The Ashburton Guardian. Magna Est Veritas Et Prævalebit. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1889. TAWHIAO'S PROCLAMATION EXPLAINED.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2301, 13 December 1889, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna Est Veritas Et Prævalebit. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1889. TAWHIAO'S PROCLAMATION EXPLAINED.

Mr Jameß Mackay of tbo Native I Department writes to the "Auckland Herald "on the subject of the recent " proclamation " issued by Tawhiao and stateß that he has attended a meeting of the Ngatipaoa at Maungakawa at which Keroi Kahau read the proclamation, or addroßS, as Mr Mackay perhaps more fitly terms it. He then goes on to bliow that there has been considerable misunderstanding about tho matter, the meaning of certain of the paragraphs ; being by no moans so subversive of the authority of law as appeared from recently published telegrams to bo the case, This fact was elicited by *Mr Mackay m the course of a conversation with those present at the meeting. He writes :— " I firstly askod about the abolition of schools, and pointed out that the Europeans and Maoris being now intermingled, it was necessary for tho youths of the Maori race to learn the English language, and receive a certain amount of education, m order to enable them to hold their own m tho country, and m business transactions. I received the reply that ' Tawhiao personally was not averse to his people being educated, and that his delegates Te Tihirahi and Rawhiti had probably inserted the word « schools ' of their own accord.' I noxt said, ' there is one heading that I am much astonished at, and that is, * Cease to obey European summonses.' This is an open defiance to tho law ; can you explain thiß ?' I was answered thus : ' That does not refer to actions m which Europeans and Maories are concerned, either as plaintiffs or defendants. The ' pakeha tribunals are to decide those questions. But where two Maoris have a grievance they are not to go to European Courts, but all purely Maori questions are to be decided by Maori runangas according to Maori custom, My telegram, as sent, read thus after the word 'roads' : % Coaso to obey European summonses m cases between Maoris only ; let Maori tribunals decide these.' Thoro was a full stop after the word « roads,' and < cease' was written with a capital C. The word * and' after roads was not mine. The abolition clauses ended with roads. My reason for making this explanation is that it is well known by both Maoris and Europeans that I telegraphed the particulars of Tawhiao's manifesto, and I deem it to bo my duty, m tho interests of the general public, to remove any ambiguity or misrepresentation which may have arisen as to Tnwhiao'p intentions and utterances, and also to free myself from any imputation of giving a wrong version of affairs." From the foregoing it will be seen that though m advocating a return to Hauhauism, Tawhiao is advising the natives to a retrograde step, he is yet not so foolish as to counsel their defiance of the civil law, and if this be so thoro is no roason for anticipating that the so-called " proclamation" will lead to any collision between tho King natives aud the Government of the colony.