OPINIONS OF THE PRESS ON THE NATIVE TROUBLE.

Waikato Times, Volume XX, Issue 1675, 31 March 1883, Page 3

OPINIONS OF THE PRESS ON THE NATIVE TROUBLE.

As might have been expectcrl, the Tress of the colony hayc had a good deal to say on the question of the difficulty aiising out of Air Hursthousc's capture at Tv Uria. The following extracts are made from papers bearing date the 24th inst: — Tim ant Herald. The natives have precipitated matters in the King Country. A pat ty of obstructionists have stopped the Got eminent surveyors and detained them as prisoners, notwithstanding that their pioceedings were sanctioned by the leading Kingite chiefs, and that they themselves were accompanied hy a party ot natives who had undertaken to conduct them through the country. At the lirst glance this appears to be a very unfortnnate affair, and one calculated seriously to impede the progress of Mr Bryoe'a plans for opening the King Country and settling the native difficulty. In reality, however, it is, we arc inclined to think, very favourable to the achievement of that object. It is, in fact, a contingency which there was always a good deal of reason to expect. In commenting on tiie prospects of the Native Minister's policy in the King country the other day, we pointed out the probability of his meeting with a cood deal of bluster at first j and at the same time we expressed the opinion that if resistance were offered to him, it would merely have the effect of hastening events tli.it are in any case inevitable. This is just what is coming to pass. There is evidently dissension among the natives. Some are already reconciled to the idea of the survey of the laihvay line, and the consequent intioduction of Kui'opcan settlement; nnd these ha\e not only assented in wiiting by their chiefs, to the expedition of thesiuveyois, but have given their peisonul assistance towaids making the expedition a success. Another section aie of a different mind. It does not appear that they aie absolutely opposed to the survey ; but they arc determined not to allow any'thin" to be done without Tawluao's authority ****** *■ * * Tawhiao, who might before have refused to countenance the smvoy, and simply thrown the whole responsibility of evcuts on the Government, will now be obliged to give his \oice one way or the other, lie has been appealed to, and, unless the difficulty is otherwise remov cd, he must either indentify himself with the Sarty of violence, or else lend his muence to assist the Government. If he takes the latter cour.se, he will \ usually surrender his mum to My Biyce ; whilst, if he takes the tormcr, he will place himself in the awkward predicament of resisting lawful authority, and openly declaring himself a disturber of the peace This is precisely the character which lie has always cmlcavouied to a\oid, and •which, in fact, is totally opposed both to his disposition and to his. policy. Theie can be little doubt, we fancy, that if the thing tin us on Tawhiao's decision, that decision will be for the burned in te release of the surveyors and the pvo«iess ot the survey. Finally, assuming that all other methods fail, that Wahanui and his people arc unable to overcome the obstruction, and that Tawhiao encourages the party of violence, Mr Bryce, we may be sure, has his own method quite ready to be applied. The law of the land is over the King Country as well as over the European settlements ; and Mahuki and his associates aie merely so many rioters, who have obstructed, avsnulted nnd detained (Jo\ eminent orhVinls in tho execution ot a lawful undertaking. All that Mr Bryce has to do, thei efore, is to proceed exactly as if the offendeis were JUmopeans. He must send a constable to keep the peace and bring the brawlers to justice, and if one constable should be found unequal to the dutj, he must send a sufficient number of constables, whether two, or twenty, or a hundred or five hundred.

LyttcUon Times. If Mr Bryce maide a mistake, in sending the surveyors into the King country he can at all events claim that he lias not thrown away the amnesty for nothing in the case of Te Kooti. In the account of the release of Mr Hursthouse and his friend, the news of which will be received with great pleasure by tho whole colony —Te Kooti is reported to have acted on the side of the Government. The rescue has been effected promptly by the natives who support the policy of the Government, but not promptly enough >to save the pujsoners f i^rni hard treatment. What the sfl^el would have been in their case, had f j|y not been released, one hardly likes^ to think about. Now that they are once more safe and in comparative comfort, the question is, what next ? The natives are divided into two parties, the progressists and the obstructionists, and the obstructionists are very angry and said to be very desperate. There is trouble ahead clearly. If we have nothing worse than koreros, bif feeds, and enigmatical speeches telegraphed by the column wo shall be well ont of the difficulty. It seems abojit time to go back to the "severely letting alone." * * * We have read in a Ministerial journal a cry of war addressed to the Government. If Mi*, Bryce is seriously resisted, we must inarch a force into the Waikato country without any more ado. This 1 kind of contention, when the , important interests of public works and immigration are being starved for want of enterprise, is too disgustingly like the old days, in which a native difficuity was always kept hot to make Governments expensive and interesting. We must remind Ministers that the claim of the Government to the pubUo confidence in

llieil r na'tive~pdliey was based'wtheir expressed preference , fpfy-, leaving the natives " severely alone, as Sir John Hall and Mr Rolleston repeatedly put it. This policy, it was explained, by neither inflating iior intimidating the Natives, left them to the operation of natural oauses, which would in good time bring thpm ' Within tlie 'pale 'of ■ colonisation] A if, it was' insisted iipdn/who ! depniteu from this rule of moddiing and interfering, were unworthy 6f suppArt, atid to" be promptly ejected > from office. Why, then, is Mr Bryce allowed to go on meddling and interfering,? and why do we have calls for armed intervention it necessary, contrary to the express claim j put for by ' Ministers for the public confidence ? If tiiafc claim was honestly | made, it must be the stiongest condemnation of the present pioceedings. If it was not honestly made, it simply represented the dctcimination of an envious' party' not to allow th'eiY opponents the advantage and prestige of presiding over so lucrative a transaction j as the opening of the long-closed Native lands. Thames Star. DoUbts and fears were freely expressed when the ban was lcmoved from Te Kooti, as to his faithfulness, and intent ] to submit to the country's law ; but, there is every reason to believe that these must have, by tin's time, been entirely removed. His prompt action in proceeding to the release ot Mr Hursthouse has given clear proof ,of his straightforward desire to become a peaceable and loyal subject, and although the amnesty provisions leave a wide power in the hands of tho Government, .there is ( strong proBinuptive as well as actual evidence that if exercised with a wise discretion, the Act in question may be made a very valuable one. ' New Zealand Tim*),. If the statement made in our Press Association telegram is cotieet, that Mr L>. XV. Hursthousu and his companions ' have been lescied from the hostile natives in the King country and set at liberty by Te Kooti and his follow?— and there is no reason to doubt the authenticity of i the lepoit — veiy stiong additional evidence has been furnished ot the soundness j ot Mr liayce's lecent policy in the matter of the amnesty. It is tolerably certain | that if no anincsty had 'been pioiously guaianteud,, Te Kooti would have been one of the lnst men in the world likely to icmlei us any a&oiatance, either in risking a collision with hostile nathes on our behalf, or in attempting to preserve the peace. The incident is important, not merely because we do not want our authorised officials to be mmdcicd, or even imprisoned, but, also, br>( au.se we are still nob so otiong in the Waikato country that we can prudently avoid to act -without the assistance of allies. If a now native war moke out wo should probably be the victors ; but still it would most likely also be at heavy cost of blood and money. As matters now stand, there is every prospect that surveys for tho proposed railway line will bo peacefully contained and completed, and in this matter also, as in the suppiession of the Paiihaka disturbance Sir Geoigc Grey and Mr Sheehan can scarcely fail for consistency's sake, if for no other reason, to read their less wellinformed follows a Icnssou, and support the police of the Native Minister. IVanganul Herald, Just as Governor Browne relied on the mana and ownership of a particular chief to set aside the mana of a tribal chief, so we find that Mr Bryce is using Wctere, who claims sole ownership of tne Mokau country, to sustain him against the opposition of Wabanui, who holds a higher position amongst the tribes of the Waiknto than even William King held among those ot Taianaki. We do not believe Te Wetere is fiiendly, but that he is playing a treacherous p;ut towards the Government. It U now well known that though lii) wa3 not probably present at the nttiidcr of the Rev. Mr Whitely, it was he who gave the older to take the old man's life. He confessed his guilt when he suddenly lett Wellington lnst session upon the intimation that he would be piosocuted for the minder. He lias now been amnestied, and is free to plot and lie, having received immunity for post offences. His conduct in the matter of this Waikato survey is open to tho giavcst suspicion without going into his antecedents at all. Letteimsbe mnde with Taw hiuo, and the surveyors will be free to go whithersoever they please. It will then be s;ife to iif>« force with refiaotory natives, l.ufc not till then. It is surely a wictched policy to be lelying on pardoned muv dereis — at this moment nearly the only allies of the Government in the Waikato. But even these giatufuls do not; appear anxious to hazaid their precious skins The Auckland landshaiks have been lately sounding the praises of a policy that was so soon to place them is possession of the land of the Waikatos, but even they will now lealise the truth that Tawhiao and Walianui must be parties to any tei ins that will be, binding on the natives. Even the .Auckland landshaik — tho most voracious animal in existence — must soc that Te Wetere and Te Kooti do not hold the destiny of the Waikato tribes in their hands. The men who are opposing the surveyors are representative chiefs who are patriots among their people — not low, ciuel numlurcrs of old men, women and childicn. Sir Donald McLean 'was light. Patience and forbearance will conquer the isolation, as they have been doing during the last twenty j cars at an accelciating speed. A few mouths would have seen in all probability Tawhiao and Wahamu^ of their own accotd, offeiing satisfacfioiy teinis. Thci ewas no necessity to insult or degiade Tawhiao and take to the Ministeiial bosom Te Kooti and Te Wetere, If the Government and their friends the Auckland land-giabbers' had only vaitcd, him render was coming without stormint; the position. Even now it is not too late to fall back on the policy ot Sir Donald McLean.

Wiihur. aio they, and what are they doing ? In ovcrydcparbmenb of productive labour, machinery has been and is having a corresponding effect. The displaced millions of mythical hand workers cannot have starved to' death, or have been otherwise , exterminated, for there lias been a lapid increase of population in all manufacturing countries, and the average, length of human life is greater than it used to be.