POVERTY BAY.

Wellington Independent, Volume XV, Issue 1403, 3 February 1860, Page 3

POVERTY BAY.

The Natives in the Poverty. Bay District appear rather turbulent, and affairs (here seem to be in an unsettled state. Mr. Bell the Nalive Land Commissioner, has recently been pay ing a visit to that district, an I was very unceremoniously received

The Southern Cross of the 10(h inst, makes the following- vomarks upon Mr. Commissioner Ball's late visit to Poverty Bay fur the purpose of settling the Claims.

( "It appears that the natives there are beyond J all restraint.. They have broken loose altogether, laugh at the idea of a Commissioner coming among them, refuse to suffer even the forms of enquiry, and use language so outrageous concerning the Queen, the Governor and the white runanffa, as to be without a parallel in the country up to the present time. They repudiate all purchases whatever, the Bishop of Waiapu's to fcegin with." THE GOVEKNOn'B VISIT. The reception of his Excellency by the na tives, at Poverty Bay, was just what might hare been anticipated from the reception given to the L'ind Commissioner, as lately described by us. At the schools, from those who were under pupilage, of course, it was polite enough ; but the main body of the natives shewed them salvos 3iirly and disaffected to the last degree. They freely ask, in that district, what btisfuess the Governor has there, bringing the Q-icen's flag among them. We attribute the spread of this feeling, partly to the sulky discontent engendered by ihe donothing policy, which, like rust upon iron is eating into and corroding the native racft. But it must partly be attributed, in that district, to other influences. When the piesent Bishop of Waipit left Turanga, for Eugland, the native population was in tolerably pood order. When he returned, everything appeared to be disorganised, and the behaviour of ilia natives about his old residence", was s<ich, that to punish them— to mark his sense of their conduct, he moved some ten miles further inland. His place had been occupied, during his absence by the Rer. Mr. Grace. Our readers will probably have not forgotten the publication with appropriate comments, in these columns, of a most mischievous address to the natives on the subject of the sale of their lands. We traced ] the priming of it to one Telfor.l, and the author- j ship, from the peculiar local use of a Maori word, to Mr. Grace. . The matter was taken up' by the General Government, by the Provincial Council, and by his missionary brethren, who were justly indignant at- his proceedings. We shall for the present coufine ourselves to the observation that Mr. Grace's tutelage Was not the most likely to inspire loyalty to the Queen and the British Government. — SoUthatn Cross