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for any eventuality, and, exclusive of a largo body of local Volunteers under arms, and efficient, can place 350 reliable men of the permanent forces in any part of the district within twenty-four hours' notice. A case of ordinary pig-stealing has occurred since Te Whiti's arrest, and the offender has been sentenced to three months' hard labour in New Plymouth gaol. This case is unconnected with the other recent events. J. Ballance.

The Hon. Colonel Whitsiobe to the Hon. the Defence Minister. Sir,— Wellington, 24th July, 1886. I have the honour to lay before you a report on the occurrences of the past week in the district of the west coast of this Island of which Opunake is the centre. On Saturday last, in consequence of a report from Mr. Inspector Pardy that Te Whiti was, he had reason to believe, inciting the Natives to build and plough on European land, I directed that officer, by your instructions, to proceed to Parihaka and to warn Te Whiti that his action was known, and that, if the Natives trespassed on European land against the law, he would be arrested and treated as an accessory. On the following day the Natives, under Titokowaru, forcibly entered a paddock near Manaia belonging to Mr. Hastie, and, in spite of being ordered off by the police, proceeded to build. Two were then arrested, but were forcibly rescued by a crowd of Natives. The police endeavoured to keep back the Maoris, but they broke into the paddock through the fence, and ultimately broke open the gate. Europeans began to collect as well as Natives, and towards the afternoon some three hundred of the former and four hundred of the latter were on the ground. Carts had been brought in, and the cattle and horses were turned loose in the paddock. These were collected by Mr. Hastie, jun., who, unable to get them out of the gate, broke down the back fence of the paddock, and drove the cattle and horses through the opening to the Manaia pound. Meanwhile, the Natives had got wood and other materials on the ground, as well as food. A large whare was marked out, the ground dug up, and the building begun. Fires were lighted, and the women began to prepare the food. At this time, Sergeant Anderson and the police being unable to control the Natives, and the Europeans becoming impatient and excited, blows began to be struck, and a serious collision became imminent. Mr. James Livingston, J.P., however,-; used all his influence, which is considerable, with the settlers to use moderation and to proceed lawfully; some forty special constables were then sworn in by Mr. Livingston and Messrs. York and Budge, Justices of the Peace, and, thus reinforced, Sergeant Anderson and the police arrested Titokowaru and eight others, not without some resistance, and, taking them out of the field, lodged them that evening in custody at the Opunake Bedoubt. Mr. Pardy reported these circumstances without delay, and received positive orders to arrest Te Whiti as soon as he had ascertained whether Te Whetu, in obedience to Te Whiti's orders, had ploughed European land at Oakura. Mr. Pardy rode all night to Oakura, but, on arriving, Te Whetu informed him that, on reconsideration, he had sent a messenger to Te Whiti refusing to plough as directed. Mr. Pardy then proceeded to Pungarehu, which is close to Parihaka, reaching that place in the evening. On arrival ho received your positive instructions to lose no time in arresting Te Whiti, and therefore sent a requisition to Lieut.-Colonel Eoberts for every man he could spare from guarding the prisoners to assist him. Lieut.-Colonel Eoberts at once hired a coach and sent up every available man, being by this time informed that he would be reinforced from Wellington in the morning. Mr. Pardy, finding himself, before daylight, with twenty-two Armed Constabulary and six police, determined to arrest Te Whiti directly after day broke. He proceeded with his men and a buggy to Parihaka unperceived, and, having caused a Native who was running to give the alarm to be seized by Constable Scully, Armed Constabulary, who succeeded in silencing him after a struggle, and having stopped Te Whiti's wife, to ask for information, decided on surrounding the whare called the " secret" whare. This he effected quickly, and thereupon ordered his six policemen to enter and, if there, to seize Te Whiti. It proved that he was there, with some fifty others whom he was haranguing, and the constables at once took him up and carried him off, placing him in the buggy. The Armed Constabulary men (twenty-two) thereupon formed between the whare and the buggy, preventing a rescue, and Mr. Pardy drove Te Whiti at once to Pungarehu. The Armed Constabulary men were then sent to Opunake, arriving at 8 a.m., Mr. Pardy driving Te Whiti down later, and arriving at noon. Meanwhile, at 8 p.m. on the 19th, you had directed me to leave Wellington with twenty-five Armed Constabulary men to reinforce Opunake, if necessary, or to guard Te Whiti, if committed to Wellington for trial. Wo reached Opunake early, and Lieut.-Colonel Eoberts, whose men had been under arms all night, relieved them with the new detatchment. Mr. Pardy, whose continuous exertions for forty-eight hours had quite wearied him out, summoned his witnesses by telegraph, and Lieut.-Colonel Eoberts fixed the hearing of the cases for next day. Although some hundreds of Natives assembled at the newly-made village at Opunake, no attempt at a rescue was made, but, on the contrary, such as I saw assured me, voluntarily, that there would be no more ploughing. Next day, at 2 p,m., the witnesses having arrived, the nine prisoners first arrested were charged with malicious injury to property on Hastie's land. The case was clearly proved, and, although warned not to commit themselves, the Native prisoners voluntarily made statements admitting their guilt, and saying that their " master," Te Whiti, ordered them to do it. Te W'hiti was not charged with this offence, though similar informations were sworn against each, because it was supposed if he was not present the prisoners would be more outspoken. On the

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