THE KOPUA MEETING.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1631, 13 May 1879, Page 3

THE KOPUA MEETING.

[By Telegraph.] ALEXANDRA, May 12. On Saturday 000 Kingites went to Hikurangi for a supply of food, and yesterday returned with ample supplies for several days. The latest stories hero are that Mr Hesketh, of Hesketh and Richmond, Auckland, has been appointed attorney-general to Tawhiao, snd that the Union Bank secured Tawhiao's account. Some Europeans yesterday proposed to make the ascent of Kakepo mount, but were requested to refrain from the attempt, as there are many tapued places on the mountain. Formerly, when the Europeans proposed to make the ascent in order to erect a trig station, Puru Eutuwent on guard with orders to kill any pakeha g oir g u P- . , ~ Tawhiao desired to continue the discussion yesterday, but Sir George Grey declined to do business on Sunday. It is stated that after Rewi's defection Tawhiao cannot muster more than four hundred male adults. It is plated that. Bewi intends obtaining Government surveyors for the purpose of cutting up lands to lease to Europeans. It is possible there may be some complications from this source. R»wi wished to maintain the boundaries of his land intact which ho handed over to Potatau with the other tribes. AUCKLAND, May 11. Referring to Rewi's speech the " Waikato Times" says : —lt is probable that Wahanui is thoroughly in accord with Rewi, and that Ngatimaniopoto will secede from the King unless he comes in with them in their business arrangements with the Government. I think the KingitC3 will not give way without a struggle, but a groat blow was given to the King's men by Rewi's speech." ALEXANDRA, May 12. Rewi took breakfast and dinner with Mr Sheehan to day. The probability of Te Ngakau taking a seat in Parliament is hcing discussed. He remarked yesterday to one of the Europeans that if matters were satisfactorily arranged he would expect a seat in Parliament.

At three o'clock t e Ministerial party again went ovor to the talking ground. The Kingites had not assembled, and considerable delay occurred, the Notives mustering very slowlv. The delay was caused hv tlie fact that the Kingites had to cook their food after the morning meeting, whil-t the Government party cooks were preparing food while the discussion was proceeding.

The King's party came over at 4 o'clock. Only fifty armed men marched in good time. Hauhau prayers were held, and all the Hauhau9 took their hats eff. Hari'i, of Ngatimanipoto, read prayers. Kuril, a woman with a child in hor arms, had to lead another prayer. Te Wheoro said My word to you, Wahanui. Wc cannot answer your words because, if we continue in this way, the discussion will last a month or more. Perhaps you had better point out your man. I thought in my mind all the chiefs would coincide with me. Mention who is in the wrong, because we are now confused and our talk prolonged. Te Ngakau —Your word is true. If Grey coincided with you it would have been well. But I thought we should not bo satisfied with one diah. Grey said the other day, " Let any one who is without sin amongst you cast first stone." This mystifies. That is why I gay to you come and look over my faults. If lam in fault set me. If Tawhiao is a sinner, who must throw the first stone ? He cannot, because ho is a sinner. Grey has not put a dish before us in a way wo can get at it.

Te Wheoro —One of you should spcik, whether he is a sinner or not, or else there will be no people left. They will all leave. We must talk of definite matters that will conduce to our future benefit; not argue about detail.

Te Ngakau —I have got nothing definite. I am here to attend to what you have to propose. The fault belong? to all of us. When we considered Grey's works we found there was no one against whom to cast stones. J

A pause of twenty minutes ensued, during which Te Ngakau sat in a chair under shelter of an umbrella, looking tho very impersonation of patience. Sir G. Grey then arose, and walking to the centre, and facing the Kingitcs, addressed them as follows : —My friends, chiefs of the various tribes who are here. I will say a few words to you. Now I have heard since I have been here murmurings about two or three complaints from the first. I will pay this to you. I, together with Mr Sheohan, made offers of giving an extent of land to Tawhiao and his people. What I did was not having any right of my own—of doing it or of giving anything of my own, but simply as the servant of all the people of New Zealand, as the servant of all of you who hear mo amongst others. Now you may all have seen my payment for these services—that throe times I have had to come to you at very considerable trouble and annoyance, that I have had many troubles and many discomforts to go through. I have hurt my health by so doing, and my only object in undergoing these fatigues was to servo you. I wish to do you good. When I made those offers I had no power to go back from them or break them, because tho psoplo of New Zealand would not have lot me do so. The three things I have heard thus urn tered about are—Firnt, the road that has been mado to Raglan. To that I answer there is no ground of complaint whatever. The conversation that I had with you at Hikuvangi was to this effect— That, if it was agreeable to you and to Tawhiao, there should be returned to you all that part of th. confiscated lands on Lhewest bank of the Waipa, which had not boon sold to Europeans. Now, the road to Raglan i J uns through 'our own land, the lands that, belong to the peoplo of New Zealand, lands which had boon fairly purchased, which had never been taken as confiscated lands, and it was right that the Europeans at Raglan and the Europoans at Hamilton and Cambridge and other parts of tho colony should have tho moans of communication tog th. ■■- and of carrying their produce along that mad. Jt was right for the Natives aa much as the Europe>ni3. Aa a se»'vunt of tho people of Hew Zealand, i could not have refused to make that road, when the Parliament determined that it should bo done. Now, that road is in a great p-.rt marie by yourselves. and I was glad that you got money for making it. I did you a gnat henefil in securing that, road and that mon-jy for you. There w; - .s Tin breach of agreement whatever regarding'that work. Now I commence a subject regard'.; g which I hMve henrd complaints, regnrdi'g certain sections at Harapipi, which have noan bought back by the Government from Europeans, Those"aeotious were excluded by my

offer t > Tawhino from the lands which ho was to hare. Tho words wero carefully used that the lar.da were to bo returned to him which had wot been fold to Europeans. They were excluded fiom tho arrangement, but the Government did no!; take them for the people of Now Zealand generally. It was believed they had been offered to you by tho previous Government, and this Government, virl ually set them apart as an endowment for a school at which your children were to be educated. So that you wero to have the benefit of these lands. Further, as I unders'ood, the lands had been offered to you by the previous G >vernment. I enquired into tlio circumstance?) before I went to Hikurangi. 1 understood that you had refused to take th 9 land, andl understood (hat, the reason was that the lands were mixed up with the farms of Europeans, and disputes on account of Europeans' sleek coming on to your cultivations were likely to take pkee between you and Europeans. Therefore, I did this. I offered you what had never been offered before, town acres in every one of the townships in Waikato district, so that you might havo.a means of getting an immediate revenue from your land. Now lis'en to this. I say there could have been no misunderstanding upon my part, and upon Mr Shechan's, regarding those sections. But I say this, that, if you can show cause to make tho peopio of New Zealand that you misunderstood the subject, you may rely on it the Parliament, as representing the people of New Zealand, would see that ample compensation was given you upon that account. The people' of New Zealand, Europeans, and Natives, are generous people, and they would allow no persons situated as you are to suffer wrong from a mistake into which you have fallen. I say this in case those offers made to you should bo further considered. Now the third subject, upon which I have heard grumbling —because there has been no open statement made is this :—I have heard that there has been grumbling because you have heard of arrangements, or because the Government, on behalf of the people of New Zealand, had made arrangements that if you desired to have a railway made from here to Mokau the money should bo forthcoming. Now that arrangement was made without the intention to attempt to make a railway until the chiefs had agreed to such a tiring being done, and until the chiefs had expressed their wish for it. It was done out of pure love for you, in tho belief that you would ultimately wish for it. I did nothing more than Nature lias done for you. Look here. Nature has made here for you level plains of rich country through which a railroad can run with the greatest ease. Was God wrong in doing this ? When God has put into the earth up here abun dance of iron, by which tho rails for the road can be made, and that iron is a very valuable property which will make many men and many families rich. Was God wrong in making this provision for you, if you wish to have a railway ? Then God filled this country with abundance of coal, by which fire can be made to drive the engines along. The coals are very valuable property, and will make many people rich, and many families comfortable. Providence has done all that is good for you, for the vaon who shut out doctors and medicine from this country, and let innocent children die for want of proper care. I say that innocent children and young boys and girls died without help, because men who wero making money in other places by selling land wished that other persons should be shut out from selling land. Now I stand before you and say I was your friend in doing what I did, in taking advantage of the provision which Providenco made, so that when you desired to make this railway to bring wealth and comfort and peace to you, you might have it. I shall wait until to-morrow, until ten o'clock in the morning. If you then send to me saying that you accept theso offers and are prepared to discuss them, then I will remain to discuss them. If Ido not hear from you that you will discuss after ten o'clock to-morrow morning, they will be withdrawn absolutely. And this you must remomber —That every future arrangement made with you must be upon anew understanding, not upon theee offers made at Hikurangi. I have only further to say this —if you do not accept, if you do not difcuss them, recollect thia, that in me you will always have a friend. If you say you have niide a mistake, and send for me at any other time, if I can I will help you. Now I wish you good night. Sir G. Grey here rotired slowly from the ground. Tho Ministerial party were now fast moving off, when Te Ngakau said, "Well, I can't answer now, because Grey is going." The assemblage dispersed at 5 o'clock.