THE KINGITE MEETING.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2517, 3 May 1882, Page 3

THE KINGITE MEETING.

[PEBSS ASSOCIATION TBLHQBAM.I ALEXANDRA, May 2. Theie was nothing done at the Native Meeting to-day. Tawhaio has not returned from pigeon shooting. He may not be back till to-morrow afternoon. The Natives continue to arrive despite heavy rains.

May 3. The heavy continuous downpour of rain has put an end to whatever prospect there was before of anything being done at the meeting to-day. Tawhiao is still out pigeon shooting, and must have had a bad time of it. Everybody is disgusted with the delay, not excepting Paul Tuteare and other visitors. Hone Wireka has arrived to press Tawhaio for the fulfilment of his promise to permit prospecting. Whangauui has some rich specimens, many of them obtained, it is said, in the vicinity of the Eangitoto mountain. I gather that Sir Q-aorge Grey’s offer to Tawhiao was not handsomer than had been made frequently by Sir Donald McLean, who, besides propounding schemes for making Tawhiao a kind of prince of the territory between Alexandra and Mokau, had placed before him a pile of bank notes a foot high. Tawhiao took only five notes from the top, and told McLean to put the rest away for him. Rumour saya he believes this money is out at interest for him now, and that ho means to try and recover it. Another story runs that this was not Q-overnment money, but money left by Potatau. Tawhiao was told years ago, by an intimate pnkeha friend, that every year his chances of making good terms grew less each year, and that delay meant loss to him of several thousand acres of land. He replied that he knew that, but his surroundings rendered it impossible to act otherwise. Ho had several counsellors, and by this time ho had converted one-half to his way of thinking. The first person converted had gone back to bis old way of thinking, and he had to begin all over again. Tawhaio stated at the meeting three years ago that in three years he would be walking over the graves of his ancestors, a prediction which was realised in his visit to Waikato. This lends color to the supposition that he is working a plan of his own. He is a very cunning man, and knows exactly how far he can go, except as means to advance such a plan. The formation of the settlement at Whatiwhatihoe is unaccountable, the place being less adapted for Naiiva villages than Eopua, and too accessible to run and land specula! orsto be conducive to the maintenance of the integrity of the King movement. The enforcement of a prohibitory liquor law has materially diminished the number of Natives in the vicinity of the hotels in Alexandra. The Natives are entirely disgusting, and some chiefs who were favorable to the prohibition, were clamorous last night for drink, besieging Mr Bush for special orders which be firmly refused to grant. One cbief from the Thames declared that the Hon. Mr Bryce gave them three bottles of grog himself at Upper Tr amos before they would hold any converse with him. Several half-castes here, who are married to half-castes, have very largo families, notwithstanding scientific theories to the contrary.