The Express.
London, England, 1864-01-18 00:00:00

THE NEW ZEALAND WAR.

vo EIS RTR GEORG! GREY,

1LC.8.,

OOVIMIOZ

01. SLYi ZZALIIIID.

Sir,—The unhappy war which is now raging in New
Zealand between th Idaories and their Ea;.is4 rulers Ina
excited the in nit deep and painful interest in this country.
it war g.:uerally hoped that the contest which recently took
place in the province of Taranaki would have been the last
of those ;,,sinful collisions which have proved lalioimical to
the best interests of the colony, as they have been duos-
twee to the native race. This hope we. cottinned by the
spirit with which your Excellency entered upon the duties
of your high MEN, and especially by the persevering
efforts you made to establish a system of self.goveru-
meat in the native districts. We cannot express
to you with what profound regret we hove witnessed
the failur: of thou wise and beneficent measures, and
bow deep:), we sympathise with you in the peculiarly
trying pos:tion in which yon are cow placed. The justice
which Lai ever been the great characteristic of vJor
lency's administration of native affairs is a pledge to the
world that the war which is now being waged will be limited
to lbs our okeet of restoring British impremscy in the
disturbed ‘.istricts, and of achieving an hosiourable, and, if
poxible, a Listing peace. Occupying u you do a position at
once so Itictet acid so responsible, we would u"t venture to
offer any saggeadiues of our own, did we ri,t feel that
Eugliehicen, even at so great a distance, ought not tmlowd
the momentous events now transpiring is New
wish Militference or even with silence. We would therefore
*mitosis .),21- earnest hope that your Excellency will
avail yotuself of the first favourable opportunity which
may preseat itself of endeavounng to terminate the was by
aegotation, and especially that you will listen to any over-
tures of peace which any of the natives who have taken up
arms may make. This course will, we are sure, so commend
Ault to your sense of humanity and Christian fecliog, that
we should scarcely presume to urge it upon your cooeide-
ration, did we not feel that your hands might be strength.
sued by this expremi,c of our opinion, an opinion which we
believe to be shared by the great body of the BraisL people.
We have, however, been alarmed by the pertinacity with
which, in ..slue quarters, it has been proposed to confiscate
the lands ,f all contumacious and rebellious natives. As
bas be‘u truly observed, such a policy as this would shut
the t:oor to au poasitilc settlement of the die-lc:thy except
by the sword ; u other words, if would lead to the
exterminatiou of a people who value their pro-
perty MI the soil even lucre than their existents, and wises
despite their faults, are worthy of a better fate. We can
conceire of no surer means of adding fuel to :he :!atoe of
war ;of extendieg the area of disaffection; and making
the natives fight with the modeles' of despair, thus a policy
of confiscition. It could not fail to produce in New Zea-
land the same bitter fruits of which it has yielded so plan-
tifcl a harvest in other countries where the strife of races
bar been perpetuated through successive gencratioes. and
that, too, with a ieleutlesaueas and a cruelty which have
made mankind blush for the species. We therefore pray
that in the hour of victory your Excellawy will limper
justice with mercy, and give to the wadi: ...anther bright
exemple of forbearance and magnanimity. sich means,
and such menus only, may we hope to see tha Ma.iri race
Dewed fro 3 extinction, and the dominion of cur ladoved
fir.ily established over every poi tiou ri the ielaude
(lens
Zealand. With groat respect, we have the honour
to be, sir, your Excellency s faithful servants,

(S'pe))--Chichester; Ebury. P. C., Moorpark. Rick-
umaiworth ; Walter C. Trevelyan. EftiTt. • John
ileeketh Lethbndge, Bart.: Wilfrid Lawson,
Bart. ; S. Gurney, Y.P. ; W. E. Forster, M.P. ;
lhozo Barnes, M.P. ; Henry fryer, 3LP. ;
Thomas Barley, M.P. ; William Willie, is. M.P.;
P. A. Taylor, M.P. ; Edward Baines, 11. P. ; F.
A. _Leathern, M.P. ; John Brady, : Samuel
Morley, Thomas rowan Burton, Lieut.-Cenral
f. Perronet Thompson, Edward Mien. R. N.
Fowler, Treasurer of the Aborigines Pro:action
Society ; •Samuel Lucas Thomas I.luthrie,
; Thomas Sinner, Colonel Charles J.
Hadfield, William Hewitt, Colonel Henry
Sala ey, J. E. CAM, Professor or a urirnra.lence.
Queen's University, Leiud ; Fraucis W.
Newman, late Professor at ruiversitr College,
London; Newman Hall, LLB.; J. .t. Parry,
Serjeastat-Law ; S. Stott, Mayor of Rochdale ;
Leone Levi, Professor of Commeras and Comener-
ial Law. King's College:, Loodnit ; Charles
.;urge, Henry Christy, Joserli Pease, Darling-
lon ; George 712,mipsoe ; David D.D. ;
Henry Richard, John Nienol, 8.C.0x0n.;
Duncan M'Liren, Newington-Eou,e, E,l:n burgh;
Edward Smith, Sheffield ' • Frederick Baines,
Leeds; Benjamin Scott, F./L A.S. ; Edmond
Beale', M.A., Lincoln's leas ; Edmund Stars*.
Birmingham ; John Lee, LL. D., Hartwell ;
Jibes Burns, ; Joseph Cooper, Lloyd's ;
John Cropper, Liverpool; John Hodgkin,
Lewes; Henry Vincent, Washington Wilke,
1.. A. Chamerovzow ; Geor.;* Gilfillan. Dundee •
John Cassell ; Arthur Tromso-an, J.P..Tain bobs):
Tr-Dect. N. B. : J. J. Colman, Norwich ; Richard
Smith, 7. klighbury-cruectot • F. W. Chesaon ;
A. K. Ishister, M.A. ; Jo iu Epps, M.D. ;
Joseph Cowen, jun. New,mstle.ois Tyne ; John
Mayll,ld, 304, Honiara ; Francis E. Fox, Tot..
realism ; Justin ?!'Canty ; Jam,* Cropper,
Kendal; James Tesler, jun., nirmioghani ;
Wilsou Armistead. tee& ' • AUJer.Ol4
LL.D., Glasgow; Frederick Wheeler, Rechester ;
Henry Richardson, Newcastle-on. Tyne : Joseph
Lupton, Leeds ; Caleb Fletcher, 3L1)., York.
lanalon, Jan. lb, lidt.