THE Wellington Independent Friday, February 21, 1862. MILITARY ROAD MAKING.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVI, Issue 1702, 21 February 1862, Page 2

THE Wellington Independent Friday, February 21, 1862. MILITARY ROAD MAKING.

It Nehemiah is considered 6, model for Governors by the natives, because he liberally supplied from his own resources; food for his poorer subjects — there being prepared for him daily " one ox and six sheep,*, " also fowls ; and once in ten days store of " all sorts ofwine," — heoughttobe equally ooosidered so by us, because" the builders " had every one his sword girded by his. " side, and so builded ; while he that " sounded the trumpet was by him." If Governor Grey is gradually being regarded by the natives with their- former fav-. our, because they recognize his mission as one of peace; he ought also to by looked upon by the Europeans with con-: fidenee because, while pursuing that mission, he is careful not to neglect those precautions, which, in the event of his mission failing, will place him in a position to use the warlike resources at his command with the greatest effect. Verily there is nothing new under the sun ! The wise measures of the Jewish Governor were scoffed at by some, as are the wise measures of our own ; the language of the scoffers of old precisely expressing that of the moderns—" even that which " he builds, if a fox go up, it shall even " break down his stone wall." Leaving the "ox and wine policy " of the one, and the- " Commissioner and Rununga" policy of the other, we purpose directing the attention of our readers to the " sword by side" or speaking literally, the "road-, making " policy which Sir George is carrying out.

We do not recollect a single exception, having been uttered against the road making policy. It is one which commends itself to the good sense of eyerjr body in the oolony, and will meet with warm approval at home. The sanction of the Iron Duke was long since given to it — to make roads in the country in which tnilita ry operation* were to be carried on, was considered by him as the first great requisite. The events at Taranaki, have shown to the colonists of the present day, how almost useless the resources of modern warfare are in those districts of New Zealand where no roads exist ; just as the cutting of thePorirua line and tfie track from the Hutt to the Pahautaniii, conferred on the Wellington forces, in years past, the "means of 'striking a de&V, sive blow. None are better aware of the value of roads at such a time than the natives are ; and hence the attempt to cut a road to Waikato, during the late hostilities, would have been considered a casus belli by the powerful tribes inhabiting that district. Governor Browne admired that he dared not do so, without snob ft consequeuoe following. 'Governor Grsjr has, however, done it without incurring any opposition, and this must be considered, by all unprejudiced men, as one of the most, significant signs of the .altered: relationship between the Governor, atMJL the natives. Let those who sneerjipfjer; if they choose. Let them , deolftr9 that after all the road to W aikato "only runs through

Queen's land ; yet the fact remains that | if Governor Browne had attempted to make the road, it would have been with the certaiuity of its causing war. The natives had no faith in Governor Browne's sincerity, they have some in Governor Grey's. The peaoefal making of roads is a proof of it, and whenever they give his Excellency permission to make roads through their own lands, it may be regarded as the top stone of confidence. At a Lower Waikato meeting last December, after beating about the bush to ascertain his Excellency's views, the natives asked for them plainly, " [ have come," said the Governor, " a loug way to work " for good and to make peace in the land." Whereupon a chief replied, " And is that u yoar design ? Did you come to bring " peace to this island ? (to the meeting) "you hear this ? (reply, yes, yes,) Love "and the Gospel are the fruits of good. " You have come then to save this island ? "You speak well O Governor." The fact is the natives have been led to believe that " Sir George would stand no nonsense, " which being interpreted means, that he intended war and not peace. Confidence in his peaceful mission will not result in a day, it must be the growth of conviction. Until that confidence is restored, no roads will be permitted to be made in Maori districts. This was expressed by a chief at one of the December meetings thus — "This is " another thing, about the roads. For- " merly you commanded them, and they " have been withheld by us. The roads " ere not simply for fetching food from a " a man's farm ; throughout the island it "is this which creates fear. At Taranaki , " the road being there, your guns reached "the pa. This is our fear, lest that "strange cart, (gun carriage) the cart of " terror, should travel on it. But for this " fear roads would have been allowed long "ago. Enough of that."

At the same meeting the Governor explicitly stated his views with regard to roads in native districts —

The next thing is about the roads. You seem to think that roads through the country would do no goad. I think that they would improve the value of the lands through which they pass; and if you think I want to spend money in making roads through the land of people who don't want them, thereby enrichiDg them at the expense of others, you must think me a fool. In the country of the Europeans, they have to pay the greater part of the cost of the roads before the Government helps them. In the same way I should "be very unwilling to make roads through natire land, even if the owners came and asked me to do so, unless they paid part of the money. The only case in which I would pay for them would be, when the roads led to some very distant place which would benefit other districts, besides benefitting the lands of the natives through which they pass.

I will give you an instance of what I mean. I bear. Waata Kukutai is going to cultivate on the top of that mountain (pointing to the hill behind the village). If he does not make a cart-road up to the cultivation, I shall think him a very .ciutl man, for otherwise he will kill or injure all the women who will have to bring down the loads of produce: and the children that will be borne by them will be decrepit, and thus the tribe will be lost. But do you think I shall be such a fool as to come with troops and war to make the road ? No! I tell him what will be the result if he does not make the road ; and I leave it to him.

I should like to see all the laud covered with carts and horses and cattle, aud all the people well dressed and flourishing; but I shall not come and cut their throats if they don't like it to be so. How should I like to be judged, with a row of dead bodies laid out before me, and one should say " how is this ? who slew them ?" and I should have to say, " I did, because they were foolish and did not know what was good for themselves!" — Look there! (pointing to a heavily laden bullock dray passing) would you rather see your women laden with those things ? Those men who like their women to be killed with hard work. aud who do not like oxen and sheep, why, it is their own look out !

We do not know ho>v many roads the defence of Auckland requires to be made. The road to Waikato is cortaiuly an all important one for that purpose, and there are probably others almost as necessary. Bat we trust it will ba borne in miud that other cities require defence roads also. We should ba sorry to interfere with any plans that may have been determined up:m with reference to Auckland ; but we think it a point which ought to be brought under Governor Grey's early attention. Consultation with the Military authorities would certainly result in defining important defence roads in this province. From Wanganui to Kai-i-whi; from the Lower fcf utt stookade to Pahantanui; from the Upper Hutt stockade to Otaki, (for which it is said a very practicable route exists) being the shortest and best way to the centre of the West Coast between Wellington and Wanganui — all these (and several others equally important to the defence of this district) run through purchased land, excepting asmall partof the coast end of the one to Otaki. We think the subject a most important one, and we trust advantage will ba taken of the Governor's visit to bring it under his notice, so that if, after consultation with General Cameron and the local Military authorities, it should be

deemed advis able to act upon it, a por* tiou of the troops in the North might be detached for seivioe here, so soon as the necessary lines of defenoe for Auckland have been completed.