WANGANUI.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVII, Issue 1900, 28 July 1863, Page 2

WANGANUI.

By the overland mail we have the Chronitle of the 23rd inst. The Wellington mail had not arrived up to the 23rd, owing to its having been sent bj steamer instead of overland as usual. There is the usual budget of Native Newa in the Chronicle, some of it absolutely unreliable, and other portions possibly credible. We subjoin a few paragraphs. The Natives. — The Ngarauru and Ngatiruanui natives have nearly all returned borne; only two chiefs of any rank (Hori Tipene and Pehemana) and a few others belonging to the former tribe remaining at Tataraimaka. Suspicion of their allies, and particularly of the Wanganui natives (whom tbey passed by stealtb) has led to their return, and the Ngarauru seem to be anxious to treat with Mr White through the agency of the Pakaraka people. One oi the sixteen who first returned waited lately oa Mr White to know if he would receive them again as Queen natives, and on what terms j and we are informed that he replied, that the first proceeding jaust be the delivery to him of their arms. That done, tbey might come and go as friendly natives till the war was ended, wbjßo the Governor would have to say what penalty they should pay for having taken up arnls against the Queen ; and that the amount of the penalty would no doubt depend greatly their conduct between this time and the termination of the war. . Mr White. further forbade those who have been at Tataraimaka to come on this side the Waitotara river. About thirty Wanganuis have returned from the war; but on the other hand it is said that Pehi and Topini have determined to join their frieuds at Warea, where about 300 Waoganuis and the stragglers of the Ngarauru and Ngatiruanui, are awaiting the return of the troops to Tataraimaka. Pebi and Topini intimated an intention of going during an interview with some of Mr White's assessors. Nine mouths ago the Kingites did not hesitate to enter the pahs of friendly natives to seize and enforce payments of fines from those who owned allegiance to the Queen. The saddle is now on the other horse ; and a circum* stance which has just occurred up the river shows how far the Kingite power is broken. An assessor named Rewi inflicted a fine of £1 on an old woman for an assault, and she agreed to give a pig of that value as payment. Some of her relatives (Kingites) refused to allow it to be given up, and Rewi therefore sent to Pehi and Topini ou the subject. They sent a Kingite magistrate to seize tbe animal, but the woman's friends would not yield. Pebi then wrote to Beifi to say he would not interfere furthet, but wmild leave it entirely in his hands. Rewi then asked what Pehi would do if he (Rewi) seized it, and if he had to use force in doing so, and to both questions Pehi replied, " Nothing." Rewi thereupon took some policemen with him, and the pig- was given up without further trouble. Letters have been received by gome Wanganui natives announcing that some Pakehas had been killed by the natives* near Auckland. One version of the affair is, that a small party of white men were cut off and killed at the termination of the South Toad at the Waikato river. Auother is, that a parly of natives went as if to deliver up their arms, and tomakawked the persons appointed to receive them. If such an affair has occurred it must have been since tbe Storm Bird left on the 12th inst. Sudden Death. — An iuquest was held ob Saturday last, at Davidson's Steam Packet Hotel, on the body of Mr Thomas Shields, late of Wangaebu, who died suddeuly at bis owa residence, on Thursday the 16th inst., from the rupture of a blood vessel on the lungs. The body was brought into Wanginni on Friday, and the funeral, which took place on Sunday, was attended by a large number of the deceased gentleman's friends and neighbours, by whom He is much and sincerely regretted.