THE RECENT TE KUITI MEETING.

Globe, Volume III, Issue 290, 17 May 1875, Page 3

THE RECENT TE KUITI MEETING.

The Thames Advertiser gives the following account of a meeting at Te Kuiti: — < “■ Mr John Davis has just retained from the King country, where’ he has been since for some time before the late meeting. As Mr Davis lived with Manuhiri (Tamati Ngapora), and is on intimate terms with most of the Kingites, he had better means of information than any other respecting them. He states that there were about 2000 persons present at th©meeting, consisting mainly of Waikatos and Ngatimaniapotos, with some visitors from Hauraki, and frem Wanganui and Wairarapa, As.. our readers already know, Tawhiao never put in an appearance, but with most of his own hapu, the Ngatimahutu remained at Kawhia; Tapihana is also at Kawhia. Manuhiri was at the meeting, but never spoke. He is Still, however, as influential as ever he was amongst the Kingites. Tawhiao was represented by Te Ngakau, who has been his emissary for some years, and who has occasionally made trips in that capacity to the Thames, just to see how things were progreasing amongst us. This Te Ngakau and Rewi (or Manga, as he is called now) were the principal speakers at the meeting. There were three points put before , the meeting, and agreed upon unanimously—l. The reaffirmation of all the edicts that have hitherto been issued by Tawhiao. 2. -That the system of accepting raihana from the Government should be put a stop to. 3. That they should keep the country now possessed by them, and should preserve themselves as a separate people. These include a good deal, if narrowly looked at. The first amounts to a reassertion of their position, that they have not and 'will not

move from the demands made during and after the war, and that thev will continue to ask for the restoration of Waikato, and adhere to their king as a sign of selfgovernment and of independence of the European, In respect of the second, it appears that some of the Government officers in Waikato have been furnishing supplies to certain of the Kingites; in fact, pressing all kinds of things on them, giving not merely to men who have done nothing worse than fight openly against us, but to the men who have committed the worst murder's. Of course the Government cannot, in respect to these raihana, get a quid pro quo'** at Ohinemuri, but the Kingites are afraid lest they should thereby attain any influence amongst them. The third point is a renewed declaration of independence and of hostility to all roads and surveys. Besides Rewi and Te Ngakau, the two principal' speakers on the above subject were - Pakukohatu and Rangikaharuru. The Thames was represented by Te Hira, Parata te Mapu,' and Pineaha te Wharekowhai; the chief among the visitors from Wanganui and Wairarapa were Mete Kingi, Te Ngairo, Te; Kawenga, aud Te Manihera. When the above points had been settled, some discussion took place respecting the position of the Kingite party with reference to the Government. The Wanganui . natives urged that the Kingites should lav the whole matter .before, the Assembly, bdt this was emphatically negatived, as a virtual abandonment of the position the Kingites have'taken up. Te Ngakau was most energetic in opposing any such step. The Kingites still talk of having a full‘inquiry into the cause of the war by some impartial tribunal. There is, hope of dealing with them. They would have liked to have seen Sir Donald McLean and the Governor, although they would not yield a point in reference to his coming, It will be that'Sir D. McLean promised that the Go-' vcruor would come if they would meet him at Kawhia, but that the natives insisted that he should cpme tp Kuiti. Probably they refused to yield the point,'partly because if the Governor came jnto Kawhia on an official visit, it would be regarded as an opening of the harbour; and partly because they do not wish to yield a'point, however small, as they would thereby confess a-superiority in us. Why Sir D. McLean insisted that the meeting should be at Kawhia we cannot under[stand, unless it was that he was afraid some native, panting for ‘ utu 1 on account of some relative, might take a shot at his Excellency, and therefore wished to restrict the meeting to a select assemblage on board the Luna. The natives Ihink there is no ground for such a fear, and appear to "be somewhat anxious for a meeting -with the Governor and 1 Native Minister. A good deal of -talk took place on this subject after the meeting, but the natives are anxious that their deliberations ighould not be made public. The people wero assembled at Te Kuiti for a fortnight, but the chief part of the talking was done within two days,”