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Waikato Times, Volume XIII, Issue 1097, 5 July 1879, Page 2

New Pmmouth, Wednesday; Major Tukb left this morning for Waihi, and it is expected that another lot of Maoris will be arrested, if they are still persisting in their ploughing operations. THE WHITE CLIFFS. Fifty of the Armed Constabulary Horse left Waitara this morning for IXreni, and will be in readiness should their assistance bo required for arresting the natives. THE NATIVES AWAITING TRIAL. It is expected that about thirty-four natives will be arrested and brought for trial. The natives brought from Tapuae, and other places, in the TaranaM gaol awaiting .their trial, have not the appearance one might expect to witness from the lawless acts they are charged with. Like the martyrs in the early days of Christianity, they bear their degradation withmeekness, and they would die rather than renounce their faith in Te Whiti, who they believe has power to save them, if not on this earth at least hereafter. They are very obedient, doing evesything they are told, and are in no way rebellious. They do not speak much, and what little they do say is merely to the effect that the pakehas have not the power to injure them. • TRE MOKAU SCARE. Mr J. Jones returned from Mokau last night; He states that the alarm was caused by a cranky native, who did tell the Europeans to leave Mokau; but Te Wetere has written to Government a very loyal and satisfactory letter on the subject, and the Europeans are perfectly safe; Te Wetere says that ho wishes to support the Government, and says he requested them to keep Parihaka troubles away from Mokau. Te Whiti, immediately he heard of the likelihood of unpleasantness at Mokau, sent a messenger claiming jurisdiction, and ordered the mail between Mokau and Parihaka to be stopped. Te , Wetere and his people are much angered at this, and it has made them more determined td press the Government to keep Mokan and themselves from trouble. They say, " We are Manga's people, and so long as he gets on with the Government, we are not going in any path but his." . They have sent word to Te Whiti to keep his troubles to himself, as they do not wish to be drawn into enmity with the pakeha ; they had|enough of that before. Te Wetere had also sent word to Captain Messenger, at Pukearuhe, that it is his wish to keep up the old friendly relations, and that his men, who had been requested not to go to Mokau, may resume their visits as usual. The 'Taranaki Herald J says it is in a position to say that most friendly negotiations are now in progress between Te Wetere and the Government—negotiations that render any supposed trouples out of the question. The ' Herald ' has received a letter from Te Wetere for publication, of which the following is a translation : — " Mokau, June 29, 1879 :— " To the Editor of the newspaper of TaranaH, — You send my letter to the Press. I have heard what has been said of me in the newspapers, that I am driving off my Europeann friends from Mokau. This is a false statement from some foolish person, and I was not aware of it. I have written to the Government. Please believe what I say. — From Rbbenoa Wetere, Mokau."

TE WHITI - NEW TACTICS.

The native ploughmen arrested to-day at Waiti on being brought m offered no resistance. Mr Kemp returned last night, and says he prevailed on natives numbering 40 to return, and they are new on their way back.

Yesterday tho natives were not able to go on with their work, but no doubt they will as soon as they are ready. Te Whiti commands them to plough m batches of o, one man to succeed another as fast as apprehended. The Cavalry are under orders to bo prepared for any emergency. The natives have no armed covering party as rumoured, but are entirely unarmed.

New Plymouth, Thursday.

THIRTY-THREE MAORIS ARRESTED.

Thirty-three Maori ploughmen, undsr Lloyd, a Chatham Island native, were apprehended without resistance yesterday by Major Tuke and a detachment of tbo Armed Constabulary Force, at the White Cliffs. The party was lodged at Urenui last night, and will come into New Plymouth by special train to-day. This act will free the White Cliffs district of most of its troublesome Maoris.

Oi'UNAKE, Thursday, 11.58 a.m. All i.s quiot. There is no sign of the Maoris resuming ploughing.

Hawera, Thursday THE ARRESTED NATIVES.

The party of natives arrested here number 11, and will be taken at once overland to Wanganui; and thon by steamer to Wellington.

White Cliffs, Thursday.

The 35 men arrested yesterday at the White Cliffs will be brought to Wellington by the Hinemoa, and she will call at Patea for the other prisoner, Ngamari. There are now 61 prisoners. The 15 committed at New Plymouth will be tried there. The Government fully expect to get Titokowaru shortly, and probably Te Whiti himself.

TE WETERE TAKES HIS SIDE.

At Mokau, Te Wetere has emphatically announced himself on our side, and has requested the Government to keep pakeha troubles away from Mokau. There is no truth m the rumors that Mr Jones and others have been ordered from the 'Mokau. On the contrary, a telegram was received from Te Wetere m Cambridge, saying that he would have to be driven away with the pakehas. Telegrams were also received from Mr Jones and Mr Shaw, saying that they never were more secure, and that the line of railway will certainly be made to Waikatol" I have seen a gentleman to-day who interviewed Rewi yesterday, who told him that if the Hon. J. Sheehan is driven from the Government, he will return to his kainga, and give up all further efforts towards reconcilation with the Europeans. He is very dark. My friend says he is not like the same being as when we saw him m Cambridge, so terribly dark and oppressed does he appear, and all from fear that the Hon. Mr Sheehan wiU leave the Government ere he has completed his work. Te Whiti and Taranaki, he says, can settle their own matters with any Government, but Mr Sheehan ia the only person with' whom he can work.

H_weba, Thursday, 12.58 p.m.

THE PLOUGHING.

The Maoris chose a grass plot, surrounded by bush. Three ploughs were quiokly going the rounds, three Maoris setting potatoes, and one woman cooking potatoes. Te Ike superintended operations. Robert Noakes, Brown, and the Constabulary proceeded to Normanby, and the Hawera troopers formed a covering party. Everything was ready for an emergency. The natives were quickly taken into custody on Mr Rnlayson's authority, and taken to Waihi fortress with bullocks ; and ploughs. There was no signs Of an ambuscade.

WANGANUI.

Thompson, the Maori prisoner, now undergoing sentence m Wanganui gaol for stealing at Hawera, refused to eat, and stated that he wanted to die. As he was sinking from weakness, food was pumped into him. After about a cupful of beef tea had been administered, he signified his intention of having had enough. He then took his food properly. He expected to be raised by Te Whiti m three days, but the pakehas want to get six months' hard labour out of him first.

THE CAPTURE.

About noon on Wednesday, Major. Tuke and Mr Parris, with between 60 and 70 men, came' from the Waitau side, and were met by Captain Messenger, from the White Cliff, with another detachment of 10 men. There were 35 men m the field ; some were ploughing, and the others had, fern-hooks and knives m their hand, which they had with them for the purpose of cutting branches off the karaka to feed their bullocks with. Captain Messenger went up to them and said: "Drop those knives, or you are dead men." The men made no resistance, and did as they were told. They were then arrested and marched to Urenui, and were put m the schoolhouse, where they remained all night. This morning at abbut 9 o'clock the guard fell m, and the prisoners were escorted to Waitara m charge of Major Tuke and Captain Messenger. Mr Parris, who accompanied Major Tuke, also came into town with the prisoners. On their arrival, Major Stapp and Captain B alien were at the railway station to receive the party.

It is reported that natives are engaged ploughing land belonging to Mr J. Kyngdon. From good authority I hear that the next step the Maoris take will be to plough at Te Papaka. The two Maori youths who were liberated on Thursday, and who have gone home have not given a very cheerful account to their friends of their confinement m gaol. The rule forbidding the use of tobacco, was a source of misery to them of no trivial character. They also complained of having to go to bed at dusk, and not being allowed lights, and a free use' of their conversational powers. The mother of the boys says, she wishes the Government had kept them, as it would have knocked nonsense out of their heads.

Wellington, Thursday. Nearly all the eleven natives arrested at Hawera to-day are men of note.