WANGANUI.

Wellington Independent, Volume XIX, Issue 2116, 15 October 1864, Page 3

WANGANUI.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) We are daily expecting the arrival of th forces destined for the approaching ca"tc paign in tbe Ngatiruanui country and hopin tliat the time is at last come when tliat mm dering tribe may receive its due punishmen' Tbe fact of Sir George Grey acting in direc opposition to the ministry gives rise to mua apprehension respecting the future of thi island. Whatever Mr "Fox's antecedent witli the peace party may have been, it mus be acknowledged tbat the Fox — Whittake coalition was the one best suited to the pre sent emergency. The Taranaki Herald, i: advocating the calling together of the As sembly, endorses tbe views of others beside tbe people of Taranaki — and I think that th only course tbat can honestly be taken by th country, would be to request Sir Georg Grey to resign. The Imperial Governmen distinctly refused to allow us a voice in th management of nativo affairs, until their ow: mismanagement had plunged them into suci an unfathomable abyss, that they found i impossible to extricate themselves. Thei only did they turn to the colonists and offe tbem a share of the responsibility in nativ matters. Whether wisely or not, it is of n consequenco now, we accepted it ; and wha is the result ? The colonists have done thei utmost to restore peace, and in. furtheranc of that object have passed certain measures which were absolutely necessary to attain it The Imperial Government has accepted thos measures, but strives, by imposing certaii restrictions, to render them as inoperative a possible. Lastly, our Governor turns agains us and does all he can to defeat our ends Such is tbe state of affairs at the present mo ment, to extricate ourselves out of which ther is only one course both honest and honorable viz., "to demand the assistance of the Im perial authorities in settling native matter on a just and firm basis ; or if the with drawal of tbe troops is persisted in, to de mand the withdrawal of Sir George Gre] with the first regiment that should be takei from this Island previous to restoration of * proper peace. The Assembly should bi called together and the voice of the country which will have to pay for an unjust peace should be taken on tho matter. These step* may to some seem bold, but nothing but tin most vigorous action can save us in the pre sent crisis. However, I cannot but think that Governor Grey will see the error he has committee and retrace his steps, else it may place th< colonists in the unpleasant position of bein/j forced to act in direct antagonism to the Imperial Government. In another week or two, the two memorial! for and against Separation will have to be presented to bis 35xcellency and the issue made known. The Separationists laugh al the counter memorial, and say that a mar having once signed for Separation canno! draw back ; that the hon. Mr Whittakei said it was just the same as signing a promissory note. The Anti-Separationists on the other hand compare a man signing both memorials to a storekeeper sending an ordor by the mail to Wellingtonfor goods; but who, jus! after posting his letter, hears some news which convinced him that the goods will not pay, and ashe cannot get his letter back out ol tbe post office, he immediately posts another by the same mail cancelbng the order. This I conceive to be a proper view of the question. There is no question about the Separation memorial having been -signed by many who are sorry for having done so ; but who are nofc men enough to acknowledge their error. Nothing more can be done in the matter till the time for the finding of the verdict.^ In order to deter persons from purchasing in the Waitotara block, rumours are cunningly put in circulation that the New Provincial Government of Wanganui (as yet rather mythical) intend to lay a heavy tax on the land in that block ; I suppose in order to commence business with. The Separationists would have conferred a far greater benefit, not only on Wanganui but on the whole of New Zealand, had they formed themselves into a committee for the purpose of opening a correspondence with similar committees in other provinces of thia Island, on the propriety of doing away with all Provincial Governments — establishing a central Government, and giving to each district powers to manage its own finances over and above that required for General Government purposes. It would take a year or two to prepare the public for tho change, and were the agitation commenced now, the public mind would be thoroughly prepared for it at tbe reqmred time, viz., when peace would be properly restored in this island and nearly every trace of this disastrous war obliterated. I sco you have published extracts from the Chronicle about Davidson's case. I did not refer to it in my last, simply because I have so often complained of those abuses, that I am afraid of sickening you with any more. I was shown a copy of a letter to his Honor from a settler here, in which tho various abuses are set forth, and the writer makes some rather serious allegations — so serious indeed, that no Government can pass them over without either dismissing the Major or punishing the writer of tlie letter. In tho event of the affair being shelved by tbe authorities, it will only prove how Englishmen may be bullied and punished with impunity notwithstanding the power of the press. Thatcher has been treating us during tho past week to somo of his inimitable locals, and our various notabilities have fallen under the shafts of his pungent satire — Major Rookes, Separation, and the escape of the Maori prisoners, were tho gems of his locals. Small is an old friend amongst us and, as usual made people nearly kill themselves with laughter.