THE WANGANUI CHRONICLE AND RANGITIKEI MESSENGER. "Vérité sans peur.” Wanganui, April 18, 1861.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 5, Issue 231, 18 April 1861, Page 3

THE WANGANUI CHRONICLE AND RANGITIKEI MESSENGER. "Vérité sans peur.” Wanganui, April 18, 1861.

The General Assembly is summoned to meet at Auckland oi/tlie 30th May. 2’he southern part of Otago has been erected into a separate province uuder the name of /Southland.

The particulars received from Taranaki by the Airedale, regarding , the so-called peace, are by no means reassuring. The terms which Mr. AfcLean seems;fo have had some difficulty in inducing some of Kingi’s party to accept are a'fit conclusion to this most humiliating contest. Mr; : McLea'n has done what Sergeant Trounce promised to do. “ Good soldiers and fellow-gentlemen," said he, “ if you make me your spokesman you will show the more judgment; and let me alone for the argument. I’ll be as loud as a drum, and point blank from the purpose." That he has been “ point blank from the purpose,” will appear from the terms offered by the Governor, which are the following „ “ 7/apurona and Ngatiawa,— For.twelve months you have been carrying arms against the Queen, and the authority of the law ; you have now laid down your arms and expressed your desire for peace; believing you to be sincere, I have come frcm Auckland for the purpose of stating the terms upon which it will be granted,, and upon which her Majesty’s gracious pardon and protection will be extended to. you. , . “ They, are as follow~ “ 1. The investigation of the title to, and the survey of the .land at Waitara; to be continued and completed without interruption. “•2. Every man to be permitted to state his claims without interference, and my d.eci-

sion, or the decision- of - such person as ! shall appoint, to be conclusive. “ 3. ,711 the land in possession of her Majesty’s forces, belonging to those who have borne arms against her Majesty, to be disposed of by me as I may think fit. “4. ,711 guns belonging to the Government to be returned. *- “ 5. ,711 plunder taken from the settlers to be forthwith restored. “ 6. The Ngatiawa' who have borne arms against the Government must submit to the Queen and to the authority of the law, and not resort to force for the redress of grievances, real or imaginary. , “ As I did not use: force for the acquisition of land, but for the vindication of the law, and for the protection of her Majesty’s native subjects in the exercise of their just rights,/ shall divide the land (which I have just stated my intention to dispose,of) amongst its former owners; but I shall reserve the sites of the block-houses and redoubts, and a small piece of land round each, for the public use, and shall exercise the right of making roads through the Waitara district.

“ On your submission to these terms you will come under the protection of the law, and shall enjoy your property, both lands and goods, without molestation. 7n conformity with the declaration made on the 29th of November, 1859,. the rights of those .who prove, their title to any part of the piece of land at Waitara will be respected ” We have all along had the impression.that the contest was with W. Kingi., But with this-peace he has nothing to do. A portion of his tribe have' tired, of. the ■ contest-, and ought to have submitted ■ .unconditionally. They submit, but on conditions highly favourable to themselves. They have laid, down their arms, but have they given them up? will they not take them up again when they find it convenient to do so, notwithstanding the Governor’s sixth'condition ? In the first condition the Governor virtually confesses that he began the contest without sufficient investigation. This investigation is to be resumed. Doe 3 not this look remarkably like a condition dictated by W. Kingi ? But his Excellency can afford to be generous, for in the second condition he reserves to himself the exclusive power of deciding on the different claims which the investigation may bring to light—a power which the Maories never disputed. They objected, not to the power, but to the mode in which it was exercised. The third point looks like an assertion of superiority, but it is wholly neutralised and rendered ridiculous by the • subsequent declaration of the Governor’s intentions. Some moral effect might have been produced' by an act of generosity after submission, but the statement that this land occupied by the troops is to be restored to them is in reality the seventh point in these remarkable terms.

There are several extraordinary omissions in these conditions. There is no demand for compensation for the destruction of life and property.' Then/ again, there is no allusion to punishment. A pardon is to be granted, which implies that punishment is deserved. But have the Ngatiawa admitted their guilt ? And until they do so,• what effect will a pardon have in future outrages ? Punishment ought to be inflicted—iiot, of course, to gratify vindictive feeling, but- to convince the natives that illegal acts must be followed by their legitimate consequences. But instead ol their being- punished, the. value- of. their land is to be enhanced by the construction of roads through it at the Government expence. Still further, there is no guarantee whatever for their future good behaviour. ..Their arms are not taken from them ; but a considerable force must be kept at 2'aranaki for the purpose mf keeping them in control, prone as they will no doubt be to resort to force, as the best method of redressing their grievances, after their experience of the mild and harmless action of the Government against those who resist its authority. 2'hese terms are of little importance in themselves. They are made with a small portion of a by no means powerful tribe. But they are to be lamented as an indication of the feeble disposition of the' Government, and to be deprecated as teaching the King natives that they may involve the' country in a long and'harassing war, and conclude peace at any time- they please, on almost their own terms. The King movement is now the great difficulty, and we are afraid that of it we have not seen the end. The natives in this neighbourhood seem to understand that ’the war will now be carried by the Government into

the Waikato country, in order- -it down; and those who are in its favour intimate their intention of going thither so soon as hostilities commence .If this course-is. followed, Wellington province may still escape the evils of a contest within her bounds.

LOCAL INTELLIGENCE’'

Resident Magistrate’s Court.— April 9.—Alfred Ross v: John A/ailman and Wm: Evans. The defenders are-membera; of the No. 2 Company 'of Wanganui Volunteer Rifles, and. were, summoned/-!orf the sum of J£l each, being a.fine for absence from parade. Major Cooper deponed that he Wgs Commander. of the {Wanganui .Volunteer Rifles; that Wm. Evans, Corporal in iVo; 2 Company was reported to him as absent from parade.on the 23rd March ; that a • large, .number of the company were absent from ~ parade on that day, that William Evans beingc called on to give reason for.his absence-refused,,to do so and in ‘conse quence that he orders that Mr. Evans should bey fined. The deponent produced the copy of regulations agreed to by the Governor under whieh 'ihe Company of Volunteers had been sworn, in., Mr../toss, Solicitor, appeared for the plaiiMff, and showed from the Governor’s regulations for volunteers under the Militia Act,' that the commanding officer had power to inflict a fine not exceeding -for absence from parade without proper cause. Mr.'Roberts'-Who'appeared for the defendant brought up a copy of the regulations drawn up by the company-themselves for the regulation of; tlieir Conduct, and contended that according to these regulations the defendant was' not liable to iheJ-diue: ■ The magistrates on the bench, Major Dime and Capt. Sharp considered' that the Governor’s regulations were those -that affected the case, aud imposed the modified firs 4f -'ss. on each of the defendants; Mr. Mailman’s case being similar to that of Mr. Eyaqs. & W -.k The Storm Bird.— ? Mr. Alieksbn, of _ Wellington, is we understand, in :town, endeavouring to obtain shareholders, for.-the company to be connected with this vessel,rand we have no doubt he will be successful^.aS-the advantages are very obvious. : : J.

The Manawatu.— A correspondent informs us that Wi Tuko is making'Ja«tour up the coast. He has been at Ohau, 7/orowenua, Poroutawao, and 'was.going ihtthe end of last week up the: Manawatu and ,'o Rona, from which lie crosses-to Rangitikei.,? ;He says he is endeavouring to prevent t her Maoris from going to Taranaki, to; whicli/they- are very anxious to proceed, and that they would, have gone but for his persuasions.

Aramo Races. —These raCes came off on Friday, the sth inst;; at Mr/rJohn Walker’s. About 600 were present, andathe sport was excellent. -v ,

1. A sweepstakes; half mile/' Won by Mr. Joneses Lticy Grey; time; oneihinutb. 2. One mile heat, for a fine silver motinted whip. Mr. Day’s bf.m. Quiver; by half length. 3. Sweepstakes; 10s, silveV 'mounted whip added; l£m. MriHair’sßangihaeata, 2m.505. 4/ Steeple chase ; ,£1 each,V6lo added, 2| miles. The leaps were trying ;' ( a furze hedge, 3-rail fences, 5-ft. ditch and bank', and manuka fence, tried the mettle of the horses. Mr/Atkinson’s Tim won,-by two lengths. 1 15. Ladies’ Purse; 2 mileg Vf Won by Mr. Nicol’s b.m. Sharicy ; time, 4jp. ;40s. 6. Scurry ; | ra. Won by Mr; ! )>ay’s Quiver. 7. Sweepstakes; 103. each ;m. Won by Mr. Hair’s Rangihaeata; tjine, 3 m. 40 s.

WELLINGTON^ (From our own Correspondent.)

il/ondny, lotjtjApri,!, 1861 On Friday the anxiously 1 . djqok'ejl for Airedale arrived from the seat.bf waf)' which caused no ordinary sensation;, ;‘/Ouiytlireei newspapers have published the fullest particulars received. To my mind the news is ;far'from being satisfactory, which is the general ifnprbsSion entertained at Taranaki, NelsOn, ;ajid' Wellington ; many intelligent, shrewd, bmf i’eflbcting men here express! their utter mbst),'.indignation. From what I can gather, and Iflinter myself I am' tolerably welP postedj%r my guinea a week per .letter,.; which is ti‘ulyJacceptahle in these times), it’s* no peace confounded botched"" affair altogether, and places proud England, . whose. Queen; her sulijeets adore, in the eyes b£ other nations in a most unenviable light; Mi;. Minister .Richmond’ has just arrived from Taranaki. Why - has fye.left:the,Governor there on such a vital'occasioff?—it looks like that lie not only is ashamed, but shrinks from the fearful' Responsibility ;:iii:s®xtri.cating- the country from the mess which he and his insane colleagues have brought us to through their suicidal policy. Mr. /Jichmoml -finds it much more palatable to. come dpwn south, as an excuse to investigate -il/cAndrew’s affairs, and make some little adjustme'iit.Telative to the boundaries of the new provinceiof .Southdown —-an affair quite/out , of his department; it’s rather funny hew:he'and bis partners) Stafford and Bell (the latter ;is now-at Qtago), manage so luckily to get up a bit of business to. enable them to visit their sheep station; at; the colony’s expence. . .. . i, When General Cameron arrived at New Plymouth, he would neither allow himself to be telegraphed to Pratt at •4,be-/;fl / aitara or wait for the Tasmanian bu.t immediately proceeded overland on hbrsebask, swam the river, and dropt unknown upon' the old man like a clap of thunder; /#ho was in camp; at the time, and handed him his home despatches. General Cameron visited tjie ~sap, which he looked upon as complete bosh, ami .was horrified to think that in such a place the British army had been kept at* bay for two months; he expected to have seen something much

more, formidable; lie ..told them tliey ought long ago to have charged with fixed bayonets, and followed the natives up;'4hd adopt a different sysUm of warfare. General delicately, hinted to General Pratt that he was obliged to go to Auckland to land his niece there—an advantage of which he readily availed himself, and bolted like a shot off to Melbourne, which must have been to him a blessed relief; lie would not even visit New Plymouth, he was so nettled by the com stant attacks made by the newspapers and the illustrations in Punch ; he has certainly left his successors and the settlers a very pretty legacy. There has been one captain tried for drunkenness on duty, and dismissed the service, and another under arrest for a similar charge. The head quarters of the 14th regt. are to be removed to Wellington. I hear.from good authority that there is no chance whatever at present of the 65th regt. being sent home. The proclamation is out, summoning the General Assembly to meet at Auckland on the 30th May. : Thesteamer Storm Bird has arrived,, and the purchase of her has been all .but concluded ; there are a few legal technicalities which must be cleared up. The White Swan is now out of chancery, and is to resume her trading on this coast as usual, if inducement offers ; she is chartered to convey sheep to the Otago province, and Capt. George il/undle, late of the Siiaresbrook, is now in command. Our Superintendent has received an assurance from the General Government that no delay shall take place in gazetting his return, also of the newly elected members of the Provincial Council. Nis Honor will’then convene the Council about the 15th May (let your M. P.s be on the alert), so as to pass the most required measures previous to his and the other members of the house of Representatives’ departure for Auckland ; no doubt but what the Doctor will be compelled to leave the Council sitting ; this cannot be helped, as it is of such great importance his attendance at the big house. The amiable Dillon Bell, it is stated, is an aspirant for the Speakership ; it is questionable if Dr. Monro will stand. Catch Dillon not looking after the loaves and fishes from any quarter; lie is without exceptiou the most complete copyist of the Talleyrand school I have met with in the colony. Dr. Abrahams, our bishop, gets the credit of writing the article on the Taranaki war in Saturday’s Spectator. Stokes, the proprietor, is at the Aliuriri; I question if he will like it. The Bank of New South Wales, one of the oldest establishments in that colony, is about opening branches in Auckland, Wellington, Canterbury, and Otago; the y/uckland one very soon. This may account for inspector /Raymond’s (Union Bank of Australia) hasty return to the south ; he was passenger by the steamer Airedale, and sailed for the other provinces.