TARANAKI.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVIII, Issue 1897, 21 July 1863, Page 3

TARANAKI.

Wk take the following from the Herald of the llthinat:— TUB GUERILLA. CORPS. Everything is so quiet, that but for the regular routine of outlying picket, and patrolling duty every night, and the daily excursions of the busn parties, it might be supposed we were at peace with our dark skinned neighbours. It may, however, be only a lull before the storm. BYom to-day at the request of the men themselves, the number, of bushrangers or ' guerillas' is to be doubled . Two parties of 45 men each — one from No. 2 Volunteers, under Captain Atkinson, Lieut Jonas, and Lieut Brown ; and the other from No 1 Volunteers and the Militia, under Captain Webster, Lieut Messenger, and Lieut McKullar, have been struck off all other duty, and are to go unrestrainedly about the country. They are all picked men, and are armed with Terry's breech -loading carbines and most of them with revolvers. The practical wisdom of this step we are sure cannot be overrated. We believe that one of these carbines costs little more than a single shell from an Armstrong 12-pounder ; we trust, therefore, that the Government will spend some of its money in these admirable weapons, so that when the war commences in earnest next spring there may be more than 90 or 100 of them in the country. THE OONVIOT HOBI. Monday, Jolt 6 — Hori the prisoner was again convicted to-day, and found guilty of intent to shoot Lt. Waller, for which crime he was sentenced to penal servitude for life. The Chief Justice also passed judgment upon him for the murder of Dr Hope, and the usual sentence of hanging with an impressive address from his Honor was translated to him by the Asst. Native Secretary, Mr Parris. The court was crowded to excess, and accommodation was found for several ladies, who, with the majority present, for the first time witnessed the trial and condemnation for murder. It is the first trial for murder that has taken place at Taranaki. Hori appeared very calm during the trial, and received his awful sentence with apparent firmness, but we learn that on reaching the gaol he broke down and wept like a child. He made two statements in his defence. He stated that he was at the lkaroa on the day of the massacre; and endeavoured to justify his conduct in forming one of the ambuscade on the 29th May. His unguarded expression to Mr Parris, viz.—" Who could know Dr Hope when he was covered with sand,' 1 seems to have con-i victed him in the minds of the jury. We have been informed, but cannot vouch for its accuracy, that he will be allowed an opportunity of producing evidence that he was down the coast on the 4th May, which, if conclusive, the sentence of death will be annulled.