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

THE NEW ZEALAND WAR.

TO HIS EXCELLENCY SIR GEORGE GREY, R.C.8., GOYER-

NOR OP NEW ZEALAND.

Sir,—The unhappy war which is now raging in New
Zealand between the Maories and their English rulers has
excited the most deep and painful interest in this country.
It was generally hoped that the contest which recently
took place in the province of Taranaki would have been the
last of those painful collisions which hove proved as inimi-
cal to the best interests of the colony, as they have been
disastrous to the native race. This hope was confirmed
by the spirit with which your Excellency entered upon
the duties of your high office, and especially by the per-
severing efforts you made to establish a systeja of self-
government in the native districts. We cannot express
to you with what profound regret we have witne,-,sed
the failure of those wise and beneficient measures, anal
how deeply we sympathise with you in the peculiarly
trying position in which you are now placed. The justice
which has ever been the great characteristic of your Excel-
lency's administration of native affairs is a pledge to the
world that the war which is now beim' waged will be limited
to the one object of restoring British supremacy in the
disturbed districts, and of achieving an honourable, and, if
possible, a lasting peace. Occupying as you do a position at
once so difficult and so responsible, we should not venture
to offer any suggestions of our own, did we not feel that
Englishmen, even at so great a distance, ought not to regard
the momentous events now transpiring in New Zealand
with indifference or even with silence. We would therefore
express our earnest hopes that your Excellency will
avail yourself of the arst favourable opportunity which
may present itself of endeavouring to terminate the war by
negotiation, 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
itself to your sense of humanity and Christian feeling, that
we should scarcely presume to urge it upon your considera-
tion, did we not feel that your hands might be strengthened
by this expression of our opinion, an opinion which we be-
lieve to be shared by the great body of the British people.
We have, however, been alarmed by the pertinacity with
which, in some quarters, it has been proposed to confiscate
the lands of all contumacious and rebellious natives. As
has been truly observed, such a policy as this would shut
the door to any possible settlement of the difficulty except
by the sword ; in other words, it would lead to the extermi-
nation of a people who value their property in the soil even
more than their existence, and who, despite their faults,
are worthy of a better fate. We can conceive of no surer
means of adding fuel to the flames of war; of
extending the area of disaffection ; and of making
the natives fight with the madness of despair, than a policy
of confiscation. It could not fail to produce in New Zea-
land the same bitter fruits of which it has yielded so plen-
tiful a has vest in other countries where the strife of rhces
has been perpetuated through successive generations, and
that, too, with relentlessness and a cruelty which have
made mank nd blush for the species. We therefore pray
that in the hour of victory your Excellency will temper
justice with mercy, and give to the world another bright
example of forbearance and magnanimity. By such means,
and such means only, may we hope to see the Maori race
saved from extinction, and the dominion of our beloved
Queen firmly established cver every portion of the islands
of New Zealand. With great respect, we have the honour
to be, sir, your Excellency's faithful servants,
(Signed)—Chichester; Eburn, P. C., Moor-park, Rick.
mansworth ; Walter C. Trevelyan, Bart. ; John
Hesketh Lethbridge Bart.; Wilfrid Lawson,
Bart. ; S. Gurney, M.P. ; W. E. Forster, M.P. ;
Thomas Barnes, M.P. ; Henry Pease, M.P. ;
Thomas Bazley, M.P. ; William Williams, M.P;
P. A. Taylor, M.P. ; Edward Baines, M.P. ; E.
A. Leatham, M.P. ; John Brady, 14. P. ; Samuel
Morley, Thomas Fowell Buxton, Lieut.-General
T. Perronet Thompson, Edward Mall, R. N.
Fowler, Treasurer of the Aborigines Protection
Society ; Samuel Lucas, Thomas Guthrie, D.D.,
Edinburgh; Thomas Binney, Colonel Charles J.
Hadfield, William Howitt, Colonel Henry Sal-
wey, J. E. Cairns, Professor of Jurisprudence,
& Queen's University, Ireland ; Francis W.
Newman, late Professor at University College,
London; Newman Hall, LL.B. ; J. H. Parry,
Sergeant-at-Law; S. Stott, Mayor of Rochdale;
Leone Levi,Professor of Commerce and Commer-
cial Law, King's College, London; Charles
Sturge, Henry Christy, Joseph Pease, Darling-
ton; George Thompson; David Thomas, D.D.;
Henry Richard, John Nichol, 8.A., Oxon ;
Duncan M'Laren,Newington-house,Edinburgh;
Edward Smith, Sheffield; Frederick Baines,
Leeds; Benjamin Scott, F.R.A.S. ; Edmond
Beales, M.A., Lincoln's-inn; Edmund Sturge,
Birmingham; John Leo, LL D., Hartwell;
Jabcz Burns, D.D. ; Joseph Cower, Lloyd's ;
John Cropper, Liverpool; John llodgkin,
Lewes ; Henry Vincent, Washington Wilks,
L. A. Chamerovzow ; George Gilfillan, Dundee ;
John Cassell; Arthur Trevelyan, J.P., Tein -
holm, Tranent, N. 8.; J. J. Colman, Norwich;
Richard Smith, 7, Highbury-crescent ; F. W.
Chosson ; A. K. Isbister, M.A. ; John Epps,
M.D.; Joseph Cowen, jun., Newcastle-on- Tyne ;
John hayfield, 300, Holborn ; Francis E. Fox,
Tottenham: Justin .I`,l‘Carthy ; James Cropper,
Kendal; James Taylor, jt).n., Birmingham;
Wilson Armistead, Leeds ; William Anderson,
LL.D., Glasgow; Frederick Wheeler, Roches-
ter ; Henry Richardson, Newcastle-on-Tyne ;
Joseph Lupton, Leeds; Caleb Fletcher, M,D.,
York.
r, Jan. 16, 1864.

Lon du

LOSS or THE SHIP lISK BY FIRE,

THE VISION OFF CAPE HORN-EXTRAOR
DINARY COINCIDENCE.

On Saturday a despatch from the British consul
at Coquimbo was received by the Secretary of the
Board of Trade, announcing the destruction by fire
of the English barque Usk, while on a voyage from
Swansea to Huasco.

Before giving the details of the despatch, it may
be stated that this was the unfortunate ship which
put back early last year from Cape Horn to Eng-
land in consequenee of the captain seeing, as he
alleged, a vision on the ocean which warned him
not to proceed any further on the voyage, and that
in the event of his persisting, both he and the ship
would be sent to perdition. The vessel's return to
Cardiff, after a lapse of nearly six months, in a good
seaworthy condition, naturally astonished the
owners, more especially when they heard the curious
story which had operated upon the captain's mind
in putting the ship back when she had so nearly
reached her destination. A Board of Trade inquiry
was instituted into the captain's conduct. The
crew were examined, and they spoke of him as
being a very careful and sober master, although
somewhat eccentric in his manner, and when they
found that he had put the ship back without any
reason for so doing, the chief mate remonstrated
with him, and endeavoured to take charge, which
the captain resisted by placing him in irons. The
captain was examined and he solemnly declared that
after what had appeared to him he could not go on;
it was the vision of the Lord, and he was bid not to go
on. The result of the inquiry was that his certificate
was cancelled. A new master was appointed to the
ship, and she sailed a second time on the voyage.
What happened to her will be gathered from the
subjoined document :
British Consulate, Ccqnimbo, Dec. 3, 1863.

Sir,—l have to inform you that the barque Usk,
from Swansea to Husaco, took fire on the 16th of
November last, and was abandoned the following
day in lat. 33 S., long. 74 10.
The vessel sailed from Swansea on July 16, and
nothing of importance occurred on the voyage up to
5 a.m. on the 16th November, when smoke was seen
coming out of the hatches, and four tons of blasting
powder were taken from the hold and thrown over-
board. At 3 p.m. an explosion took place. The
boats were then got out, and at 7 p.m. the ship,
being full of smoke fore and aft, was put under easy
sail, with her. head towards the main land. At 8
p.m. the crew left the ship, and the boats were
towed all night. At 5 a.m. of the 17th flames were
seen issuing out of the after hatchway, but in con-
sequence of a heavy sea, and the vessel being full of
smoke, she coull not be boarded. Both boats were
then cut adrift, and steered for the mainland. The
mate, six seamen, and a passenger arrived at this
port on the 21st ult., having been picked up in the
long boat by the Chilian schooner Guayacan the
previous day. The master and remainder of the
crew reached Caldera on the 24th ult, The sole
cause of the fire appears to have been the spontane-
ous combustion of the coal composing the cargo —I
am, Se., G. A. F. TAIT,
H.B.M. Acting Consul.
To the Secretary Marine -Department,
Board of Trade, Whitehall.