A.—No. a
DISTURBANCES AT PATEA.
5
I have the honor to request that 3 rou will send to each of the above-mentioned places (Kakaramea and AVairoa) a few armed constables, Avho will patrol the country and apprehend any Natives Avho are determined to oppose the settlers in occupation of their land. I have, &c, The Officer Commanding Armed Constabulary, James Booth, Patea. Resident Magistrate.
Enclosure 2 in No. 3. (No. 241-1.) Copy of a Letter from Mr. Huntee to Mr. J. Booth. Sic— Patea, 29th March, 1868. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of this day's date, requesting me to send a few of the Armed Constabulary to Kakaramea and Wairoa, to patrol in those neighbourhoods, and beg to inform you that I have complied with your request. I have, &c, James Booth, Esq., Besident Magistrate, W. Huntee, Patea. Inspector, Armed Constabulary.
No. 4. Copy of a Letter from Mr. J. Booth to Mr. Bolleston. No. 33-2. Resident Magistrate's Court, Sic,— Carlyle, 13th April, IS6B. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter, number and date as per margin, stating that reports have been received at the Defence Office, from which it appears that I had requested that a party of about fifteen men might bo sent to Kakaramea, and a similar number to Oika, and to express surprise that no report should have been received from me, and also asking me to explain the reasons which induced me to apply for parties of the Military. In reply, I have the honor to state that I did not apply for Military, but for Armed Constables, about eighty of whom were living in Patea without any employment whatever. At tho time that I made tho application I had just returned from Whanganui, where I had been in attendance on the Pokaikai Commissioners, and had to go off in great haste up the country to attend a Native Meeting at Te Ngutu-o-tc-Manu, and being very much hurried, I had not time to write a proper report. Arriving at Waihi in the evening, we (Major Hunter, Captain Pago, and myself) stayed at that post for the night, intending next morning at daylight to go on to Te Ngutu-o-te-Manu. About midnight an orderly arrived at Waihi with a letter stating that the Armed Constabulary were ordered to Hokltika. I therefore returned to Patea at once, but next morning I had again to go go up country about a theft that had been committed near Turuturumokai. When I returned to Patea I wrote a report which has been forwarded. The constable who has been acting as Clerk to the Court had to go with the force to Hokitika. The Militia were called out by order of Lieutenant-Colonel McDonnell, who told me that he had authority to do so from the Defence Office. I have, &c., James Booth, W. Bolleston, Esq., Under Secretary, Besident Magistrate, Native Department, Wellington. Carlyle, Patea.
No. 150-2, April 4, 1868.
No. 5. Copy of a Letter from Mr. J. Booth to the Hon. J. C. Richmond. (No. 35-2.) Besident Magistrate's Office, Sic,— Carlyle, 14th April, 1868. I am sorry to have to report that robberies by Maoris in the neighbourhood of Turuturumokai and Keteonetea are become of frequent occurrence. Last week a Waitara Native, named Patu, who was fortunately seen by some lads from Matangarara, broke into the house of a man named Lcnnon, and took three looking-glasses therefrom (these being the only articles ho could at the time lay hands on). Patu has gone off to the bush inland of Keteonetea, but there is a probability that he may again appear. I have sent to Sub-Inspector Boss, A.C., at Waihi, a warrant for his apprehension. Sub-Inspector Boss also reported yesterday that on Saturday last (11th instant), the house of a man named Cameron, between Turuturumokai and Matangarara, was broken into during tho owner's absence, and every article the house contained taken away, including a Government rifle and ammunition. Most of these thefts are supposed to have been committed by Waroa Natives who attended the Native meeting at To Ngutu-o-te-Manu, and are now roaming about the district. There is at the present time only one mounted constable stationed at Waihi; patrolling is therefore out of the question. In tho meantime, I have advised tho settlers living near the bush to have some central place in which to deposit their stores and any valuable articles they may have, and, in turn, to keep guard over them. Hitherto, settlers have placed every facility in the hands of intending thieves by building merely temporary raupo whares near the bush and leaving them sometimes for days unprotected. I have, &c, James Booth, The Hon. the Native Minister, Besident Magistrate, Wellington. Carlyle, Patea. 2