NATIVE AFFAIRS.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1573, 5 March 1879, Page 4

NATIVE AFFAIRS.

Reviewing the position of native matters, the " New Zealand Times” says in a recent issue'.— The present aspect of native affairs in this colony is, we are sorry to say, far from satisfactory. The veil of secrecy with which the Premier and the Native Minister have sought to shroud their proceedings with the disaffected natives has been completely torn away, and the deception which, for political party purposes, has been practised upon the Parliament and the public, has become manifest. There is great uneasiness, very great discontent, and very dangerous distrust of the intentions of the Government, in some of the native districts, so that an accident, or an imprudence, might precipitate a catastrophe which all would have occasion to regret. The attempt to exercise the personal influence which Sir George Grey egotistically imagined that he possessed over the Maoris has been proved only to be mischievous, and as a substitute an attempt has been made to get up a “ Maori Parliament” at Auckland lander the auspices of a friendly chief, Paora Tuhaere, a paid servant of the Government. Maoris love a “ hui,” as meetings of the kind t-ra called, and as there is abundance of food provided on this occasion at the public expense, numbers of “ friendlies” have gathered at Orakei. As the “ kai” is good, the polite guests have made many speeches complimentary to and expressive of confidence in their entertainers—Grey and Sheehan. This is in strict accordance with Maori etiquette on such occasions t but in the reports of the pro* ceedings which have been furnished we look in vain for any indication of a useful or definite purpose. It is supposed that a deputation from this second Parliament of Kohimarama might have some influence with the Waikato Kingites in restoring that confidence amongst the natives which the trickery and untruthfulness of Ministers and their agents had disturbed or destroyed. It may bo hoped that for the sake of the public interest some good may result from all this expenditure of talk and money, although the prospect at present is not encouraging. There is no ground to believe that the peaceful relations which in July last the Governor was advised to inform the Parliament had been “ at last” established with the Waikato and Ngatimaniapoto tribes, have been so established, or that any change, except for the worse, has been made in these relations by the fussy and injudicious interference of the present Government.