The Sun.
London, England, 1844-01-04 00:00:00

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?stEW ZEALA ,;\
THE LATE UNFORTUNATE AFFI •
LATEST PARTICULA
(From the New Zealand Colonist of .4121IMPIttNya
TO THE INHABITANTS OF WELLINGTON ANfi-firk-Vrt
AND TO THE BRITISH SETTLERS IN COOK'S STRAITS.
After the contest at Wairau, between a party of armed settlers
from Nelson, and a body of the natives, which has been attended
with such a melancholy loss of life, I feel it to be my duty to
lay before you a statement of the re stilts of that contest, and of
the information which I have been able to acquire. Although
I have net at present any authenticated accounts of the number
of persons who have been slain. I am compelled to believe that
it has been very numerous; and there is but too much reason
to apprehend that Mr. Thompson, the police magistrate, and
Captain Wakefield, the company's agent, have fallen. No one
among you can regret more sincerely than myself this fearful
sacrifice of human life, or can feel more deeply the loss which
the settlement has thus sustained ; but I should fail in my duty
did I not declare my conviction, after obtaining evidence
from all qu sters. that the affray was not the result of
any premeditated design on the part of the natives,
but that on the contrary they sought by every means to
avert it, and did not fire a shot until five of their party
had fallen, inclading the wife of Rangihaiata, who at
the moment bore his own son in her arms. Upon receiving
the disastrous intelligence, feeling it lto be of the first im-
portance to obtain autentic information of the intentions of the
s, I immediately put myself in communication with
those persons who were in a position to furnish accurate re-
ports on the subject, and I have the satisfaction of informing
you that the natives of Waikanae, at which place Rauparaha
first landed, refused to allow him to remain among them, lost
the friendly relations which had previously subsisted between
them and the English settlers might be destroyed; and that I
have every reason to believe these feelings to be shared by al-
most all lb, natives upon the coast. No apprehension, there-
fore, of any aggression on their part need be entertained; but
if from any circumstances a hostile purpose should he cherished
by them, I have made arrangements which will immediately
put me in possession of the fact, and enable me to make all ne-
cessary preparations to resist it. In order to strengthen this
friendly feeling, I have published an address to the natives in
their own language, and have caused it. to be ,i3tributed in all
pat ts of the country, which I trust will have that effect, by
maintaining a confidence in the justice of the government
and in the impartial administration of the law. At the
same time 1 have taken measures for the protection of
persons and property in this place, and the immediate
vicinity, by increasing the police force to an extent which
will, 1 trust, be sufficient to meet the present exigency.
I have deemed that the recent occurrence was of so serious
a nature in itself, and in its probable consequences, as to call
for the immediate interposition of the local Government. I
have therefore forwarded to Auckland all the information I
have been able to collect, and 1 feel assured that, immediately
upon receiving the intelligence, a portion at least of the troops at
the disposal of the Government will be sent to this place, that
a full and searching investigation will be made into all the cir-
cumstances of the transaction, and that prompt and complete
justice will be done.
I will not conclude witliont expressing my sense of the
promptitude and zeal which.you have displayed in coming for-
ward to strengthen the hands'ef ,the Government, and to be
prepared to resist any aggressioni on the part of the natives,
should such have been contemplated. I am happy in being
able to assure you that there is no probability of your being
called upon for actual service, but should such an occasion arises
shalt feel that I may rely with confidence upon your support.
and I shall be proud to place myself at your head. At the same
time, I would earnestly impress upon you the importance of not
doing anything which may create unnecessary alarm, or may
destroy the confidence of the natives in our justice and for-
bearance—by leading them to imagine that the purely defensive
measures in which you are engaged are designed to be after-
wards employed in aggressive warfare.
ARTHUR EDWARD MACDONOGH,
Police Magistrate of the Southern District of New
Zealand and Cook's Straits
Wellington, June 26, 1843.

3

Pichol June 24, 1843.
Friends—Listen to what ort
the police n,
magistrate of Pea
Nicholson have to say to you. Remain quiet on the subject of
this lamentable event at Wairau ; for 1, and all the white
people of this place, regret most sincerely this painful occur..
rence. We are not about to make war upon you. I wish
merely to learn the real truth of the whole affair, to submit the
same to the Governor, that he may cause it to be investigated.
Do not fear that any white man will injure any of you in the
slightest degree. Remain at your several positions, and pursue
sour intercourse with,the people of Port Nicholson as usual.
All the chiefs of Port Nicholson fully understand what I have
said above to be our feeling towards them. Friends—This is
all I have to say to you.
k Signed)

M.DONOGH, Police Magistrate.

Port Nicholson, June 24, 1843.
Friends—Listen to the above saying, and do not mistake.-
Good is the saying of the white man ; to search out the truth of
who is to blame ; perhaps it is the white man ; perhaps it is
the Maori. Do not spread false reports respecting the matter
do not talk much about it. And let all the Maories at every
place know this. From your friends,
(Signed) WILLIAM TAKO.
MOTUROA.
WAIRARAPA.

JtiNs 30.—A meeting of magistrates was held yesterday, at
the house of Mr. Macdonogh, the police magistrate, at which
the following gentlemen were present:—A. E. ltlacdonogh,
Esq., P.M., C. Clifford, Esq., J.P., E. Daniel. Esq., J.P.,
G. S. Evans, Esq., D.C.L., J. P., W. Guyton, Esq., J.P.,
E. Halswell, Esq., C.J., R. D. Hanson, Esq., C.P., G.
Hunter, Esq., J.P., the Hon. 11. W. Petre, J.P., W. Swain-
son, Esq., J. P., H. St. Hill, Esq., Sheriff, G. White, Esq., J.P.
After a statement had been made by Dr. Evans, we under-
stand that two resolutions were passed, the first proposed by
Dr. Evans, and seconded by the Hon. H. W. Petre, request-
ing Mr. Spain to proceed in his capacity of magistrate up the
coast, to communicate to the natives the determination of the
magistrates not to make nor sanet:on any attempts to take ven-
geance for the lives of the settlers killed at Wairau, but to leave
it to Governmeht, who would act according to the law ; and
the second, proposed by G. White, Esq., and seconded by G.
Ilunter, Esq , requesting Dr. Evans to proceed to Auckland,
to lay before the dicer administering the government a full,
statement of the circumstances as elicited by the magistrates
who proceeded to Cloudy Bay. Both resolutions were carried
unanimously.
Jura, .1,-We understand that the Maori Chiefs at Wan-
ganui, on hearing of the late dreadful massacre at. Wairau,
offered to assemble two thousand strong, and go against Rau-
paratia, if Mr. E. J. Wakefield would put himself at their head.
JULY 7.—On Tuesday evening, Mr. Spain returned to this
town I'rom his mission to Otaki. We understand that, on his
arrival at NVaikanae, lie met with Rauparaha, who was endea-
vouring to persuade the natives of that place to make common
cause with him against the settlers. The chief, however, coo-
inu,d firm to his first purpose, stating that he had always re-
ceived from the settlers just treatment, and would not engage
against them in a quarrel which noways concerned himself or
his people. This friendly sentiment. was confirmed by the
statements of Mr. Spain, who took great pains to impress upon
the whole body of natives that principle of English law, which
forbidst hat the innocent should be punished with or for the guilty.
Oo the Saturday, Mr. Spain proceeded to Otkai, where he met
Watanui and the other chiefs of the Ngati Rukawa tribe.
From them he received positive assurances that they would in
140 case be concerned in acts of aggression upon the settlers, but
they unanimously stated their determination to protect Raupa-
ritlia at all hazards.

.fuLy 2).—The Government brig arrived here yesterday
morking from Auckland, bringing Major Richmond, the Chief
Police Magistrate ; Colonel Godfrey, Commissioner of Land
Claims, who is about to proceed to Akaroa ; Mr. Edward
Shortland ; Captain Bennett, of the Engineers ; and 53 sol-
diers of the 9iith. We have as yet heard but little of the in-
telligence brought. The arrival of a body of soldiers will tend
to restore confidence, and we believe that ample inquiries will
be made into all the circumstances connected with the affair
at Wairau. We understand that Major Richmond will proceed
in the course of a day or two in the brig to Cloudy Bay, and
then to Nehon, and return to this place as speedil) as possible.