136

Arms Ordinance, a circular will be addressed to
every Resident Magistrate and Justice of the Peace
in the Colony, calling upon him to use his diligence
to prevent and punish infringements of that Ordi-
nance, for so long as arms are put into the hands of
the Natives, it will be impossible to answer for the
peace of the country.

As the disturbances at Taranaki appear to have
had their origin in a dispute about the title of Land,
the Land Purchase Department will be instructed
to use great caution in entering into any negotiation
for the purchase of land, until the views of the
various Claimants shall have been ascertained.

As regards the purchase of land from the Natives,
the Government is of opinion that to make Taranaki
a Military Post would tend to operate unfavourably
with the Natives there, and farther to indispose
them to part with their land.

The least objectionable mode of providing for
the safety of the Settlement appears to be by the
establishment of a strong and efficient body of
Armed Police, to consist, say, for the present, of
from thirty to forty picked men, active, resolute,
and trustworthy, to be armed in the most efficient
manner, with a double barrelled carbine, bayonet,
and revolver, and already, if possible, familiar with
the use of arms, so as to render unnecessary the
parade of training;—the arms not to be common-ly
worn, the men to be selected, and the force to be
raised, by the Provincial Authorities, and to act as
a body of Constabulary, under their direction, in
aid of the Civil Power. As the resources of the
Province are insufficient to meet the expense of
maintaining so large a Constabulary Force, the
Government will if the Provincial Authorities desire
that the Force be organised, undertake to share the
expense with the Provincial Government. Such a
Body would not only be very efficient in them-
selves, but they would form a valuable Nu-
cleus around which the Armed Settlers might
rally in case of need. It would be desirable that
some of the men should understand the manage-
ment of a Field Piece; they would be the proper
party to entrust with the custody and preservation
of the Arms and Ammunition belonging to the Go-
vernment; and as the official duties of such a body
would ordinarily be little more than nominal, they
might be employed to a considerable extent on
useful public works, and assuming such a Force to
comprise a sufficient number of Seamen and
Marines, they might form the Harbour Boat's
Crew, &c. In the absence of an organised body to
defend it, a Block House or Stockade would be of
little real utility, but, if such an armed Force were
organised, it would be of importance that they
should have some building, however small, on which
they could fall back, and there defend themselves,
—such a building might for the most part, be
erected by themselves.—It would be essential that
the command of such a Force should be entrusted
to a Person in whose prudence and determination
the Settlers would have confidence.

I have the honor to be, &c,
ANDREW SINCLAIR
Colonial Secretary.

His Honor,
The Superintendent,
New Plymouth.

Resolutions of the Provincial Council adopted 1st
March, 1855.

1st.—That this Council having taken into con-
sideration the despatch addressed to his Honor
the Superintendent by the Colonial Secretary
dated 10th day February 1855, relative to sta-
tioning troops at New Plymouth, records its
entire dissatisfaction with the conclusion there-
in announced and its denial of every argument
by which it is a tempted to support that con-
clusion.
2nd.—That this Council is of opinion that the ex-
pedients suggested by the Despatch for the
defence of the Settlement are totally inad-
equate.
3rd.—That in the opinion of this Council the set-
tlement is even now in imminent danger; yet
as it is possible from the Native character that
this view may be deferred, an application for
protection to the Home Government is ex-
pedient.
4th.—That further application to the local Govern-
ment of New Zealand as at present constituted
being hopeless, this Council do appoint a com-
mittee, to prepare an address of remonstrance
for presentation to Her Majesty.
5th.—That similar addresses be prepared for pre-
sentation to His Excellency Colonel GORE
BROWNE on his assuming the Government of
the Colony, and to the other Estates of the
General Assembly when next convened.

ABSTRACT of REVENUE received by the General Government from the Province
of New Plymouth for the Year ending 31st December 1854, and the amounts of
the same paid over by the General Government to the Provincial Government.

Superintendent's Office,
6th March, 1855.

CHARLES BROWN,
Superintendent.

Printed by G. W. WOON for the Provincial Government.