THE MEETING OF THE PREMIER AND THE NATIVE KING.

Clutha Leader, Volume IV, Issue 187, 8 February 1878, Page 6

THE MEETING OF THE PREMIER A ND THE NATIVE KING.

The following are the telegrams "received "with reference to tb.fi meeting between Sir George Grey, Hon.. Mr Shefohnn, and others, and the. Native TCihp,'. Tawhiao, Native chiefs, and the Kingites treriPi'nlly : — : (From the Press Agency.) Auckland, .Inn. 31; Rewi was present at, a 'tangs with Taw hi an. Rewi intended to return to his own settlement, but. Tawhiao pressed him to stay and receive Sir George Grey. -Tawhiao rook hold of TCewi's hand and said, " Our friend Sir George Grey is coming here ; let us both meet him." Rewi, with a show of reluctance, consented. The meeting is expected to be of a character to bury old grievances. All the names of . great chiefs killed in war will be mentioned, and their deeds rehearsed. Ttis expected that the effect will he the permanent renewal of friendship between the races, and the burying of the hatchet. One of the most, prominent chiefs at the reception of Sir George Grey vesterduy was the high priest of Tarihi at the late Sir D M'Lenn's last meeting. He appeared in a Maori mat, holding' Tarihi. When i pressed to clothe himself decently, he replied, " I am a Maori.'' After the reception he dressed himself in the best European attire.

Sir George Grey and the Hon. J. Sheehan were occupied all day at Alexandra receiving 1 local deputations. Mr Sheehan said no doubt the RatingAct was formed in the interest of large property owners, but it'wab impossible to get the valuation clause amended in the present Parliament. The remedy was a dissolution. The Government would submit material amendments in the Rating Act next session. Large bind owners now controlled local elections by plurality of votes. The Premier said the matter was really iv the hands of the people. Every member of the present Ministry favoured small settlers.

Te Wlieovo came in a war canoe with a hundred men, and other large canoes arrived. Tawhare, brotber-in-lnw of King Tawhiao, arrived from Kopua and waited on the Premier and Mr Shfiphan. Tawhare welcomed them to Waikato. The Ministerial party will proceed upwards at eight o'clock tomorrow morning". Alexandra, Feb. 1. Sir George Grey and party are being conveyed to-day in a large canoe belonging v to Te Wheoro, which arrived yesterday. The natives who came from Te Kopua state that there are about 700 natives there, representatives of a tribe from Napier,. Wan^anui, and Tarnnaki. Tawhiao's food is spoiling-, and he is anxious for the meeting' to commence. The natives yesterday were very impatient at the delay, being' tired with long attendance at the recent tamgi over Takerei te Rau, and threatened to return home, but were induced to stay. The natives have only a few tents, and many last night rode long' distances to their settlements, but will return to-day. In addition to the above 700, more are on the road from Tamvhiri. Sullivan's murderer and Te Kooti were at the place of meeting' yesterday, but it is not known if they will be present at the meeting 1 . Probably they will be pardoned. Te Kooti got very drunk yesterday, talked of wai% and attempted to ride over some natives. It is stated that some Europeans interested in speculations had been inciting- the natives to make hostile j speeches. Several chiefs living beyond j the frontier are desirous to sell large I blocks of lanJ, and axe expected to claim a right to sell. It is not known bow the natives will receive Sir George Grey at the mseting 1 of chiefs. Yesterday Te Ngakau advised that Sir George Grey should not be received with the usual pouwhaia, or invitation from j women, at the entrance to the settlej roent, with the words " Come here, oh, j g'nesit ; " but that they should welcome him with " Come here, Governor ; your coming' is your own work," meaning they will expect Sir George Grey to take' the initiative. They will probably not make any demand for the restoration of the Waikato. Rewi has been induced to remain with the greatest difficulty. The report that he had a difference with Tawhiao is substantially ! correct. Rewi regards him as a mere puppet of Ngadhauni. The following* conversation between .Rewi and a settler occurred here lately. Settler : " Are you not a subjecc of Tawhiao ? " Rewi : '" No. Ng'atimaniapoto has only one chief; Ngatihauni .has a hundred." Settler: " Then, if Tawhiao asked you to go to war?" Kewi (laughing): " He | asked me three times, and I refused." The meeting will probably be over tonight. Sir George Grey remains at the settlement with four others, and will not return here. (Daily Times Correspondent.) Alexandra, Feb. 2. There were no particular interviews between Sir George Grey and native chiefs last night, but this forenoon at 11 o'clock a procfission appeared advancing- towards the tents, headed by Tawhiao, his two sons, and various chiefs. After they. had shaken hands with Sir George Grey and members of the party, the King sat down at Sir G. Grey's feet; - Tawhiao was arrayed in a striking 1 headdress of black feathers, black Alpaca coat, buckskin trousers tucked into' gaiters. '"'His two sons, the eldest of whom.is a godson ol Sir G-

Grey, and called after him, were dressed in g-ood tweed coats, and a bright coloured garment arranged, kilt fashion. Evlanuhiri, who stood for a long' time in silence while the others sat, was in native" costume of .flax' -mats. Hewi, who was ,in front of Sir George Grey, was also di-essed in mats. At length Manuhiri spoke with considerable feeling 1 with reference to 17 years ago, when he last saw Sir George Grey. He said " I have only one word to say of Sir Georg-n Grey. The heart is still throbbing* with the. emotion of the occasion, and 1 am only thinkingnow how many years have passed. Tt is now 17 years since I saw you last; that is all I can say now." After a long- pause, Haulmvfii, a chief of INgatirnaniapoto, said: "When we see or.c another's faces, we can speak (addressing 1 Honi Nahe, who is from the Thames). Come my elder brother, come, Hauraki, come to Waikato, come to the remnant of pare Waiknto. These are the remains of pare Waikato and I pare Hauraki ; come, bringing with you treasures of Hauraki. When those • tresanres first came to Waikato, they came from Hanrfiki, to which place they had been brought by the ship Ooromandel, at loast your ancestors told U3 so. These words were left by your ancestors, and now it is for you in these days to introduce these treasures. — (Song*.) That, is all I have to say to you. Oh, son Te Hemera, come to Waikato; come to Waikato, come. Sir Georg-o Grey is hei*e. He has come with your child (meaning- Potatau, the late King-) come into his presence, come. — (Song 1 .) Gome here, f am standing- here still, come and see us according" to the word of your elder brother (meaning- again the late King-). ' -

Honi Nahe, who replied for the Ministers, said : Call to me, call here. We came : we have not come as in. the old days We have to come as to insure you to think of the past, of the names you have mentioned. We are the representatives of your fathers ; we come here as your friends. Do not bring in any question that may trouble our interview, but speak according to the desire of your friends, Sir George Grey and Tawhiao.

« Sir George Grey said : Oh, father and younger people ; oh friends, T have heard the words of Manuhivi. It is 17 years since F heard \\va voice, and i hear his voice this day with joy. T remember the day. Withjov f remember the cinvs that are gone. In the early days I knew your ancestors, and Potatati was my friend. I often sat by hi? side, and loved him and his tribe. I worked hard that, the native people might live well, but war sprang up. In these days the work we have to do is a very difficult work ; I am only one man. I alone, perhaps, could not carry out as great a work ; but it remains for us in days to come to do it. I have come, and we have seen each other's faces looking anxious, and have spoken mouth to mouth. The growth of -a new tree has comemenced ; )eave it that I will water the tree that it may thrive well. It may be for all the chiefs ot Waikato, of Ngatimannipoto, to assist me in this great work. It is with them that the tree should be allowed to grow. I will ponder over the words of Mannhiri. It remains with us all in future to further the good when all the troubles are past and good is growing. My heart will be glad, and I will rejoice. I am an old man, and Potatau and my old friends are gone- I will be very glad if in my old age I should see good spring n\), and that all things are doing well. That is my Q-reat wish, and it is also my wish that, my old friends being dead, the new generation should work together with me to further these ends.

Rewi said : The way is clear ; but, come, come, and see us, come, and see us elosety, see us clearly by seeing each other. Now we will be enabled to see each other frequently in the time to come. Come and see, come ami see us. By seeing us you will be able to see us oftener and more clearly afterwards ; come. That is all I have to say to you. This ends that part of my speech (addressing the people). Listen listen, we have seen that Sir G. Grey is here. Where should we see him again ? Listen, listen, that I shall say where should we see him again. Let us stop now, having met and seen each other as friends — let matters of business be discussed at our next meeting 1 ! Sir G-. Grey : Oh Rewi, I have heard your words. I agree with your words that I should see you often, and by that, perhaps, we will be able to think over matters and bring them to a good conclusion.

Kewi : I am speaking of Waikato. This was the Governor in the day 6 ! of the Governor and Potatau, and in the days when troubles arose. We have not seen each other, as Manuwhiri has already said, for 17 years. Do not find fault; let the past be past. Do not find fault, and although Potatau is dead, do not forget, him. He is dead, but-his spirit still whispers to me, saying, Do not find fault, let the past be past : do not find fault, letithe pastbe past; let us see hi'TQ.— (Kevvi here held Potatau's official seal, set for 'him' by Mr Watt, jeweller, of Shortland street, Auckland.) — Potatau's body is dead, but I will hold his spirit (referring to tlie'seal, J and ; meaningthat. Potatau's position was now occupied by his son.) The spirit is here. Look, the wurd - has been answered (meaning that Sir Q. Grey -has agreed to see them again). " I will say this, I

am speaking- to you! I" will-just say, the latter pnrt of the song- is my own : that is, feed the children, and it will thrive (meaning 1 that the new state of things should be promoted"). This 'saving-: is true. ]fc is now 17 years since we have se^n Sir G. Grey. We are thinking of the time when he was Governor. Tapihana said : T agree with what you have said, that the weeds should be cleaned away, that the tree should growwell. I will take. Sir G. Grey back tomorrow, I, myself, alone, and he will bring me back. This is a small matter. Do not oppose. We do not bear malicp. This the day of Hikewato, do not leaven it with bad thoughts. Let the plant grow, I will not leave this alone. I will see him next and carry , out matters. Tarn going to escort back | your father to-morrow morning or the next day. T have had the first chance to claim this position, because you all omitted to do it,.

This concluded the formal speaking: ; after which formality seemed to cease and freedom of intercourse was estab- : lished. Preparations for dinner having* been made, the King 1 and his sister came by invitation to Sir G. Grey's tent and dined with him. The most cordial and friendly relations being maintained, and matters of no inconsiderable importance to the conclusion , of permanent friendly relations being 1 freely talked over. After dinner Sir George Gvi x j and the Native Minister^ visited Mnnuhiri and had a long interview in his tent, both being- deeply affected by old .reminiscences. Ministers wore proceeding to visit Rewi and other chiefs, when they were informed that Tnwhiao and Tengakau were in Sir George Grey's tent awaiting- his return. Sir George Grey bad been in conversation with Tatvhiao all the afternoon. What has passed in these various interviews is not yet known, bnt it, is admitted that anything 1 like a meeting 1 so cordial, and so likely to be important in results has never before taken place since the war. It is difficult to feel when passing- through this'enormous encampment, that wo are in the midst of the people who so lately were our deadly enemies. Everywhere one is met by the most friend I v greeting's, and Sir Georg-e Greys tent has been all the afternoon the scene of cordial interviews with the chiefs and their relations. Meantime, on the plain opposite the , Native encampment, pedestrian races for adnlts and children have been proceeding- to the great delight of the people. Mr .T. 0. Brown being- indefatigable in getting 1 up events for money prizes.

Sir George Grey has decided not to leave Alexandra this evening Deputations ore there irom the other Waikato settlements abking that he should visit thrun. He will visit Te Awamutu touforrow, and will probably not reach Auckland till Tuesday. Tapihana, one of the speakers afc the lute meeting, seems to have lost influence considerably with the natives. It will be remembered that he was one of the prisoners on the hulk. Tapihana, as will be seen from his .speech, evidently wanted to associate himself with Sir George Grey, by conveying him down the river in a canoe, hut he disappeared in the camp and was not in the canoe. Te Wheoro will accompany 'Rewi to Wellington, during next session Pi.ewi is about to build a good house at Te Kopua. He said he was ashamed of not being 1 able to lodge the Premier and Native Minister better. Several of the natives spoke about getting reaping machines, to enable them to go much more actively into wheat cultivation. During the whole meeting not a word was said about getting back the Waikato j on the contrary Tawhiao and Manuwhiri were anxious to have grants for small pieces of land to which Potatau was entitled to at Mangere, Pukapuka, and Ngaruawahia, showing that they take for granted the confiscation, and now for the first time acquiesce in it. Rp\vi said to Sir George Grey this morning that heinust visit the Kingites four times. The first was the planting" of the tree, the second would be the promotion of its growth, and at the third and fourth times the tree will b<v •flourishing and bear fruit. Rewi pressed upon Sir George Grey that it was an unfortunate thing that .certain persons should be allowed to pass the border and negotiate for lands. Rewi had a conversation with Mr Sheehan in reference to some land disputes, the chief features being that these" pieces are all heyond the confiscated boundary. All his conversation was on the accept-, ance of the position left by the "war. The blocks of land referred to are Horohoro, property of Williamson and Cock, Otautahanga ; the property of Messrs Tole and Kokakoa, at Patere. Mr Sheehan promised to enquire into matters,, and send Rewi an .early answer. Rewi showed Sir George and Mr Sheebun the seal ot Potatau. Sir George said he had the original .sketch from which Mr Watt cut the seal. Rewi said he had made the sketch. Two children, connected with the principal FTauhf»u families are going to St; 1 Stephen's School, Auckland. Mr Sheehan had a good deal nt business with Haubau,just as if they had been Queenite, .Native?. There can be no doubt that Sir, George throughout has heen'miich indebted 'to Major Te Wheoro for his active 'exertions in the malter. In fact for any, success that may result, the Natives themselves will be in part = entitled to the: thanks of the Colony. ; of New Zealand,