MAORIS AND GOVERNMENT

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 09, Issue 21, 6 November 1945, Page 4

MAORIS AND GOVERNMENT

Sir ? —Re Country Quota. Sevcra ol' the recent publications on Maor matters by a well known City papei have been causing much resentmenl among Maori students and grave mis. understanding among Pakeha citi' zens. I enclosed here a cuttins Maori Representative Act 18G7--Clause Xl—"lt shall be lawful lor the Superintendent and Provincial Council ol' any province, by any Act or ordinance to be passed in that behalf to provide that one or more members of such Provincial Council shall be elected by the inhabitants of such province who by virtue ot this Act .shall have become entitled to vote for a Member of the House of and for such purpose to constitute such Maori Electoral Districts within such province as the Superintendent and Provincial Council thereof shall think fit." We see there is no limit to Maori representatives as stated! by Mr Webb. In consequence of that Act Maoris could be placed on the roll and voted not only for the Superintendent of the Province of Auckbut also for the English seats, as well as for their Maori members. Mr Nasli was right. The Maori rights were given by the Treaty of Waitangi and also by the N.Z. Constitutional Act 1852. The Maoris are entitled to form a Government of their own. The Europeans applied for a responsible Government and England granted them The N.Z. Constitution Act ? 1852. In the 71st section of this Act it was stipulated that the Maoris were to have a Parliament of their own. That clause is still on the Statutes. In 1858 the Maoris put up a 'Maori King' for the same reason; for the Europeans had not only not carried out the provisions of the Treaty of Waitangi but also they had ignored the provisions of the 71st clause of the N.Z. Constitution Act 1852; and. in consequence of this Maori King the war broke out at Waitara in 1860 to 1863 although that movement w T as started according to the provisions of the 71s.t 'Section ol' the Act. The legislature provided ''The Native Land Act, 1865" which was contrary to the Treaty of Waitangi and the 71st Section of the Act. Thus we.see again we Maoris have no right to be in the European Government but we. are still at liberty to form our , own (Hansard September 3 ? 1889). However perfection is a" divine attribute not a human one. '9 \ Your,s etc. , , PETA 3 RUTANGIWHENUA WAIRUA.