AUCKLAND.

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

AUCKLAND.

We have already published in brief, the most important items of intelligence from this Pro. vince ; the following are the fuller and additional details. . MILITAKY VND VOLUNTEER MOVEMENTS. The Southern Cross of the 11th inst., supplies the following accouut of recent movements of the troops towards the Waikato. We have obtained further and more precise information of the movements of the troops during the last two or three days. We announced the departure of the 651h on Thursday last. Shortly after they passed Otahuhu they received orders to return there, which we understand was in consequence of there being an insufficient supply of provisions at Drury. They returned to Otahuhu, remained there for the night, set out again yesterday morning, and arrived at Drury about noon. The Head Quarters and about 500 men of the 18th Regiment (Royal Irish), and the Head Quarters and detachments of the 14th, and detachments of the 12th and 70th Regiments, in all about 1,200 men, had arrived at Deary previously ; and they started from there at 8 o'clock yesteiday morning for Fokenoe, about 170 of the men of the Royal Irish having been left behind. The 65th were expected to leave Drury this morning, and General Cameron and staff, who were staying at the Royal Hotel would proceed with them. The Royal Artillery who left the Albert Barracks yesterday morning expected to reach Drury last evening, where they were to remain for the night, aod they were to leave for Pokeno this moruing. The bouts which we mentioned as being on tbeir way, arrived at Drury all safe together with another which had arrived with thirty men from H.M.s. Harrifr, more being about to follow. We understand that last night there would be about 1,200 troops at Drury ; that 200 of these (probably the Royal Irish) would he left there, and that the others would proceed to Pokeno, making the whole available force there, at the present time, upwards of 2,000. Yesterday morning an escort of twenty-five voluuteers started from Albert Barracks, about noon, taking with them nine waggons of ammunition stores, and they arrived at Otahuhu about 3 o'clock. The volunteers leturned in the evening, and the waggons were to be taken on this morning by ibe militia or an escort of the 18th, of whom a few were expected from town. The number of volunteer militiamen at Otahuhu has been increased to 280. They receive four hours' drill each day, and are making good progress. There are no troops at Otahuhu now but the roilitia.and a few sick soldiers, and the militia were to mount guard there last night for the 'first time. Their uniform is a pair of black trousers with a red stripe, and a blue jumper *and cap, and they are described as being alto- , getber a smart lot of men, and as having „- profited already by their short experience of drill. Two or three days ago, the tele*

graph wire between Otahnbu and Drury was found to have been cut in two, but it was not known by whom. The circumstance is, how ever, at the present juncture very suspicious. We have not been infonr.ed of any outbreak amongst the natives as yet. A proclamation has been issued by the Governor, calling- upon the natives of Mangere and the adjoining districts to give up their arms, ami take the oath of allegiance. A very few have responded at Mangare only six had duneso. We understand that the natives there as a body have declined to give up their arms, although they are willing to take any oaths, and say they do not see why they should not have a king as well as that we should hare a Queen. As it respects the Auckland natives, the proclamation which was posted about the town yesterday, ordering them to keep within their houses from daybreak to dusk, appears to have caused quite a commotion amongst them, for groups of them might be seen about the streets yesterday, talking with so much energy, that one might suppose they were discussing not only the " native difficulty," but even the fate of nations. There was a special general parade of the volunteers yesterday morning, at which very few were ab sent. When they bad formed in line, Major Campbell requested such as did not volunteer for actual service to stand out, a call which was only responded to by a very few ; so that we may say they almost unanimously volunteered for ! active service. They were dismissed until nine o'clock ; and on re-assembling again, they were told off for their respective duties during the day and night. The New Zealander of the same date says : — Lieut.-General Cameron, C.8., and Stuff, left Auckland yesterday forenoon bound, where duty calls, to the front. Of course rumour has been active in speculating the causes ot' this movement and its probable designs. Of the doings oftheMauiapotos, their confederation with other hostile tribes, and their alliance with same of the offscourings of the Taranakis and Ngataruinuis, who are (as is alleged) to do duty as a species of Maori Zouaves, we have heard many spirit stirring accounts. The Military Secretary, however, not having had the courtesy to receive us into his confidence, we cannot pronounce, ex cathedra, upon the contemplated plan of the campaign, which we must be content to await in an anxious but confident spirit. The Volunteer Rifles entered upon garrison duty yesterday morning, a large number of the Militia having, likewise, been put upon actual service. Tbe various block-houses have been occupied, and night patrols told off. In a word the motto of the d.ny may be recognise as vigilance ; neither disregarding prudent caution, nor yet giving heed to needless alarm. The utmost wisdom has been manifested with lespect to questionable and friendly natives. Those in town have been judiciously cautioned to remain within doors from dark until daylight — whilst those in the outlying district have been commanded to give up their arms and take the oatu of allegiance, or failing thai, to retire behind tbe Waikato. THE PROCLAMATIONS. The same jonrnal thus alludes to the proclamations we have already published calling un the natives to take the oath of allegiance, and give up their arms ; also warning town natives to abide within their houses from dusk to daybreak. Our contemporary says: — The importance of those two notices cannot be over-estimateil. They cut at the root of one of the greatest of the numerous complications of the native difficulty, because they enlighten the Europeans as to a vital and all important fact, — a fact which has toa long been shrouded in darkness — namely who were, and who are, our native friends or foes. In this respect we, in Auckland, have, hitherto, been fettered. We have had just cause, no doubt, to be apprehensive of Maori collision and espionage in the city, and of Maori duplicity beyond its bounds. These notices will be the infallible means to j open our eyes, and untie our hands. Many natives have left the town ; and a short time will show how many will lay dawn their arms and subscribe the oath. We are now coming to a face to face underscanding on this essential | point in our native relations. THE CONFISCATION QUESTION. There seems to be some doubt as to whether the land between Otnata and TaLiraimaka on which it is proposed to form a settlement of volunteer militia-men, shall be confiscated or not. The New Zeatander says :— A scheme for establishing a settlement of volunteer militiamen at Taranaki has just been issued. The site of the intended settlement is announced to be the land " between Omata and Tataraimaka." Tbe government undertake, iv return for certain specified services, to grant, amongst other good things, fifty acres of country and of one acre of town land to each settler. The land is not the property of the Crown ; the Native title has not been extinguished ; the government has no more right, at present, to dispose of that land than they have to dispose of the establishment in which this paper is printed. The government are fully aware of that fact ; it was the difficulty in the scheme of the new settlement, and it has been evaded with legal dexterity, which will not, we think, be greatly applauded hereafter. Whilst the land between Omata and Tataraimaka is promised to the volunteer, he is told that he cannot take possession of it " until he it authorised by the government ;" meantime, however, he gets pay and rations as a militiamen. Now, it is worth while to enquire what are the chances that the goverument will be enabled to fulfil this promise, and give possession and a Crown grant to each volunteer for that portion of the land between Oraata and Tataraimaka which is to be the price of his military service. Our contemporary next contends that the natives in virtue of the treaty of Waitanffi are entitled to the protection of the law, as British subjects, that " rebellion" is a crime known to the law, and that kind of treason has its penalties ; but these penalties follow conviction before the Courts, or attainder by Act of Parliament, and do not precede them. After arguing generally against the " confiscation," which it admits might be carried out by a special act of the General Assembly, it concludes in the following terms : — " We have only discharged our duty to the government and to those persons who may be induced to accept the offer of military service at Taranaki, by stating the facts of the case; there is danger that the conditions, as tbey stand, may have the effect of deceiving some at least of those who take service under them. The Southern Cross strenuously argues that the massacre was not murder, but an act of rebellion ; that some of tbe Natives are rebels against tbe Queen's authority, and as such their Unds should be confiscated unless they give in their submission within a certain time. 1 ' It thus replies to the New Zealander : — By this party we aie told that an act of confiscation would be a penal law of retrospective operation; and we not unnaturally ask, in what respect T What is the punishment of rebellion ? Is it nut amongst other things confiscation? And while it may be true that rebellion can only be committed when tbe object is subversion of the state, we say that that exactly meets the case in band. No one now is silly enough to believe even if he may be dishonest enough to say, that the Maoris in arms are iv arms against anything or any person but the soveieiguty of the Queen and the forces of the Crown. If this lis not rebellion, we must leave it to tbe great lawyer of the party above referred to, to split a

few more hairs on the subject, as it is quite beyond the power of any ordinary man to see how rebellion can by auy possibility be committed. To those who judge merely by the rules of nommon sense — which, thank Heaven, is after all the ultimate court of appeal among Englishmen in such matters — the case stands plainly as follows r — The natives of Waikato und Taranaki have sot up another king, and have systematically defied our authority; they have gone further, and have without provocation deliberately begun a war against her Majesty's troops, and her Majesty's authority ; they are, therefore, clearly rebels, and open and dangerous rebels too. A proclamation by the Government that all who do not cease from this ! rebellion by a certaiu date, and show it by some I act of submission, would be all that is necessary to place us in the right beyond question. An act of confiscation passed by the Assembly would merely set the seal of the legislature to the promise of the Execntive Government ; to this end no trial of individuals could be necessary either in law or justice. We ( Wellington Independent) have private reasons for believing that " confiscation" is really intended. YEOMANRY CAVALRY. Everything in Auckland betokens warlike preparations. In addition to the Military, Militia, and Voluuteers, a Cavalry Corps, the Otahuhu Troopers, have been re-organised under Colonel Nixon. The New Zealander remarks apropos of this: — Having witnessed the efficiency of the Otahuhu Cavalry, when last embodied, — having beard the unprejudiced comments of competent military judges pronounced upon their merits as a corps of irregular cavalry of the highest order, — knowing how much inureappaling the gleam of a sabre or a cutiass, than the flash of a musket or rifle is in Maori eyes — and well assured that they hold a sabre on horseback in more mortal terror than even a cutlass in the bauds of our Blue Jackets on foot, we cannot but rejoice that cavalry has at last become an acknowledged, as it is sure to prove an exterminating arm in Maori warfare. The same journal has the followiug : — " CoJ. Nixon issued a notification, requ«stiug all persons desirous of enlisting in this Cavalry Corps to apply at the Militia orderly-room, Otahuhu, betvi een the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.rn; Horses, arms, appointments and uniforms will be furnished to non-contmissiooed officers and privates; the men will find their own rations, but forage for the horses will be supplied when necessary, and none but good riders will be admitted into tbe corps. The rate of pay has been fixed as follows:— Sergeants, 7s fid, Corporals, 6s 6d, and privates, 5s per day." The Volunteers.— Garrison duty is now being performed by the Volunteers, and the Block-houses have also been garrisoned with 20 men e^ch. The following paragraph from the New Zealander, of the 1 1th inst., shows that they have cheerfully undertaken actual service. A special general parade for the purpose of ascertaining the willingness of this force to undertake actual service, was held in the Albert B&r---racks yesterday morning. No 1 Company, "The Royals," were then asked, when an unanimous ' desire to offer their services was at once made, the men cheering. The question was then put individually to the other four Companies, and with two exceptuns, where a member of No 2 and another of the City Company, refused, the whole of the force unhesitatingly decided on placing themselves at the disposal of the Govern inent. A body of Naval Volunteers has also been formed. Waiku, Raglan, and Waipu. — From the letter of the" Own Correspondent" of the Southern Crossat the places we glean these following particulars:—" At Waiku, by the advice of Major Speedy, the settlers were taking steps to defend themselves, and had decided to build a stockade forthwith. As regards Mauku, the settlers there had been somewhat alarmed, and Major Speedy who came from that district stated that it was reported that a party of Patumahoe natives were going to Taranaki, and that they were determined before going to attack the Mauku settlers and do as much mischief as possible. He stated, also that the day fixed for the attack was Wednesday last, but by some reason they had altered their arrangements. At Raglan tbe natives were in a state of semistiirratiou, in consequence of their having neglected to plant either maize or potatoes last season. In theUpperWaipaa man named Johu Gage has had his young wife and child taken from him by the natives. The "Correspondent of the Cross thus writes :— " Both he and Mrs Gage are half-castes, and have been brought up in the district. He is a brother of Mrs Allen, who with her children, made such a clever escape by flight to Raglan in the month of April last. She is a daughter of the late Mr Merrit, an artist of considerable talent who, I dare say, is known to many people in Auckland. Before her marriage she was taken nolens-volens to Taranaki, three years ago, to assist the bad tribe to which she belongs. Both man aud wife have received an excellent education at the hands of the Church Missionary of Otawhao, the Rev J. John Morgun. Is the Habeas Corpus Act still in force, or are these bush Sir Cresswell's to be allowed thus to do Tiolence to the affections and liberties of her Majesty's subjects? These same natives have also caused Messrs Dickson, Cowell, Power, and Samuel Ferguson to leave ' with their flocks, herds, wives and families. .The only European left in the Upper Waipa is Lewis Lewis. The Ngatibana aud their neigh, hours have no hand in these lawless doings.