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Wellington Independent, Volume II, Issue 60, 22 April 1846, Page 2

The nature of this country makes it ap- £. parent that the assistance of an efficient t and willing !>o ly of natives, would greatly tend to bringing the present coniesi to an I issue, and afterwards be invaluable in?-. keeping the turbulent chiefs in fiiibjedion,!' Recent events do not warrant us in belie?- b ing, such -assistance 'can b* procured in I this district, we would therefore surest f the propriety of the Governor procuring I such aid from the Bay of Islands, at the t earliest possible period. If things remaia | much longer in their present state, the 1 season /or putting in tlie wfrat this year | will be lost, and the settlers may find them- j selves -largely dependent upon Sydney f next year for supplies ef this article ot ne< ' ceesiiy. At the game time, it is evident I" that next year flour will be very high is jthe neighbouring colonies, probably not* : lees than £30. per t6n, and to importer" | such a price, to "any. extent, would raaie* atemble inroad upon the present small \' resources of this «e:tleinent. Could the;, settlers obtain the large amount of ckareJ i> land on the Hutt, in due time to crop it; instead of the -prospective high prices in t ie neighbouring colonies being an evil, they would be a positive blessing. For possessed of the land in question, and reassured of iheir safety, ihey would prowed to work vigorously, and we are connaentthat next harvest would find this settlementex.porting.instead of imp.ning, the siaff of life. Were the Driv. r to proceed to the Bay of Wands, and ob.ain lomata Walker and 200 of his follower*, »JI that is de>ired,we have noUoubt, woo.ilbe accomplished in suffiuient time, i The settlers wereTtartled at seeing Ku, mete walking down the beach yesterday, it is ot course familiar to all the Colonists, tuat Kumete was found guilty of felony at "Jβ Jast sittings «f ,| ie Supreme Courtj after a most patient trial, wbioh lasted for two days. On enquiry we learned that •ills native had been pardoned by his Excellency. It appears that further evidence has been furnished, which led his Honor vie judge, to recommend that he should be pardoned. It is to be exceedingly regretted that the evidence was not furniahed in Court, for if it had been sufficient to convince the jury of the innocence of Ku« mete, the unhappy Gillespie family might f«i c been L 8 P arecr the loss of a husband and father, a brother and eon. The natives »c fear will not attribute to the rfrht cause of Kumete, unless the greajest possible pnins be takon to explain to hit k c ' rcuin stances under which he n?«i [ eleased - They threatened reprisals unless Kumete, was released, apd tiie CfiUespios, father and son, were tho vie*

tiftis; and the cOnvicfed is placed at liberty after a little delay. Will It he possible to convince the natives thtft Kutneie, doeß not owe his liberty-to the /bul munJel's in quesii in ? Should another native be found guilty and sentenced, may we not expect that murders .proportioned to the importance «>f ihe convicted native will be t\w const qtience? \Ve frar the release of Knjne c, will be at least as unfortunate in its •consequences as his conviction.