupy' eoiiflsflatod torril/ory, Theuo ai'o J?nton f #in tho Wollington provinco, Opotiki and Wuikato iji Auckland, At oaoh of tJtoflo plaoGH tliopo aro contain bloolw of land which wo call o\m by right ol' conqueHl; nud coiiflaciifclon, but which a number of tho nutivod clftim as thoira. To protect wottlow in thono distriolo nn iivmod foroo luib beon maintaiuod ai. tho oxpoiiHO oC tlio wholo colony, and tho rooont butchory at Pa ton, hliowh oloarly tho iblly, to way tho IoahI;, of tho Grovornmont attompting to hold land vvhiah tho Nativoniu'c not proparod to allow m poaccably to occupy, It Booms to uh that tho propor policy of tho oovoi'nmont in cloai'—to withdraw tho tinned forco from iho di;ifciirbod dirttriotM, to . di»bi\nd it ontiroly and for over, anrl to lot it bo cloarly undorHtood lhat aottlors who c.hooHo to venture ou di«put(sd Uu'ritovy do ho at thoir. own rialc. Thin may nocm cowardly ndvico, but thoHO who may bo inolinod to look at it in that light miifltßtop to count tho coat of maintaining tho dofoncn forco, and tho coal; of a chronic war with tho Natives. If they aro able to bliow that tho colony cnu afford to pay for all thin, if they vim oloarly provolhut Ihoalroady ovorburdtmod coloriinttf can boar an addition of .62 or .£!) por hoad por annum to tho taxation, and if tho tnxpnyora aro willing to inoiu 1 (iho liability, by all moaiiH lob iw (Ighl; tho Nativott till wo havo din|)O«od o! 1 thorn altogether. 80 long an wo keop'up an armod forco wo tiro' actually paying a body of men who aro intortwtod in tho continuanco oftluwo ISTativo disturbunoort. This in a point which it would bo woll to con« uiilor.