ARRIVAL OF THE WAIKATOS.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVI, Issue 1469, 6 November 1860, Page 4

ARRIVAL OF THE WAIKATOS.

,The number who have nctu.illy arrived arc -variously reported at from 500 to 1200. All i;he accounts agieein stali-.ijr. that -they will not be idle, but will give die troops some sharp ■work. At the latent datf*s the ivnops were expecting an attack from them, and during the Tvhole summer they will *lre< j |> the troops constantly harr.issed, if a hold front is not shown •and their hush retre;it* rendered untenable. I; •will I c seen "by a -reference to Journal ot Events of Oct. "27. Unit they have already commenced burning the settlers bouses which had at« yei escaped. GENERAL PHATT'S INSTRUCTIONS. The retreat of nearly I£OQ men under General Pr.itt from about 100 Maories at Huarangi, has been styled by one of our Northern cntempnra ti«js a«' tl the deepest die<jraci; ever inflicted on the British arms." In the ''lowest deep," tf'ere is evtir a "lower deep," and the .double-quick Hight of the 500 antler Colonel Leslie from a were handful of the enemy, proves the truth of 'the poets axiom. Whether Colonel Leslie was fettered we can •t»ot say ; we presume, however^ he must have ' been. But whether he was or was not, we know for a certainly thai tfiere are persons both in New Zealand and cut of it, who sa y that it is no wonder such discreditable occur euces take place 4U the Governor is overawe:! by the attitude taken by the Bishop and numerous members of the Assembly, and dales uot allow the troops to conduct the wur rigorous!}. Absurd as such statements are, they are con•gluntly repeated and in part believed. If the Governor is such a weak minded individual, the sooner be is replaced by some abler xnanthe better for a*l parties concerned, But that he is so overawed is not correct. The members of all shades of opinion say »' conduct 4he war vigorously if youintendconducting it at *11. If yon don't intend conducting it vigorously, leave it alone altogether. Do one thing ♦>r the other, but don't ruin the Colony by a longer continuance of this mate-belief." -We are able to point'out, in so many words, *wbat General Pratt's instructions really are— «nud si> v p.rove that the Governor s not overawed ' t»y any one. We are able to assure our readers ■ 1 hat General »'Pra.tt< is bis-own Master— can do jj Ist as be likes-i-is not fettered by any instructions from the Governor, we have only to appeal to the answei given by-the Attorney General on •the2Lst September.— " Mr. Harris, in consequence of statements which were very current out of doors, andwhieh •alleged that general Pr«u was greatly trammelled in his operations -statements which he hira«elf did'not at all credit— begged to ask the hon -the Attorney -General ♦• Whether, since the 3rd September instant, any restrictions have been -d:npuseJ by hi.s Excellency the Governor on •Oeueral Pratt.; and if so, wltai is Use nature of such res.rictloiw.?'' -The Attorney -General, in reply, said that . there had been no restrictions whatever put upon •<jeuer.il Pratt." r v Tl.ose who have believed the idle statement 8 «rhwh certain persons put forth, will snrriy now -bee that 'the rta r & t gs becau.se of the Commander not being "the rijrht man in the right jjHace, ana from no other reason whatever,