WAIROA.

Wanganui Herald, Volume X, Issue 2705, 14 February 1876, Page 2

WAIROA.

(From our own correspondent.)

February 11.. As you "will have learned by my telegrams the Native difficulty has lately advanced another stage here. On Monday it became known that natives had taken possession of a section close to the scene of Colonel Whitmore's defeat at Moturoa. The land belongs to Mr James Dickie, and he has a Crown Grant for it, it being 1 one of the original awards for services to military settlers. On the following day Mr Dickie went, accompanied by a Constable, to ascertain if svhat he had heard was correct, and finding a number of natives falling his bush, which is valuable, and building wh ares, he warned them off. They refused to go, and said they were the right owners of the land. A Constable then (am Tuesday) went to Patea with a written report of the matter to Major Turner. Tuesday, Wednesday, and half of Thursday passed without any steps being taken by the authorities. Shortly after the publication of the telegrams out rushed Major Turner and an interpreter, the gallant Major virtuously indignant that what he called " sensational telegrams " should be sent to the papers. On Friday morning 1 a visit was paid to the "jumped section " and the result was that only three native men were visible and some women. Tapa to Wairoa, a Waitotara chief, is the leader of the party ; the same man that was allowed to take possession of iliddell's place at Waitotara. Kereopa was away when Major Turner paid his fruitless visit, as Tapa said he had only been up there for some bones. The real fact was that ho had gone to Waitotara for more men, and arrived on the scene with some others late in the clay. Kereopa has warned another settler not to touch the apples on his own place,as he, Kereopa, wants them, and will call for them when ripe. Captain Blake, thanks to your stirring him up, left the festive circle in Wan-g-anui in which he is usually to be found, and came up in yesterday's coach. He went on to Patea, however, leaving word that ho would come out to-day. Of course there is no hurry about the matter — it is only a white settler who is losing his trees ; besides the more delay there is the more muddle and bother there will be for these native doctor swells to wallow and get fat in. It is certainly shameful and disgraceful to the Pakeha race that with all the expensive official and armed men and policemen drawing pay, where a trifling difficulty like this arises, action cannot be taken at once and without all this fuss and nonsense. If we were not afflicted with a Native Department j which depends for its very existence and 'the subsistence of its satellites upon keeping a Native difficulty goina-, those little matters would never occur. The' Natives say plainly they are willing to go if paid by the Go /eminent ; and-'this is what the Native Department has carefully educated them up to. These Natives have really no more power and no better rights than the Chinese of Otago, and if they are to have special rights and an expens've organization to protect them always, whether th y are acting in rebellion or otherwise, why should not that unfortunate Heathen ,

Chinae bo allowed similar privileges ? Lot ns have a Chinese Minister find Chinese Department, and then 1 gunranlee the Chinamen will soon be as troublsomo as the Maorins ;as the officials would take care their billets should hoc be pointed at as useless. -\s things stand now, how long would three Chinamen and a lew women be allowed to defy the Otago Police and the Government and to occupy land belonging to a settler there ? We pay taxes and ai'u entitled to protection, and every lime these matters are allowed to cuift on as at present, the peace of the Colony is endangered, for it is a sore temptation to a settler to take the law into his own hands, and if that once actually begins who can say where it will end,