The Sun.
London, England, 1863-09-15 00:00:00

troops from Tataraimaka seems to have given them

fresh encouragement.

Me Taranaki Herald of

July 11th, a New Zealand paper, asserts that the
withdrawal of the troops from Tataraimaka has

excited the natives wonderfully, and they boast that

they will drive the Jakehas into the sea, Some of
their own race who are interested in the matter

stir them up with false reports, and the priests and
prophets with their incantations and predictions
help on the mischief. Six of thess ill-timed sooth-

sayers have arisen within six weeks ; all agreeing
in foretelling a great reverse and subsequent sue-
, ceases, including the capture of New Plymouth,
and the driving of all the English soldiers into the
sea,
a climax which seems to be the great object of
their ambition. As the Maories put much faith in
these prophets, we must not therefore hope that one
defeat will discomfit them, seeing it is thus foretold
in the forerunner of such signal
triumphs. Native
too,
carrying them intel-
Oyn a recent occas
o;p hroeplil ose the
dat enemytacks. b
ion, an
old woman, under pretence of hawking firewood,
contrived to elude the pickets at New Plymouth,
and carried the news to a neighbouring pah of a
proposed attack
upon it the next morning. In-
stantly messengers were despatched for assistance,
and 800 picked men were ready to meet the assault.

Our Government has thus many and serious

difficulties to contend against, awl, Governor
and General have alike need of all their

prudence, sagacity, and resolution. The colonists,
it le egad, place full confidence in a.n. CA =305

'hose repo ti ation for spirit and ability stands high.
The colonists on theirside have come forward readily
on behalf of their homes and possessions. They
have declared from the first their readiness to assist
the Government to the full extent of their power,
and volunteers have been forthcoming in large
numbers. If the war proceeds on the same scale,
which is feared, more men will be needed, and the
colonists will doubtless reply readily to the call.
Meanwhile, if, as we are assured by the local jour-
nals, the energies of the troops in the colony will
be heavily taxed to suppress the rebellion, why not
invite assistance from the sister colonies of Austra-
lia ? A band of volunteers could very quickly be
enlisted there under certain regulations, who would
do good service among the Maories, and, in the in-
terest of all parties, it is desirable that the war
should be as short as possible. It will not do for
the authorities to resign themselves to the prospect
of a war of the interminable length which we have
had of old; and it is mistaken kindness to the na-
tives to suffer it to drag on, while it is absolute
cruelty to the colonists and ruin to the colony. Let
decisive measures be taken at once by the enrol-
ment of Australian volunteers. A few hours' notice
would suffice to raise in Melbourne alone a force
which would offer very serious difficulties to the
Maori prophets; and it is certainly unbecoming the
power and dignity of England to suffer one of her
recognised colonies to be convulsed and impove-
rished by a horde of savages.

Mr. HENLEY has been distinguishing himself at
Oxford. The annual meeting of the Thame Agri-
cultural Society took place on Thursday. Mr.
HENLEY'S health, as the senior member of the
county, was received with great applause. The
right hon. gentleman commenced by observing that
he rejoiced on some accounts, and regretted on
others, that he was the senior member. He was
happy to think that he had served them so long,
and he was sorry to feel that his advancing age
precluded him from entertaining the hope of being
able to serve them much longer. He said, which
was very true, that it was matter for rejoicing that
the country was now so happily circumstanced with
regard to all parts of the world, that there was no
one vital question of interest. It might be more
pleasant for members of Parliament coming into
the country, to have something very striking to
talk about, but the result was not always so satis-
factory. As compared with the rest of the world,
it was impossible for them not to feel how much our
nation owed to Almighty God for its present pros-
perous state. Whether we looked to America, and
glanced at the various countries of Europe, the
home.condition was greatly delightful to contem-
plate and encouraging to consider. Not only are
we at peace within ourselves, but are blessed with
one of the most abundant harvests that has been
known for years. At one time it was considered
the fashion for all farmers and agriculturists to
grumble and be dissatisfied with everything. All
weather was unfavourable ; if it was fine, it was
too late to repair the evil done by previous incle-
mency ; and if tempestuous, it was exactly at the
most unfortunate moment that the deleterious
change took place. Mr: HENLEY has learned a
better lesson, and strives to inculcate among his
hearers a right appreciation of the benefits they are
enjoying, and a spirit of thankfulness to the Giver
of all good gifts, who has so altered the seasons
and controlled the elements, that their garners are
plenteous with all manner of store, and that they
have brought their joyful harvest home. Mr.
HENLEY then touched upon the serious topic
of the Lancashire distress, but ea en there
he said that it was a relief to think that the
sufferings had not spread further and effected
the entire population of the country. Many
tfof
ruef
ear
sttrshheedeidnr
get alshat
than
snneostnihiteen
particular,nta iosmr
done;teh wt that auftlodtrhtsehhe erta
tevi deplorablesea gofaextendedsit
dhee state
of
county
dnuiets-
yh
has been prosperous. It way, therefore, subject of
ss
nceoornttgegdruaitttoue 1 abs toei oenantttiort
ehfleeye
time.
gae
.lt
athe
While
iolatest o
int
hinterest wasa
we sympathised
with that interest, and deplored its present eclipse,
it was gratifying to feel that the welfare of the
cboeuent2tsry urdmidisendotinsofmoramteerriallyde
times
by
yend competent
ientt
judges
sdhgaeds
and well-informed individuals. This is very correct
reasoning, for it is always a great drawback and
fatal hindrance to any community to depend en-
tirely on any one source of employment, and to
draw its support, and derive its strength from one
origin. The more extended the means, and the
more widely-spread the ramifications, the more sure
and solid will be the progress, and the more cheer-
ing the prospects. Mr. HENLEY then referred to
agricultural statistics, and said he wished to correct
an error into which some had fallen regarding the
prejudices of the farmers militating against these
returns being made. He was convinced that they
had no objection whatever to their taking, place,
and did not interpose any obstacles, or interrupt
the process. All that the agricultural con-
stituencies, through their members, had wished,
was that the farmers should not be oblged to pay
for the collection. "Let the nation pay," they had
argued, "as it is a matter in which the whole

country is concerned, and not the farmer alone ;

you want to get at how many acres of corn are

planted, get it by all means, but let the nation pay
for it." The gentlemen who clamoured for "agri-
cultural statistics" demurred, however, to this wise

proposal, and hence, as Mr. HENLEY ably sum-
marised the course of events, the affair has gone on
. _

"shuffle," "shuffle" ever since, and every now and
then some astute economist, or far-seeing disciple
Of progress calls out that the farmers are stopping
the way. It was said that in Ireland the attempt
was always successfully made, but then the

reason was that over there the Government pay
every farthing of the expense. They used there the
machinery
of the police, while well-paid by them-
selves. Mr. HENLEY went on at some length to
explain that the Chancellor of the Exchequer
of
facnotied themieeting information,to bear thea urobdtdoledn ofth etmheteoxppnsaeyiet
out of the rates. This they very naturally refused
to do, and ho wound up by declaring that until
those who wanted the information chose to pay for
it, he, for one, should decline to accede to their re-
quests, and he hoped that all his constituents would
follow his example, and do the same. Certainly
Mr. HENLEY succeeded in making out a very good
case for his friends, the farmers, and it seems very
unreasonable that they should be expected to
take so much trouble, and incur so much expense
for nothing. It is short-sighted policy, on the part
of the Government, to propose such a scheme, and
they show that they have not truly learned the doe.
trine of political economy in insisting on maintain-
ing their parsimonious scrupulosity in this par.

icalar. There are times and seasons to save, and

,here are also epochs when to spend is a duty,

and it would appear that the subject here re-
ferred to is a case in point, when the gain is a loss,

and the reliance in reqlity an expense, since it is
money kept back at the expense of knowledge that
might be useful, and the altercations occasioned by
the angry bickerings and debates are not worth tLe

amount that is called under notice in the discus-
sion and dispute. Mr. HENLEY wisely remarked
that if thine who possessed any steam machinery