THE NATIVE COMMISSION.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1872, 23 February 1880, Page 3

THE NATIVE COMMISSION.

[Br Tblkgbaph.] [fbom oub own cobbbspondent.] HAWEBA, February 22. The Commission has returned from Oeo, where they sat on Thursday and Friday. Over 300 Natives were present, mostly braves in their day, and many bearing traces of hardship and Buffering in their wars against Europeans, but no longer having any stomach for fighting. They were mostly Hone Pihama'i and Katene'a people. The former is the most influential man on the coast. Also present among them was Te Whiti's half brother Pehera. His brother, Ware Pori, was killed in the early days in a stand up fight with a European"blackemith at Ngahauranga. Hone and Katene were heard at considerable length as to the land they claimed under promises made to them by authorised officers of the Government. Manaia, who is a Maori of the old school, was very guarded in his language, saying:—" One horse cannot draw three tons, neither can I speak for my people, when they are not here." Most of the other Natives were also examined. The burden of their tale generally was that they and their ancestors had lighted their fires on the land for ages, and they therefore wanted it surveyed and Crown granted to them. One of Te Whiti's followers from Parihaka attended apparently to report to the prophet, and did not seem at all pleased after he heard what the Commission had to say. He jerked out in a somewhat bounceable tone—" I am from Parihaka. I understand what you say. You throw the blame on us, and say nothing of your own sin." He then rußhed outside. Amongst those outside he became more grave and remarked, " There is no mistaking what the Government means now." In less than an hour he was on his way to Parihaka. The Commission, after particularly listening to all the Natives had to say, some of it very irrelevant, made a formal statement which was sentence by sentence carefully translated to the Natives. Its substance is to the following effect : —That when the lands were confiscated the titles and claims derived from their old tribal rights and usages ceased from that time ; that though they have been allowed to occupy the land undisturbed, still the Government in no way recognised them as proprietors of the same ; that any promises made to the Natives in regard to awarding land to them by authorised officers of the Government would be duly carried out. As to the bulk of the Natives, the Government would take care that they should be provided 1 with ample reserves, so as not to be left homeless or become a burden upon the country ; and that if they chose afterwards to leave these reserves the Government would see that they received a fair rental. All care would be exercised in the preservation of their fishing rights, but the quantity of land to be reserved for them, and locality on which it was Bituated, wouid be decided entirely by the Government. They were also told that when the land was confiscated, the Government did not ask the leave of Te Whiti, nor of anyone else. Now that they had taken possession and commenced to

make'roads through the plan, no heed would be paid to what Te Whiti or anyone else said or thought. Having begun, the Government intended to carry out all they had undertaken. They would make roads all through the plains, wherever necessary, and survey the land for settlements, laying ont townships wherever it was deemed advisable; but certain sections in these townships would be reserved for the leading men amongst the Natives, so that when they chose to visit the townships there would be plaoes which |the Natives could call their own. In conclusion, the Natives were informed in the most emphatic manner, and so as to prevent any misunderstanding, that the land on that side of Waingongoro river would be treated precisely the same as that on the other, and they were made to understand that the Government would not take any advantage of or punish those who absented themselves from the Commission. Their rights would be studied as much as the interests of those present. Before breaking up the Natives were asked to make known amongst their friends and countrymen the words of the Commission. The statement produced considerable effect, for the Natives nave been talking the matter over amongst themselves ever since. Hone Pihama, the most influential man on_ the coast, expressed himself perfectly satisfied with the words of the Commission. Katene also said he thought he had done the best he could for his people by forming the Government Commission. The quiet and decided manner in which the Commission has gone to work is already producing a marked effect upon the Natives, who, notwithstanding the efforts of Te Whiti and renegade Europeans to prevent them attending the Commission, will attend in large numbers. The Commission will Bit here on Tuesday, when there will be a large attendance of Natives from the neighbouring kaingas. A large crowd of Natives will also attend the meeting at New Plymouth. Some of those who hitherto held aloof now talk of coming to see the Commission.

When Katene was being examined, he said : —" In the old days, when there was fighting, I was always there against Europeans," but, with singular modesty, he made no reference to the fact that he afterwards greatly distinguished himself fighting for us, being, indeed, quite a curiosity in the way of wounds, having received enough to kill a dozen men at once. He was shot through the body by a Maori only three feet away, the bullet going through the leg of a man, McDonald, after. Katene has been shot in about a dozen places, and had his nose broken by a blow from a rifle butt. He is a very light complexioned Maori, resembling Mohi Tawhai.

The Commission is open to the press, and ia attended by Major BrowD, Civil Commissioner, and Mr Parris.