The Waikato Times.

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

The Waikato Times.

Equal and exact justice to all men, Of whatever state or persuasion, religious

or political. Here shall the Press the People's right

maintain, Unawed by influence and _nbribed by gain.

SATURDAY, JULY 5, 1879

It is time that Te Whiti brought

his ploughing operations to a close, and that the natives and the Government entered upon the more serious portion of the game which has yet to be played out between them. The natives have gone quite

far enough for all practical purposes m the assertion of what they consider their rights, and should be plainly given to understand that the colony will not submit to the cost of keeping up a war establishment as a preventive to war, and that such cost will, m some form or other, be made a charge upon the lands of those whose actions necessitate it. From the first we unhesitatingly gave it as our opinion that Te Whiti and those with him never intended fighting —that they were simply raising .the "question of right— and that whatever amount of fanaticism there might be m the minds of the natives, there was a method m their madness. Events have amply demonstrated the correctness of these opinions, and I the latest telegrams we publish show that the offending natives are acting with a stubborn determination to allow neither word nor act on our part to provoke them to retaliate by violence. They are steadily raising a protest against the loss of their land.which' it will be impossible for the colony to ignore, and winch must necessarily enforce the fullest and most thorough investigation. The visit of Mr James Mackay to the West Coast ]>!is, it is asserted, clearly shown that the natives taking part m these

offences against property heve some cause of complaint against the Government, of the colony. The history of the Oakura block, on which the ploughing first commenced, is suggestive. Confiscated m 1865, it was found that nearly half the resident claimants originally owning it had been loyal, and had even fought on the European side. A commission was then appointed to investigate who of the Ngaruahanga had been loyal, and who had been m rebellion. ' The Court consisted of Judges Fenton, Rogan, and Monro, and these sat during the winter of 1866, m "New Plymouth. This Compensation Court found that the loyal natives interested m the block were' entitled to 7,400 acres, bub when the Court had made this award, it was found that aftor deducting the land granted to military settlers, fof reserves, or opened for sale, only some 2500" acres were left available for the purposes of the award. The matter was at once reported to the Government of the day. The then Native Minister, Mr Russell; instructed the Crown agent to offer the natives unsold land m tbe block and all Government reserves as full compensation for all claims. The offer was accepted through Mr Parris, and the natives were promised Crown grants. These grants have never been issued. It ia said that the same state of affairs occurred m other localities where the political ploughing has been going on. Read by the light of these revelations, we have the key to the action taken by Te Whiti, and can understand that it is his intention that tho battle shall be fought out m the law courts and not m the field. As we have said, however, enough and more than enough has been done by the natives interested to raise the question of right, and to prevent the possibility of its being again Bhelved by the Government or by Parliament, and they sho uid no w be made to understand distinctly that they will, be saddled with the cost of maintaining the colonial forces and militia upon a war footing, rendered necessary by their lawless protests. It ia stated that money is being freely subscribed by the natives for the defence of the political ploughmen.

Since writing the abov.e, later telegrams confirm the views expressed m the foregoing lines.