TARANAKI.

Wellington Independent, Volume XV, Issue 1398, 17 January 1860, Page 3

TARANAKI.

■ RtfiSous Neglect. — At the olose of another year we are again discouraged to find that next to nothing; has been effected by the Land Pur-. chase department for the province. >ur transactions'during that period after so much promise, and expectation, show a purchase of fourteen thousand . acres of back forest land! A small payment, it is true, has been made far, some land at the Waitara,, hut the opposition affect to.tre^it this as a mere present, and the ji*itetfJ--aricl we should add the opposition itself r: -^is strengthened by the reprehensible procrastination of the government in fallowing up the purchase. We are told by the natives thatflthe District Commissioner delays further proceed ing until his Excelleucy the Governor and Mr. Commissioner McLean arrive at some time or other ; put this statement is directly opposed to the official intimation that the former gentle

man is fully empowered to act on his own responsibility. ' If the whole business between Teira and the government were not known, the delay, from whatever cause, might be attributed t) influences the latter were best enabled to ju'lge the value of; but it is a fuot patent to every one that the land Teira sold was exclu- , sively his own, and that the government openly 'paid him an instalment on 'account of it. Want .of funds.cannot be. pleaded as an excuse bjcause . ample provision was made by the General Assembly for the special purpose of supplying tho province with land. Do the government nee<! the support of public opinion t » urge them on, tir.of riaiivie allies' to support Teira against a fac'tiori-P-iffhey have both: Limited as Teira's land is said to be, it is his own, and a great principle-is involved in the issue. It is besideaclaibwledged by the natives to be the key U> purchases of land in Tarauaki ou a scale com mensurate with the requirements of the pro vince, and we therefore implore tbegovernmen "not to let another year pass over as resultless to 'us as 1859 has been. — Herald, 7th July.

' ■ A Genbba.li Parade' of the Taranaki Vplun teer Rifles was iield on Tuesday. From an e;irly horn country members were arriving in Town by the iliffjrent roads. The force ntusteYed at 1 p.m., and after going through the ciiscomaiy manual aiirt platoon exercises, skirmishing', firing, &c.,' was divided off itlttJto two companies '^f 50 men: each, one ol- ' these quitted the ground and formed aiir ambus ca ! de near the race course. After. a;-sri>ai tinter. change of firing under cover ibilhe high' fern iv. !l ttre ffreiglibourhood, -a -general attack on the; was made iattfye. point of the bayonet; :p"(V.'tl|'e' enemy routed.' A rjofjtion of the Band 1 v \Va,s,'o}i the ground for theh,rst f tune,'and'.plji(ye(f ..several airs in a style which' reflects the greatest credit on Mr. Manby's zeal and energy, and at the termination of the day's programme the Force with the hand at its head mivr'cbed through the Town. We understand that the 'remaining musical instruments may be expected very shortly from jLondpn, — Ibid,