The Evening Herald. MONDAY, MAY 3, 1869.

Wanganui Herald, Volume III, Issue 597, 3 May 1869, Page 2

The Evening Herald. MONDAY, MAY 3, 1869.

A colony governed as this is, and with circumstances so peculiar as an aboriginal race claiming, and the claim admitted, two-thirds of the land in the North island, while some I portion of this race is nearly always ! in open rebellion, should render the j colonists an object of pity and interest to the world. When government becomes an imposture—when it is simply an opening for adventurers with no other means of earn-, ing a livelihood—evils which are of great magnitude in themselves, are made unbearable ; for while the state of affairs is bad, there is no hope of it getting better. We might truly say we are governed in the plenitude of ignorance. We do not wonder that the South island demands separation, for all the circumstances of the native question are forcing it in that direction. This question absorbs all others. It is involving the Colony in liabilities, the interest on which is taxing all its resources to the utmost they will bear. If the future presented anything to hope for, the difficulties and sufferings of the present could be more easily borne. The Government has spent an enormous amount of money in this district alone within twelve months; the settlers over a lar°-e and thriving part of the district have lost everthing they possessed, except the land, which at present is of no use to them; and the enemy having been forced back, the future welfare of the district is committed to to the care of an "agent." The local forces have been kept on pay, and stationed on the Waitotara block for the express purpose of capturing the Waitotara natives. The commander of ihe district had issued an order, that all natives found on the block were to be killed. Since then nn order, emanating from the native agent, was sent out to the effect that the natives were to be taken prisoners, if found. The local forces, with great zeal, have scoured the Waitotara country from end to end, and destroyed a good deal of property belonging' to the rebels. w hile the Colony is paying these forces, the natives, who Were in rebellion against i><, came r.own tho. Wanjranm river in open day, nncl are well received l,y our Puriki allies. A week or two back these natives were assisting- Titokowaru with fire and sword; and now they

are welcomed with open arms. If this is the way the country is to he governed, we hope the South Island will obtain insular separation, and that not one farthing- he voted for the further prosecution of the war. Let <r chaos come again," and even Putiki will afford no protection to cannibals. The Colony is driftino- into a state of dominion to a race that is becoming- comparatively weaker every year, through the policy of the native department. The "protection to the colonist is of a kind that tempts him to speculation and enterprise, and then leaves him to the mercy of the savage. The Colony is prepared to demand a reversal of such a policy at any cost, but h may not be able to express itself before the next general election.

Patis,\. Expedition.—An expedition is to start up the Patea river this day under Col. Lyon.

Mete Kingt a Government Agent —Mete Kingi, we hear, has taken upon himself to pardon the Waitotara natives, tbeyjiaving promised to be " Queen's men."

Titokowaru at Te Nguttj o te Manu.—We are informed that Titokowaru has arrived at Te Ngutu o te Manu, having been ordered out of the Waitara by the natives there, who say they do not desire war.

London CnAsiTrES.—There exists at present in London a thousand associations for charitable purposes, administering annually about £4,000,000, this being an average of £4000 for each society. This is entirely independent of the money spent under the poor law.

Ritualism in Wellington.—A correspondent who signs himself AntiRome, writing to the Wellington Post objects to the mode of conducting service at St. Paul's Church, and says :— " But it is not the gradual alteration in the mode of conducting the services that is the only evil. Mr Ewald's sermons are changing even as the service is. Precepts are inculcated, and the use of forms and ceremonies urged, not becuuse Christ so ordered us, but because "the Church" commands. It was at one time sufficient to say that " the Bible" or " our Saviour" taught us how to live ; now we must turn from these sacred monitors, and ask "What says the Church?" In fact, "the Church," as expounded by Mr Ewald. is put forward while our Saviour is almost passed over It remains for the congregation to show plainly whether they are going to be led by an inexperienced young clergyman, assisted by all the charms of a sensually delightful weekly ceremon}', through the mazes of Ritualism, into the arms'of the Romish Church.

Towx Board Case.—lt will be remembered that in the reeent case, " Town Board v. Kirkpatrick, £13 6s Bd," in which the Resident Magistrate gave a decision adverse to the Board, Mr H. B. Roberts gave notice of appeal, and that Mr Buller, owing to the delay in finding sureties, refused to allow it. The amount being under £20, there was no right of appeal except by consent of the Resident Magistrate: and Mr Buller stated to (be Town Board's solicitor that he had already taken steps to obtain the opinion of the Attorney-General on the ruling he had given. We understand that the Resident Magistrate has received a letter from Mr Stafford, to the effect that the Government must adhere to its rule not to constitute the law officers of the Crown a Court of Appeal in such matters, and suggesting that the appeal ought to have been allowed, the doubt whether the time bad expired being made a part, of the question. Mr Buller, having full confidence in the ruling he gave on the point of law, has invited the Town Board to bring forward another similar case, involving the same issue, in order that his ru]ing°may be tested by an appeal to the Supreme Court in the regular way. We trust this will ho done, as the question raised is manifestly one of great importance both to the Town Board and to the ratepayers.

The Waitotara Natives.—Mr Buller called attention, on the Bench to-day, to a matter of great importance to-the com- ' mnnity. He said he had been informed by Major Noake that there were grounds for believing it to be true that a party was being organised for an attack upon some Waitotara natives at Putiki. He said it was scarcely necessary to deny that any portion of Titokowaru's force was at Putiki. On the first approach of Titokowaru, Hare Tipeni quitted the district, and is now a fugitive at Putiki. There was a danger of the peace being broken, and he called upon the police to prevent any armed party from crossing the river. We quite agree with Mr Buller that the peace should be preserved, and that nothing would he more reprehensible than any attack upon Putiki, but we reject his statement that Hare Tipene was not a complicitor in the acts of Tito. Why did he and his people not come in to Wanganui when Tito first went on the Waitotara ? Echo answers —Why. Any party that pleases 'may believe what the natives say upon the subject; we simply will not believQ_until a more likely story is told.