NEW PLYMOUTH.

NEW ZEALAND

GOVERNMENT GAZETTE.

Published by Authority.

VOL. VI.] NEW PLYMOUTH, SATURDAY, MAY 8, 1858. [No. 8

REPORT of a Select Committee of the
Provincial Council of New Plymouth,
appointed March 17, 1858, to inquire into
our relations with the Natives generally re-
specting the Native disturbances, and all
other matters relating thereto, together
with minutes of the evidence taken by such
Committee, and the documents laid before
the same.

The Committee have examined the following wit-
nesses—Messrs Hulke and Sunley, Members of the
Provincial Council, Mr Morrison, the Assistant Na-
tive Secretary, the District Land Purchase Commis-
sioner, W. M. Crompton, Esq., H. R. Richmond,
Esq., Justices of the Peace, and the Native Asses-
sor Poharama. The Committee likewise summoned
the Resident Magistrate to give evidence, but that
officer, as will be seen from his examination, refused
to afford, with one trivial exception, any replies in
the way of information to the questions put to him,
on the plea that this Council had no authority to
enquire into other matters than those touching the
Public service of the Province, and that the matter
under enquiry was Public service of the Colony.

The Committee do not propose now enquiring in-
to the validity of this objection which has compelled
them to rely upon evidence obtained from other
sources for information which they might otherwise
have obtained more directly.

It is with regret that the Committee have to re-
port that, notwithstanding the measures taken by
His Excellency the Governor for the protection of
the settlement and the observance of its neutrality,
the settlers are still exposed to the dangers arising
from the presence of armed Natives.

Though the Resident Magistrate has declined to
produce his instructions for the information of this
Council, the Committee have obtained a copy of
those issued to the Assistant Native Secretary,
wherein he is directed to \"take every opportunity
of explaining to the Natives the object of the Pro-
clamation issued by His Excellency on the 12th in-
stant (February) cautioning them against entering
the district of New Plymouth (as defined in the
Schedule attached to the said Proclamation) in
armed parties.\"

The Committee would draw the attention of the
Council to the words \"entering the district in arm-
ed parties,\" from which it appears to them that the
object of the proclamation is clearly set forth.

The Committee believe such to be the intention of
the General Government, and they learn with satis-
faction from the evidence of the Assistant Native Se-
cretary and the District Land Purchase Commis-
sioner that they believe the carrying out of this in-
terpretation of the Proclamation is quite practicable.

It appears from the evidence before the Com-
mittee that the Resident Magistrate has on five dif-
ferent occasions declined to take judicial cognizance
of informations preferred by settlers against Natives
for infringements of the Proclamation, which were
mostly accompanied by threatening language and
intimidation, and that complaints of other infringe-
ments were not made as it was hopeless that they
would be differently received.

The Resident Magistrate has likewise refused to
receive an information upon oath from the Native
Assessor Poharama who desired to make an example
of some Town Natives including another Native
Assessor for infringing the Proclamation. And at
the conclusion of his examination Poharama stated
that it was necessary to prevent trouble that any
Native traversing the English land with arms should