THE WELLINGTON INDEPENDENT Wednesday, May 21, 1845.

Wellington Independent, Volume I, Issue 15, 21 May 1845, Page 2

THE WELLINGTON INDEPENDENT Wednesday, May 21, 1845.

Tβ Rauparaha has paid his. promised visit to the Hutt, and, from all we learn, without the slightest success. Either Te Rauparaha has played false, or that decay in "the power of chiefs, at- leasr for the purpose of doing good, which has been remarked upon, is coming to pass" at a rapid pace. Te Rauparaha, a few years since, would have been obeyed without a demur ; he has just been treated with supreme contempt, and has departed suddenly by the road from the Hutt for Waikanae, instead of returning to Wellington, from which the chagrin he has felt may be inferred, if we are justified in inferring anything from the proceedings 'of a savage. The Hutt continues to be occupied by the intruding natives, and they declare they will not remove from land to which they have no better claim than has the Emperor of China. And this obstinacy is evinced bqcause they cannot appreciate the reluct-

ance of the white n.an to use force. Our lacking the will to use harsh measures, while the hope of conquering by persuasion remained, is evidently construed into the existence of the want of power, or cowardice.

The settler must be duly respected, or abandon New Zealand. We will not leave so fair a country so fairly occupied; and we have now no alternative, however reluctant we may be, from feelings of humanity which we feel assured fill the breast of all the Port Nicholson settlers, but to prepare for a conflict. As we would succeed, as we would do so attended with the smallest possible amount of mischief, we must qualify ourselves to play our part like highly civilized men. We have a goodly body of military here, officered in a manner to inspire confidence. But the power of that force is limited, and needs the support of the hearts and hands of their fellow countrymen heretofore unassociated with military matters.

Our journal of this day declares the Militia Law to be in force; it also announces a list of the Officers appointed for this district. The Officers will generally be deemed satisfactory; all cannot be satisfied, but bearing in mind the two great considerations which should be studied in appointments of the kind, —general esteem and efficiency—and we think it will be admitted the public wishes to a very large extent have been consulted; and from the list it maj be inferred, that abundant evidence is displayed of aiming at obtaining the cordial support of the community.

The public notice evinces a desire not to make the militia law a compulsory measure. The desire is evidently to put the settlers upon their mettle. They can be commanded to enrol, but their voluantary aid is in per* ference, and wisely sought* Either the settlers should or should not be rendered qualified to aid in their own defence, and their vigilance urged. If they should, the right mode unquestionably is to call upon them to come forward. An appeal to their own sense of propriety is the right course, and failing their properly responding, the consequences will necessarily and justly rest with themselves.

Throughout there is, and throughout we trust there will be, a desire to meet the wishes and feelings of the settlers. All will be paid; true the employing class will find that the pay is trifling compared with the sacrifice ; but then as they have most at stake, as reasonable men they ought to feel, and feel they will we are assured, that it is their duty to show the example by coming forward, to a man, to assist in asserting and maintaining the rights of the settlement.

Two hundred are now called upon to volunteer. From what we have heard, we have no doubt a throughly efficient company of fifty will be found volunteering on the Hutt; and the company there will be of great assistance to the troops stationed on that side of the bay. One hundred and fifty will have to be raised in Wellington, We know that a company is now organizing which will be thoroughly efficient, and will volunteer to be ready to proceed anywhere and play its part. One hundred men then remain to volunteer to protect their homes and families in Wellington, and that they will be found ready and willing to act is a matter of course. We have volunteered the body on paper but we feel confident the body will be even more ready, competent, and numerous than we have stated.

Every step that wisdom and experience suggests in military matters must now be taken. The places of refuge must be-got ready immediately, if not sooner. The troops, we are happy to say, are being made to feel that they may have work near at hand. The Volunteers will not fail to be animated by the right spirit. Even before all can be prepared, we shall have news from the Bay of Islands. It is now more than three weeks since the forces arrived there. That they have been engaged before this date, there can be little room for doubt: and that they will have been successful all feel confident. News of the proceedings at the north must be here before we are in a condition to take the field, and that news will be equally discouraging to the natives and inspiriting to the settlers, This is our conviction, still, it would have no effect

were we in command, upon the preparations we should make, excepting to hasten them forward. Nothing less than the most thorough efficiency of which circumstances would permit, would satisfy us, however confident of the issue we might feel, and we have every reason to believe that this spirit guides those who are now responsible for the proper conduct of the contest unfortunately so evidently at hand, and no longei desirably to'be avoided by those who duly estimate the interest of the natives and of the settlers. All desire peace,—but it has long been a mere truce—and peace is now to be had, only by asserting the irresistable powers possessed by civilized man.