FROM AUCKLAND.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVI, Issue 1708, 18 March 1862, Page 3

FROM AUCKLAND.

I ROAD MAKING OPERATIONS BY THE NATIVES. We have no desire to throw a rose-co-loured halo over the news from Auck^ land, per Airedale, nor have we the slightest wish to, iguore any of the difficulties in the path of the new policy j yet we cannot designate the intelligence, which the last mail conveys, by uuy other terms than those of a most satisfactory character. It were easy, were we so inolined, to pick up a paragraph in one Southern Cross, a rumour from a second,

I and an assertion of fact from a third, ■ and, jumbling them altogether, present a host of difficulties in the way of the sue- 1 cess of Sir George Grey's efforts to restore law and order. But such a mode of procedure would be as disheartening and evil, as would the opposite method be likely to encourage an over-confidence in the easiness of the task which has to be accomplished. There are very great difficulties to be overcome in the peaceful settlement of our native troubles; but if it had ever been supposed that there were not, why would a man of mark H have been sent to overcome them, or why H would the whole of New Zealand have I hailed his advent with such hearty reI joiciug. We must expect to see diffiI oulties rise up at almost every turn ; but I instead of magnifying every fresh diffiI culty as an insurmountable obstacle, I rather let us endeavour, as far as in us I lies, to assist in its removal. I The greatest difficulty is the restora|j tion of native confidence in the good inH tentions of the Government, The deaf If ear which the Upper Waikato turns, i is simply the result of a disbelief in our I good intentions, but even their want of 1 confidence has largely given way. Look iat their threatened conduct last year. If I Governor Browne attempted to move his I troops Waikato way, instant war would I have been the result. That Governor I admitted that he dared not do so without I imperilling the safety of Auckland. He I dared not march his troops even on the H Queen's territory, except with the certainty |1 of au immediate war. Now the Waikalos Hare looking on, almost unoonH cernedly, at nearly 3,000 soldiers clearing H away their natural defences — levelling a I forest through which it was almost imI possible to convey supplies to an army 1 beyond, and forming a road on which the 1 gun carriage " that strange cart, the 1 cart of terror" can travel with facility. I Such of our readers as see the journals 1 who sneer at the policy of the present 1 Government, will remember the endless I reports to which they once gave circulation, 1 that the Waikatos were in a ferment and I intended •to stop the road, and, fl thereupon indulged in most patriotic H tirades, generally ending with their bell lief that we might just as well live in the |j heart of Africa as in New Zealand, or m something of the sort equally silly. i We reverently thank God that these |j birds of ill. omen have had to fl Hide their heads under their wings, H Poor things. H And that the result of this road making j| experiment is not only an assurance that H Sir George Grey has, even thus early, II regained the confidence of the natives a to a degree which Governor Brown could 1 never possibly have done, but that he 1 has been able to place Auckland in a i better state of security than all Governor I Brown's troops could have effected. We I " are now, (says the New Zealander) in 1 " the Province of Auckland, with such a I " line of defence^ as free from the pe--1 '• rils and horrors of war, should such an 1 " improbable event take place, as are the 1 " citizens ofjChristchurch or Dunedin, in I " the southern istand, and we should go I " about our usual occupations, in town I " and country, with as much unconcern I " as they would iv Dublin and its neighI " bourhood, whilejthe 'boys' were engaged i " iv a faction fight inTipperary." Defeated j| on the road to Waikato, it was more 1 (said these croaking journals) than even I Sir George Grey could do, to induce the M natives to allow him to make roads in H their territory. There was the rub. H Of what use, said they, was a polioy i which ouly admitted us to do H as we pleased with our own — what we H wanted were roads through the natives' M country. Well even this difficulty, is 9 not quite so insurmountable as they 9 made out. The last mail actually brings la us the offer of a chief to make a road n from the heart of Waikato to the West 9 Coast, if the Government will assist him, H which they of course have agreed to do. Si Three years ago the Provincial Governg ment voted £500 towards this very road, b but the refused natives to allow it to be fl made then. Nearly the whole length of the fl road is through Native Territory. It is H not for us| to estimate the results of H Nera's offer, we prefer quoting that II formed by the Southern Cross, which we 9 may be sure is not over stated. 9 Road from Raglan to Waipa. — We bell lieve that the chief, William Naylor, has been |g n Auckland for several days, endeavouring to 9 procure the assent of the governor to a pruposiH tion made by him to construct a road from the H sea to Waipa, which would connect Raglan H with the Waikato district. This line of road Wt would be entirely on the territory of Naylor aud H his people, after it passed the Waitetuna river M until it reached the Waipa liver. The line n would pass through a gorge in the mountains 9 between the Waitetuna and Waipa. Although Bthe natives in the district state that this is

the best route, yet as it is the only one now i M available it would be wise for the Government | H at once to close with Naylor's offer, and asserej I the principle of constructing roads on natives territory. The shortest "and easiest line lies paraliel to the proposed road through Naylor's territory, but it belongs to the king natives, and they' refuse to let Europeans travel on 'it. If, however, they saw a neighbouring tribe iv the possession of money, and having' a good road made through their territory, there is a probability of the king natives raakiug a similar request, and thus enable us to bring civilization to their doors. The effect, in course of time, could not be doubted. It is somewhat singular that Naylor refused to allow the provincial government to make this liGe of road three years ago, when a sum of £500 was voted for the purpose. He then wanted to sell the land, but as it was valueless for settlement 9 the government did not accede to his terms. M The rising settlement of Baglan will benefit M greatly from the completion of this work, which m we have no doubt the government will set 9 about as soon as they possibly can. BOu this subject, we have ouly to make i one further quotation, relative to renderS ing a river navigable, to show th& satisI factory fruit which Governor Grey's visit Ito the Lower Waikatos is bringing forth i— a district which one of the sneering 9 Newspaper fraternity assured us last i week was in a "menacing" attitude. It is ra to us most astonishing that these good i fruits of the visit to Waikato should have a been prodnced so quickly. Are any of our I New Zealand contemporaries warranted hiu dispising the policy which peaoeably B produces them ? " The following mes- ■ sage "(says the Neiv Zealander of 9 Ist March) was yesterday sent by lithe Superintendent .to the Provincial g Council. A few months since, Her ra Majesty's representative, Colonel Gore 9 Browne, did not think it prudent to per|j mit the works on the Great South Road B — for the execution of which the Pro--9 vincial Government had contracted — to 9be proceeded with, lest the Waikatos 9 should take offence ; to-day we have na--9 tives of the Lower Waikato not only H praying for public works in their neighi bourhood, but praying that soldiers may 9 be sent to assist in carrying out jhese H tvorks." B Message No. 92. H The Superintendent submits for consideration II by the Provincial Council copy of a letter from 9 the Hon. the Colonial Secretary, under date 28th 9 February instant, covering a translation of a letB ter from certain Native Chiefs at Waiuku, relative B to the improvement of the Awaroa navigation. H J. Williamson, H' Superintendent. |j Superintendent's Office, M Auckland, 28th February, 1862. a Colonial Secretary's Office, i Auckland, 28th February, 1862. 9 Sir, — I have the honour to enclose a ■ translation of a letter from certain Native Chiefs 9 at Waiuku to Hia Excellency the Governor, reH questing that the Awaroa may be rendered aM vailable for traffic, and to suggest to your Honorg the propriety of inviting the Provincial Council B to appropriate a sum for that purpose. B I have, &c, a Henry Sewelb, 9 For the Colonial Secretary. 9 His Honor the Superintendent, H Auckland. I Waiuku, February 22nd, 1862. ffl To Governor Grey, — B Friend, Greeting: This is our word to you. B We have at last assented to your words to us in 9 the month of last December, that the Awaroa 9 should be worked. Hearken, we have consented El to the pieces (of land) on our side (being worked) H in order' that the river may be made straight. H This is ours ; now let yours come quickly, that is 9 the people to work it, viz. — some soldiers, that M the w.ork may be finished quickly. Let them H come immediately, as we are very willing to have 9 the soldiers to stay and work with us. This is 9 all we have to say to you. Let our words be Eg given effect to by you, and we will thank. H Signed, . 9 From Hobi Taukoa, M TIPENB Tfi TAHUA, H Maihi Eatipa, H TOTEA KatIPA, ffl Pia Te Whabebaukuba, 9 Ebeueti Ponuc, 9 " Wikemu Taueoa, 9 Bapata Aomoaho, 9 , AIHIPENE KAIHAU. 9 To Governor Grey, Auckland. 9 By their fruits we are to judge of 9 measures and not by the whims and H fancies of party editors. Men do not H gather grapes from thorns nor figs from 9 thistles. Such fruits as are above detailed H stamp the native policy as a judiciously g devised and most successful measure. g The Powder Hoax. H Ever anxious to raise every circumII stance into a proof of the probability of H the failure of the attempt to settle native jl difficulties peaoeably, rumours are easily 9 grasped at and turned into exaggerated B facts. The Southern Cross reported the 9 sale of four tons of powder ou the East B Coast by an American Whaler, which 9 was greedily extracted in italics by a m local contemporary, and made the most 9 of. The Southern Cross reported the 9 circumstances with the utmost exactness, 9 as follows. 9 East Cape — Important. — By II.JVI.S. gun |9 boat, Caroline,' Marks, commander,which arriv 9ed in habour on Saturday last, intelligence 9 reached this city of very grave importance. I 9 appears that Mr. Marks, who had been at Nail pier with government despatches, received infor--9 matioa on his return passage that an American |g whaler name unknown, was landing about four H tons of gunpowder, for tbe use of the natives at g Kawakawa. The 'Caroline' put into Kawakavva^ h but too late to be of any service, for the contrail band of war had found its way into safe keeping 9 before her arrival. This matter, we have been B given to uudeistand, has been reported to the H Attorney-General, in the absence of Mr. Fox. a Iv a matter of such"grave importance" ait would be thought that the Southern fl Cross would take care it was correctly a informed before publishing the report, 9 not as a rumour even, but as a fact with lan exaotueis whioh could leave no other

I impression than it was true. It turnep out however, to be a hoax. Tbe Caroline never went to Kawakawa, and the I our tons contraband of war had not found f its way into safe keeping. Captain Marks \ had heard that half a ton had been land- • ed from some ship, but as this was only I rumour perhaps the quantity may dwindle 5 downstill further. | East Cape. — In reference to a paragraph in I out last, which stated that a rumour prevalent | was regarding the landing of four tons of | gunpowdei at tbe East Cape, Mr. Marks' | commander of the .Caroline gun-boat, requests i us to state that he was informed on his passage to Napier, thai two days before he was off the East Cape, half a- ton of gunpowder had been, landed from a ship ; but that he did not put m into Kawakawa, as his doing so would then 3 hare been useless. There has been no report j| made to the Government. — " • I It is much to be regretted that there lis not on both coasts of the Northern I Island a smart steam gun-boat or two, I to check attempts at supplying powder to 1 the natives. Prevention is better than; I cure, end bad not the restrictions on the. I sale of powder imposed by Sir George I Grey in the olden time been relaxed by 1 Governor Browne, the Taranaki war could i never have assumed the proportions it I did. i The avidity with which suoh a rumour B was dressed into " a fact of grave imporI tance "Shows where the cloven foot is, I and leads to the belief that nothing. 1 would better please those whom such jour--1 nals may be supposed to represent, than 9 that efforts to secure peace should fail, and i a return to the sword be. enforced, I Occurrences such as that relative to 1 Mr. Gorst, are likely every now and then I to occur, it will be well if, like it, they I prove tobe the result of individual aclipn I and meet with censure from the whole I body.