FROM TARANAKI.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVI, Issue 1615, 6 September 1861, Page 4

FROM TARANAKI.

The " Wonga Wonga " brings us dates from Taranati to the 31st. ulfc.- There is very little of a nature to interest the general pnblic. The Press urges that all the advantage possible should be taken of the present quiet to provide for whatever may Happen in the summer. It does seem a matter for .great regret that the safety with which the bush can now be traversed, should not be turned to account by the troops there.

• This is the season for felling bush preparatory to its being burnt in the summer, and whatever clearings it is desirable to effect for strategic purposes, could not be undertaken at a better period ; besides which the farms of the settlers — abandoned it is true, but still their everything when peace is finally secured — are threatened to be rendered almost valueless by the spread of the Scotch thistle. To avoid this result the Herald suggests a plan for immediately making tracks in the bush, by means of which the thistle may be kept down even m presence of an enemy. [From the Herald, 24th August.]

It is certainly not too much to say that if, during the season in which this weed 1 ripens its seed (from November to May), the [armors both of bush and fern laud are uot able to go over their farms and cut it down at least once in three weeks, either singly or in armed parties, the greater part of the bush clearings will be rendered utterly valueless, and the open and arable lands will be very seriously damaged.

Under the predecessors of the gallant officer now in command in Taranaki, a few Maories hovering about in the edge of the bush, effectually checked auy attempt to rescue the bush farms from destruction, and consequently, our enemy tho thistle made fearful progress last season ; but, happily, we are now under a very different rule, and have reason to believe that every encouragement and assistance will be^given to the settlers in any effort they may make to check the evil this year. We wish, however, to remind those who are interested in this matter, that it lies with them to take the initiative. From a military point of view, as all the farms are abaudoned, and most of tho houses destroyed, it may seem suincient to keep the natives from showing their faces in the open land ; if, therefore, the bush settlers feel that it is of vital importance to them to have access to their clearings during tho summer months, they should take steps to represent the- matter, before it is too late, to the military authorities, and should consider whether their experience in the bush enables them to suggest any meaus by which the bush olearings could be rendered more safely accessible than they are at present. As a first step in in this direction, we propose to give our notions on the subject, which may perhaps be very impractical, but they will at least serve to open the discussion.

In the first place, we fully admit that it would be rash in tho extreme to take either civilians or soldiers to skirmish amoug the supplejacks without previous training. Still worse would it be, to lake a body of such untrained men along some of our bush roads in their present state, exposed as they would be to an enemy concealed iv, and proteoted by the bush on either side. We believe, however, that a very moderate amount of labour expended in cutting the supplejacks in the standing bush, either at the sides of the existing roads, or where required, in places where no roads exist at present, would render the bush easily traversable in all directions by ordinary troops, without any special training. The effect of this operation would bd to allow the men to march freely in the standing bush, enjoying /ill the advantage as to cover which it affords, without being hindered by the creepers which render the bush in its natural state so difficult to pass through. The supplejacks would be cut as is usually done before felling, in two places, namely, — close to the ground, and as high overhead as a man can reach with the billhook. With te» »peoi to the width which would be desi-

rable to clear in this way, the track should be wide enough to allow a party marching in the centre of it to be protected by skirmishers at each side, and probably considering the amount of shelter which is given by the trunks of the trees, an average width of 80 yards would be sufficient for this purpose. As nothing would have to be cut except tho supplejacks and other creepers, a party of 100 men with good bill hooks would probably cloar 1£ miles of a track of this width in a day. Now, as few of our bush roads which it would be desirable to open in this wuy run through or near standing bush for more than two or three miles in their wholo length, tho labour of 100 men for two or three weeks would thus, wo believe, render tho whole of che bush clearing as accessible for soldiers as the open land. Whatever may be thought of this particular proposition, it is surely worth considering whether any plan can bo devised by which we may preserve tho bush clearings (which probably represent a capital of £50,000) from utter ruin, evon if there should happen to be a hundred or two of our dark friends in tho neighbourhood; and we sincerely trust that our remarks may bo the means of drawing attention to tho subject in time. Before quitting the subject of the bush, we would beg to suggest to tho Commi-s sariat authorities the desirability of taking measures to have a sufficient quantity of timber felled in convenient situations for the supply of firewood for tho garrison lor the ensuing yeari It is very important that this work should be done whilst the present tacit suspension of hostilities lasts., us, otherwise, a strong party will be requirod to protect those who are falling. Moreover, the sooner the clear* ings for this purpose are made, tho earlier in the season they can be burnt over, a necessary operation before the firewood can bp cut and carted to town.

A meeting was held in New Plymouth a few days since to aid in tho establishment of a colonial Bank. Wo may congratulate tho Province on tho reception it has given to this project. A subscription of 1500 shares by a people vso impoverished as the Taranaki settlers, is a proof of their confidence in the stability •of the colony, and of the interest they feel in anything which conduces to the welfare of Now Zealand as a whole. Had such uu institution been. formed prior to the war, we have uo doubt a much largor subscription would have been obtained, for at that (iaio many men who have now taken one or, two shares would have more easily subscribed f>r tea times that number.

(From the 'Herald' Aug. 10.) Some weeks since we noticed that W. Kingi Matakatea, a Taranaki chief, had expressed a desire to make peace with the Governor; but the interview with Mr. Parris, which followed, came to nothing at ihe time. Recently Koimne, Hoani, and a few others of the Ngamahanga section of the same tribe, have come up to the Poutoko with a Wko object, bringing with thorn four horses (which have been badly used), a harrow and a few other articles stolon from the settlers.

The time allowed to these southern natives for submission is long expired, and it is certain that not less easy terms than those already offered to them by the Governor will now be exacted. We do trust therefore, that no step will be taken by the officers of the Native Department to lead the natives to imagine they can evade the substansial conditions of peace by restoring what they represent to he their "share" of the plunder. Where tribes are incriminated to the degree of Taranaki and Ngaliruanui, the guilty cannot be apportioned amongst individual members or condoned in the way proposed. Submission of the entire tribe, and material guarantees against future lawlessness, are imperatively called for. Without provocation these people took advantage of W. Kingi's quarrel to make a raid on our settlement. They murdered unarmed men arid helpless little boys, and to this day they harbour the murderers. They continued their attacks on life and property throughout the war, and pending the negotiations with the Waikatos at Waiiara, they took advantage ol' the protection afforded by our flag of truce to burn and pillage close to the town. Nor can Komeno and Honni claim to he better than their neighbours, for in the dwelling of the one onr militia identified the bloodstained soddie of poor. Ford, aud the other tried his utmost to induce the Tatarainiaka faruilios (who had pru denly determined to seek the shelter of thotown).to remain under his treacherous guardianship. We are not sorry to hoar that but a few natives are associated in this hollow peace-offering. The rest are resolved to retain the plunder in their possession, and to indulge again their taste for violence on the first opportunity. If tho war have no other result than the conquest of this base people, it will reconoile us greatly to the heavy losses it has entailed on our settlement. They have always been qpposed to the settlement of the while man — Their country was the nursery bed of the land league — minis ters of religion were driven from among them by studied exaction and misconduct and for years they have levied black mail on the traveller. It is not correct that their tribes have been invited to go to Waikato, nor as our contemporary remarks, that disturbances may be apprehended at Wauganui, on the ground of a military stockade having been built near Kai-iwi. Our latest advices from Wanganui make no mention whatever of any such intentiou as the erection of a fort near dobuteable ground, and it would, fc^r

wholly opposed to the policy of a military c'ommiitider to prepipitate a collision in any part of the colony pending negotiations with Waikato.

The northern mailman brings intelligence (hat Wi. Kingi was at Kihikihi, on tho banks of the Waikato. He will uot return to Waitnra for the present, nor, considering the importaut character, he filled in the original quarrel, could his presence in Waikato well be spured just now. One of his followers, Paora Rauparaha, better known as little Paul of Waitara, met with a just rebuke from our Resident Magistrate during the week. Having a small difference with a settler, he found it convenient to apply to the Court for redress, a usual course where tho law is exercised in favour of the Maori. In answer to questions, l s aora admitted he had borne arms against her Majesty, and had not accepted the terms of peace offered to Hapurona. The Resident Magistrate thereupon informed him that he was virtually an outlaw, and that so long as ho continued in his present course, the court could lend him no assistance however good his case might be in the abstract. The value of this hint will not be lost upon the insurgents.