REPORT ON THE STATE OF UPPER WAIKATO, JUNE, 1862.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume II, Issue 64, 18 September 1862, Page 6 (Supplement)

REPORT ON THE STATE OF UPPER WAIKATO, JUNE, 1862.

By J. B. Qoest. Esq. (Continued from our last.) 11. Of the Government of the Maori Kino. (1.) The King's Council. Matutaera Potatau, the young man who is called the Maori King, lias very little to do personally with the affairs of state. He is carried about by the Natives to most of their great meetings, but lie is carefully guarded by a body of drilled soldiers, and does not appear on the outside of his house, at least when the Europeans are present. In all the Runangas and at all the meetings for business at which I have been present, both before and since I was an officer of the Government, Matutaera has never been present, nor has, so far as I know, been consulted. On two occasions only have I ever heard of his doing anything himself; one, when Thompson went down to Taranaki, on which occasion he followed him as far as Ivihikihi and begged him not to go : the other when emissaries from Pactai came to tell him that troops had come to the lia to whom he said, “ Be patient, do not meddle witli them ; I will come down myself to see what they are doing there, and to "take care of my children.” Whether this was an original speech or prompted by his councilors, I cannot pretend to say. The King’s business is usually transacted by a council called the runangas of Ngaruawahia. There does not appear to be any particular qualification for admission into his Council ; all the members of it are Chiefs of high rank, all reside at or near Ngaruawahia, and most of them are relations of the king; but Rewi Thompson, Reihana, or any great man from the provinces on a visit to Ngaruawahia would sit with the regular members and take part in their deliberations. The names of the regular members arc:— Wi Tarahawaiki, Wi Karamoa, Honi Papita, Nepo Te Ngahau, Toma Whakapo, Takerei Te Ran. Patara Tetuhi, Nehcmia, Tumuhuia, Hoera Taonui. I have heard that Hocra has ceased (o be a member, and there may bo a few' other names. Oi the aciueness and wisdom of these men, I icol bound to speak in the very highest terms. In all questions which I have beard discussed by them, they have argued with calmness and good temper., kept steadily to the point at issue, looked at the question from every side, and faced all its difficulties, mid have usually come to a just decision. Jn their strongest opposition, they' have never behaved with anything approaching to rudeness. It would be impossible to find a body of men with whom the Government could more advantageously consult upon the subject of laws and regulations for the Natives. ° It is true that their wise resolutions are not often carried into practical effect: but this weakness appears to be naturally' inherent in all public bodies at the antipodes. As a legislative body, the Runanga of Ngaruawahia is ready' to assent to any laws which may be proposed by T the various tribes ; it is a mere formal assent in imitation of that given hy the Queen to our own laws. As a judicial body, it has no defined jurisdiction ; it appears to be. resorted to, to settle cases which no one else can. On the 16th of April last, I’ made application to William Thompson and the King at Tamahere about certain cast's in which wrongs had been done to Knvopeans, which the local authorities had confessed themselves unable to redress. The malter was, by Thompson's advice, referred to the King’s Council, and I went down according to appointment to Ngaruawahia, runanga a written account of the several cases and demanded that restitution should be made A written answer was given to the following effect . ° “We have come to a resolution as regards “the Natives who commit wrongs against, the “Europeans, who steal their property their “horses, and their other property'; wo have quite “made up our minds that we will ourselves “judge them; it is for us to fix the day and the “month for their judgment.” Up to the present, date, no further steps have been taken. Subsequently application was made to the runanga in the matter of Cliittam’s sheep but Rewi had in the meantime expressed displeasure at their assumption of judisdiction in such cases, and this case was therefore remanded to WTiaretini and the runanga of Kihikihi, as before mentioned. The fact is, that any conflict between the local and central authorities is at once settled by the latter quietly giving away. The King’s Council has no real power. There is no force at its command by w'hich it can compel obedience, which is only rendered voluntarily when the opinions of the subject happen to coincide with those of the King. The last time I saw Thompson’ ho told me nobody would gainsay the word of the King’s Runanga, and that all the “mana” was with them ; but it is not so in practice ; even Thompson himself can turn a deaf car to the King when it suits him to do so ; and from the members of the Council themselves we hare heard complaints of disobedience, of distant tribes turning away their ministers, or letting their lands in spite of all remonstances. The Council is cautious, and wisely reluctant to issue commands, avowing that it has no power to compel obedience. As an instrument forcing law, the Council is less effective than even the local runanga. It is of little use that it surpasses others in tlio wisdom of its decisions, for it is totally powerless to carry them into effect. The authority of the Council is not even universally acknowledged. Patcno told me that he had never acknowledged any other than Nehcmia, Rewi, and Welini Taiponitu, and that the men who at present call themselves the runanga of Ngaruawahia arc usurpers. They are as much afraid of resolute malefactors as the local runangas. Whnkapaukai, who lives almost within sight of Ngaruawahia, sets the King and Council completely at defiance. Besides this they have the fear oflocal magnates before their eyes. Rewi will not like this —Patcno will let land if he may not drive the European Magistrate away • —Tapihana will go over to the Qyieeu if they

take away his second wife. Lastly, they are more addicted to vagabondising over the country than even the local authorities. Since last Christmas they have visited (in the following order) Rangatikei, Kihikihi, Rangiriri, Waipa, Tamahere, Whakatiwai in the Hauraki Gulf, Whaingaroa" and are shortly expected at Rangiaowhia. Any one who knows where these places are, will understand how very little of the time can be spent at home. In consequence of this it is impossible to get the Council to attend to anything except by, continual personal application; everything that is not disagreeably importunate is put off till “ tomorrow,” I have never received an answer to any letter though it lias often been promised except when Mr. Clark or I have staid in the neighbourhood till the answer was written. (2) The King's Dominions. The government of the Maori King extends nominally over a very wide extent of country The northern boundary is fixed at Mangutawhiri* but the southern is indefinite. The 'tribes of Taupo, Tauranga, Turanga, Ahuriri, Moknu, Taranaki, Wanganui, and Cook’s Straits are supposed to have given in their adhesion to the alliance; whether this supposition is true or whether they have since repudiated the connexion 1 have of course no means of judgin'*. The influence of the King in remote districts can scarcely I should suppose be felt. The only communication that takes place during the year is a letter or visit of some of the head men to the King, or from some Waikato Chief to the remote districts —no more than would go on if there were no King at all. Since I have been in the district, visits have been paid by Ngafiawas and Ngatiruanuis from Taranaki, by" the Taupo Chiefs who met the king at Kihikihi, and by a few Ngapuhis from the Bay of Islands ; nearly all the Waikatos have been at Hauraki; some went to Ahnriri; and Win. Thompson with a large party was to have visited Turanga, but the Turanga people put him off, saying that their crops had failed. The fact is, that even at Ngaruawahia itself they know very little in general of passing events. I used to think their ignorance affected, but I believe it is real. Hone Tore one of the Kind’s Chief supporters at Taupo went mad in February lad ; at a meeting at Ngaruawahia, in May, only one member of the runanga knew of this fact"; the rest appeared to hear it then for the first time! The proceedings at a meeting of the rebellious Ngatiwhauroa, held at Kahumatuku, almost within sight of the King’s palace, on April 7th, wore first known at Ngaruawahia, by a Maori Messenger published on May Ist, which reached the Maori capital on May 23rd. Letters are a most uncertain way of sending intelligence ; any person can write a letter full of all sorts of inventions, and sign some great man’s name at the bottom. Letters are also often opened and stopped. A letter from Renata and other chiefs of iiawko,s Bay to Thompson, expostulatin''with him for not agreeing to have the Waitava dispute settled by law, ; never (to the boA of my belief) got further than Kihikihi. whore it was discussed in open runanga ; at least -Thompson told me a fortnight afterwards at Tamahere that ho had never received it. On the other hand, they have very early military intelligence. They have boon well aware of the progress of the road at Mangatawhiri, and have known much more than I of the affair of the road from W haingaroa to Waipa. Hapurona’s outburst at Taranaki was told hero as soon as in Auckland. William King informed Mr. Clark that they have a messenger at Taranaki to watch the progress of the road there, and (hat lie will; instantly bring them news if it conies on Native land. (3.) The King's Officers. There are men iu every tribe who call themselves Officers of the King, but it is merely a title which means that they arc not Officers* of the Queen. Their power, dignity, and emolument, are all derived from local sources ; they have no interests which make them uphold the Government of Hie King as distinguished from the tribal government; they are nothing but local authorities who use the King's name as a badge of their opposition to the English Government. At Taniahcrc, when I brought forward the entire want of protect ion to the property of Enropoansflirongliout the King’s dominions, William Thompson iuid Toma proposed that the King should appoint Magistrates in every tribe, whoso duty it should be to suppress all wrongs done by Maoris to Europeans. I am not sure whether this project lias entirely fallen to the ground, but it is evident it never can be carried into effect. The local Rnnangas would give no help to the King’s magistrate until they had examined and satisfied themselves oi the justice of his decision ; so that they would still be the real judges, and in any collision with them the King’s magistrate would have to go to the wall. When face to face with the people he would he as helpless as I am. Besides, the King could give no salary, and could hold out no, im dueement which would make his magistrate prefer a barren allegiance to him, to fulling in with the passions and prejudices of his own kindred and tlic companions of his every-day life. There are several large bodies of young men in Waikato and the neighborhood, who arc formed into companies, drilled, armed, and dressed in uniform, in imitation of our regular troops. They call themselves King s soldiers. Soldiering is the latest and most absorbing fashion amongst tbo M aikatos. It was begun on (he return of the fighting men from Taranaki, and has since been steadily on the increase. At first the old men looked coldly upon the movement ; some observed, | x have been told, that the young men would be I spoiled for fighting, and would be only fit to “ keep barracks" ; especially averse to it was William , Thompson. It had been agreed that each tribe '■ in its tarn should furnish a company as a guard of honor to the King : when it came fo (ho turn of j Ngalihana, Thompson would not have anything ' to do with tbo plan : he said the Ngalihana were all ploughmen, they bad no soldiers, and be ended 1 by taking Ins men to fNgaruawahia and ploughing j up about seventy acres of land for potatoes. But - notwithstanding all the opposition, the institution ! has made its way. The last time I saw Thompson ho said his objection was withdrawn, and lie had even serious thoughts of being drilled himself; ! but I hare not yet heard of Xgatihaua being actu- ! ally embodied. Alost of tbe soldiers are young j men of about t%renty $ they are very ncatlv dres- !

sed, usually in white trousers, blue coats, and white caps with a red cross embroidered in front. JL have seen some with very stiff military stocks. Their arms are nothing better than old It gem muskets; a few have fowling-pieces and rides taken at Taranaki. I am no judge of drilling, but to my unprofessional eye they perform remarkably well ; the various movements are executed by each individual of a large body at precisely the same instant. When we have been staying anywhere with the soldiers, the drill has appeared to'be incessant ; but I have ridden unexpectedly into Ngaruawahia, and found the sentry boxes empty, or the sentry sprawling in a most unprofessional altitude, and all his com°radcs away at play; still this may have been accidental. The discipline is strict, the soldiers silent and well-behaved on parade; they are regularly inarched into church to morning and evening prayers, and I have even seen some of them get their cars boxed for misbehaviour, though miscount in church is very rare. The soldiers grow their own food, and are said to be paid at the rale of 3d. a day. I can give no trustworthy account of the number of these men. There is a body of them at Ngaruawahia, one at Kihikihi, Taati’s regiment at liangiaowliia, Patene’s at Moamiui, and Keihana’s at Whataroa, said to be 80 strong. Honiara, the colonel of Reihana’s regiment, gave me accounts of many others at Mokau Kawhia, and the Upper Waipa ; but I have no personal knowledge of any of these. The sources irom which their pay is derived are various ; Taati and Eeibana both receive money from the Government for finding carriers lor (ho inland mails ; Taati’s soldiers have the monopoly of the mail irom Otawhao to Moivmere, and Jleihana’s men are paid from the fees and fines indicted in his Court; so that they have a very strong and obvious interest in the vigorous administration of justice. Ihese soldiers arc not at the command of the King; whether they would always obey their commanding otlieeror not, 1 cannot say ; but it is certain that their commanding officers are not subject to the Runanga at Xgaruawahia. The King sent to ask ileihana to send his soldiers to Coromandel to take care ot the gold ; he replied that his soldiers were to take care ot the King and that was ail; the Coromandel jicople might take care of their own gold. I do not believe that the soldiers arc strong enough and disciplined enough to act as military police, even it their officers chose to employ them. M hen some of Patene’s soldiers tried to take a man up at Rangiaowhia, the old men took their guns from them and turned them out of doors. This institution cannot be specially dangerous to the peace of the colony, for if there were to be war, every man, soldier or not, w ould fight: and so far as it brings the young men into order and discipline, it is good for themselves. Of course, as the pay fails and the young men fire of it, the whole army is likely to come to an end ; but at the present time it is in lull vigor, and shows no signs of decay. ‘ 3 (I-) The King's Jlcrcmte. Hint the King’s Government is in want of money there is not the slightest doubt. It is a remark constantly made, that we get all our power by our money, and that if they had as much money as we, they would be equally able to carry out (heir laws. Hut their reserve on (he subject of their expenditure and revenue is so groat, and they regard mo—who am supposed to have the power of dispensing largo sums—with so much suspicion, that on this subject I am verv much in the dark. It must therefore be understood that the following remarks are founded on conjecture, and that (no tacts are interred from hints dropped when conversing on other subjects, and not derived from direct information. ! am not sufficiently in (he King's confidence to have seen his account: books. (1.) The chief purpose for which the Runanga at Xgaruawahia professes to require money is for (he pay and accoutrements of the drilled soldiers. There is a Kgarnawahia regiment paid directly by (hem, and I tauey the King gives pay to each of the others during the time that it acts as his body-guard. The local regiments are, as I have above stated, at present paid from local sources; but it is not impossible that (he King may design to take them wholly or partially into his pay, if he could only find the funds. ‘There are, besides, officers of the household, constables, and drill sergeants at Kgaruawahia, who must require some pay. (-•) A printing press lias been lately set up, at which royal notices and gazettes arc printed, and a threepenny newspaper has been advertized, of which (according to Tumuliuia) some numbers have already appeared. This involves some expense, as the produce of the sale of the newspaper is not likely to cover the expense of ink, paper, and other outlay. (3.) The Runangas have constantly to employ messengers to carry letters and summonses, and I was (old by Thompson that all these men have to be paid. (!.) There must bo some personal expense for the King himself and the members of his council, though there is little doubt of his beiug one of the least costly sovereigns in the world. It is very likely that there are other schemes for the promotion whereof money is required, which may never come to the knowledge of the Government. The sources from which money is derived for the King’s exchequer arc as follows : (1.) A share of the money taken at ferries is paid to the King. From the ferry at Pukctc, where Is. Gd. is charged for putting a man and horse across, £5 was paid to the King during the past year. r i here is a notice at Pactai requiring all passers by to pay Is. a piece to the King. (2.) The King has a share of the fees and fines taken by the local runangas. I have hoard that Reihana, of Whataroa, very lately sent down as much as £lO to the King’s treasury. (3.) Large sums arc given as voluntary donations. £3OO in sovereigns was brought back by Kpiha from the Ahuriri natives in Kovembcr last, but tliis is by far the largest donation that was ever made. (1.) The revenue derived from these sources is not very regularly paid ; at any rate the Runanga erics out for more. A printed paper was circulated two or three months ago, calling upon the King’s

subjects to send larger and more regular sums of money, especially from the ferries, and there is no doubt that great anxiety is at this moment felt to devise some means of getting more. Several plans have been proposed. (5.) There was at one time a talk of putting a tax upon all wheat and potatoes sent down river beyond Ngaruawahia. Thompson said it was to be the .wheat of King’s natives only that was to bo thus taxed. This scheme has been given up as impracticable. (6.) An attempt was actually made by Reihana and his soldiers to take toll from the ships entering Kawhia harbor in the summer; it was resisted by the Natives living there, who were alive to their own interests, and has failed. (7.) The favorite project of the day is to levy tribute from all Europeans resident within the King s dominions. Tumuhuia is the chief promoter of this scheme, and he says that tribute is to bo imposed on all alike, Ministers or -Magistrates, residents on Crown lands or not; and that whosoever will not pay will be driven out of the district. Some wish to postpone the measure, on the ground that it is unfair to expect Europeans to contribute until thoKing’sGovcrnmont can protect them from depredations. In one case, to my own knowledge, the tribute has been exacted. Mr. Oldfield, a trader living at Kahumutuku, which is nominally a loyal village, paid £1 to Tumuhuia in April last, under a threat that ho would be stripped if he refused. The Natives of Kahumatuku at first promised him protection, but when it came to the point they advised him to pay the money. (S.) I fed bound to add that I have hoard reports (hat the King receives a share of the salaries paid by Government to Native Assessors, within what he considers his dominions, and that the King’s supporters are in this way reconciled to the appointment of Assessors. Ido not consider this improbable. None of the Magistrates or officers of the King, except the soldiers, receive any fixed salaries. One effect of this is that no man lias any sense of responsibility for what ho does. Everybody undertakes his duties spontaneously, and considers himself at liberty to throw them up whenever it suits him to do so. There is no power that can make officials any more than other people do their duty ; it is absolute irresponsibility. It is quite impossible to fix the blame of misgovernment, or of any public injustice upon any individual, or any definite number of individuals; if the Runauga of Ngaruawahia found itself getting into a mess, the members of it would all quietly withdraw, and the Council would simply cease to exist. As a scheme for dissipating all feeling whatsoever of liability to bo called in question for anything that may happen, the “ King movement” is inimitable. (5.) Secedersfrom ilte Kin//. In 1 110 Maori kingdom there are numbers of persons highly dissatisfied with the present state ot things; many are bold enough to declare their dissatislaetion publicly ; ami some even go so far as openly to profess loyalty to the Queen. There is great variety in the motives by T which such feelings and conduct are promoted. In the first place it Is evident that, in the conduct of affairs, somebody must bo continually being affronted. Butene's zeal in carrying oat the king’s law, especially in the matter of keeping European magistrates .out of the district, met with blame instead ot praise, and lie is thereby justlv offended. I here are others whose proposals have boon slighted, whoso advice has been neglected, or who have got the worst in some internal dispute, who thereupon become seceders. Wiuutere, of Ilangaiikei, has 1011, the King, because bigamy is tolerated; Ngatiwhanroa declared itself loyal because it lost the Paetai eels. All the discontented suppose themselves to have a very strong personal interest in declaring themselves upon our side, and that loyally has a marketable value. Minorities exist in all societies ; there arc twenty causes which may make a certain set ready to oppose anything whatever which the majority may propose ; if others are for the king, they are for the Queen; if others arc for war, they are for peace. All such minorities among (he natives are at the present time vehemently loyal; they obtrude their loyalty upon the officers of government, and cry out for assessors, policemen, and heads of ranagas ; some of them go to town and pass themselves off as important men, to try what they can get; Karaka Taniwha's son, the friend and pupil of Whakapaukai, and a boy who would be under the birch in an healthy civilized society, applied to be made an assessor, declaring that he had been admitted to the presence of the Gpvcrnor, and had been promised (hat office. They desire, in fact, to engross to themselves all the advantages and all the salaries that can ho given to their districts. It is most imprudent to yield to the demands of such men. They will bo loyal, from sheer opposition, without payment, and to give them all that is to be gained by loyalty at once destroys the hope of converting (he majority. Lastly, there are many who are sincerely convinced of the impossibility of attaining by the “king movement” those benefits which they once hoped for. They have tried an experiment, and have the good sense to see that it has failed. I know many men who belong to this class, and I believe their number to bo increasing. It is possible that some of them may be influenced partly by the hope of a government post, but it is only one motive, and not the solo motive. Whether this class will over increase so much as to be able to break up the alliance, it is impossible to say ; there is not the slightest prospect of its being able to do so at present. The king’s party is not likely to attempt to prevent by force the secession of any tribe. Even in Waikato some have made their profession of loyalty without calling forth any hostility; of course, the distant tribes can do just what they please. But the king’s natives arc resolved not to part with the land of the seceders ; that is still considered to be under the king’s vuiua; and any attempt to sell it would be sure to evoke strong hostility. Of course his right would onlv bo asserted in eases where the king’s natives supposed themselves to have the power to enforce it. 111-—Of the Chief Difficulty ix Native AfFAIItS. It will ho readily understood from the above facts, in what the chief danger to the peace of the colony from the “king movement” lies. Tha