THE Wellington Independent. Tuesday, May 28, 1861. OUR WANT OF PROTECTION.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVI, Issue 1586, 28 May 1861, Page 2

THE Wellington Independent. Tuesday, May 28, 1861. OUR WANT OF PROTECTION.

We avail ourselves of the mail for Auckland to-morrow, once more to call the attention of his Excellency's Government to the unprotected state of this Province. The massing of the troops at Auckland is understoDd to portend an attack Onj Waikato—rwith the suppression of the King movement for its object; The effects of such an attack, may possibly-— if not probably-r-induce the:.-, natives throughout the island to make common cause ftith;^ ?plie King movement as a cause of quarrel, will induce a widespread sympathy among tribes who were comparatively indifferent to the Waitara question, and it becomes the manifest duty of the Government to protect Wellingtonje^ually ;with Auckland. • The Auckland -Province may be, and we believe is, the mos 4" Vulnerable .point ( needing.a thicker, rcTe* fence, but the other Provinces, are ai{, tnore or less vulnerable, and need defence likewise!; With our frontier exposed to jthe depredations of the.ielatecUand defiant Ngatiruanuies, his Excellency can-

not surely intend to ea poia Wangftaul to a fate such as that which ita uaf&tUnata neighbour, Taranaki, has been subject to. We assure his Excellency that he cannot fie held blameless if such a contingency •arise. He may be ighoraht of the Na';tivo.jfeeling^in this Province. y He no ! dotprt'is — fe 'cannot^bejothe^wis^, while [he leaves the Prpvincej^ii|h.out a single office^ to report ?to iiimJ | Otago with somef 300 oi 4 -.400) natives ;hagj a/Native Secretary ; Nelson with about "twice that number has a Native Secretary also ; Wellington with its 8,000 has none — not a single officer moving about amongst the maories to understand their views and report their intentions. His Excellency's ignorance, cannot therefore be held to be an excusable one,- We .are hopeful that quiet may be maintained here, but we urgently., request his Excellency, his Excellency's Government, ;ihe Native Secretary, or whoever is the Sponsible Head, not to. allow anyfeelfllsfeto override those of justice ana duty Jfeffl^royih cW. . piir jijcunty is mi- , Jfc^ntfto! us-^- it bughitd.be equallyso -i fS-the Government of the country. •