THE Manawatu Times. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER, 12 1881. AFFAIRS AT THE FRONT.

Manawatu Times, Volume V, Issue 173, 12 November 1881, Page 2

THE Manawatu Times.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER, 12 1881. AFFAIRS AT THE FRONT.

" Words are things, end it drop »f ink Jullnifr like dew upon a jL-.ckj.; v ;•. p,-.-^i!C«i tbat.\vfciaii;.aiiV''. thcy;ar;ds. v-r':\..i>- ■■ : -.v. :■■■ -v^it. '

At/tttottgti the Government m globo will get 'hr credit of the capture of the A reft -traitor, Trc V.'ttttt, and lv's protege, the murderm** 1 Hoiuki by pervons outside Ihe Colony, credit is alone due to one man, Joira Buyce: and we are sure that our assertion will lie endorsed by every person m New Zealand. It will bo remembered that when addressing hie constituents, about twelve months ago, ho told Lhem hia defection from the Cabinet was caused by a difference of opinion upon the Native policy. of which he way Minister. In dun* so he made no secret of the fact that he waa an advocate of s lrons? measures — marching on Parihaita, and rooting out the nest of insolent tr;\itors, with the wily Prophet at their head. Such being his policy, and the fact that his opinion hap now been acted upon, we have not to go far to sec that the remainder of the Cabinet are responsible to the. country for the lavish expenditure which has gone on since that time — something like £12,000 a month— while to that must be added the hindrance to settlement, and the insecurity of the prepent settlers. It is well known that one of the most prominent members of the Cabinet — no less a person than the Hon. Mai or Atkinson" — being member for Mount Egmont, was interested m having as much money as possible spent m hia district, and there were ,certain insinuations made as to his influence being the cause of Mr. Buyce's schemes being thwarted. Honor should be given where it is due, and certainly m our opinion the present Defence Minister, and upon him alone should that honor be bestowed. Up tn time of writing this article, no intelligence has been received as to whether or not the deluded followers of the crafty Te "Whtti intend taking any steps to avenge the insult off ami m the arrest of their Chief. Bitter experience m former wars, has taught them to featj.jhe power of the Pa-

keha, and they are likely to consider maturely the result before undertaking open aggression against their powerful opponents. There is no doubt the Natives have had grievances m the past, through tbe deception aud dishonesty of grasping Government officials ; but the West Coast Commission not only inquired into them, but awarded thousands of acres of land — we do not remember the number, but certainly such a birgo one as gave dissatisfaction to the bulk of the colonists. In fact, the award of the Commissioners, Sirs WiuvrA.M Pox aud 'Dri,Lox Bell, was of such a character, that the general impression was that it was a sop thrown to Cerberus; but Te WniTi ignored both Commission and their concessions, and advised his deluded followers that by peaceable possession of the land, they could defy the Government. Paluierston possesses particular interest m the result, inasmuch as a large number of her citizens have staked their lives upon tho hazard of the die. Hitherto Volunteers have been sneered at, and styled an expensive luxury, for which the Colony was heavily taxed ; but there came need for their services, aud they proved that they had not been misnamed, and were neither featherbed soldiers nor carpet knights.