TE HOKOI, E RERE ATUNA,

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume II, Issue 78, 25 December 1862, Page 5 (Supplement)

TE HOKOI, E RERE ATUNA,

Noakuawahia, No em a 10, 1862. [ Translation.^ The speeches of the meeting at Peria, convened by William Thompson te Wahara. To it came the chiefs of the distant districts fwhenuaj , and on the 11th day of October, 1862, the debate commenced. William Thompson stood up and said: The cause for which I have called you to come hither is this: it is sufficient for me to have set up the King, but it is for you, the chiefs of this meeting, to examine dispassionately the opinions (literally words) which may be published now, (or spoken). The good or the evil regarding the road at Maungatawhiri and Whaingaroa, whether it (the road) may be thrown open or closed. These are the things you have to do. Ilohaia then stood up and said : I am of Ngatiawa of Whakatane, and this is what I say. Let us search dispassionately, and if we see reason that the road should be open let it be open ; but if we see reason that it should be closed up, let it be closed up. Up stood Eparaima and said: I am from Ngati Porau of Whaiapu. I am a voice from the thousands five, 5,000 ('siej. I am not willing the road should be opened, to pass from Maungatawhiri to Whaingaroa. If a man be disembowelled he dies; and if the road is opened in the centre of the island the like consequences will follow, therefore let the road be closed up. Up stood Hoera te Titaha, and said ; I am from Ngati Porou of Wharekahika. I am from within the twelve divisions which are unfavorable to the opening of a road through the centre of the island, because there is evil (or death) in it. Therefore let it be shut up (or discontinued.) Up stood Hemi of Ngati Muhanga. I came here to see the sun of Tawauwau. The letter of William fetched me here to see the sun of Tawauwau. Wherefore should any man jump on to my road to stop it up? My own is a piece of land, it is not just to obstruct my road. William Tnompson stood up and said : I called you together. I saw in the newspapers that £SOO had been given for the road (toWaipa), and -Is. a day to the men employed on it, and I thought that your pakeha friends were bringing evil upon you by what you were doing. I was suspicious lest the big guns should be brought by this road, which is close to Ngaruawahia. The Governor was right to be suspicious and to prevent us having guns and powder, lest we should turn round upon him and destroy him with it; likewise, I am suspicious about this road lest the Governor should turn round and destroy me. What man is there who would not be suspicious and take care of his own body ? The Scriptures saith that a man should care for his own flesh. Then followed Kereopa te Ran of Rotorua, and ho said : Do not eat the karakas warm. It is better to take them to the water, and then they will be wholesome food. Do not drink quickly the tutu , lest you should be made giddy ; it is better to let it be a little time, and then it will be fit for drink. In like manner if we are too hasty in giving our consent to this road to be opened, death will be in it for us. It is better, O tribe, to stop the road. Up stood Reweti Manotini, of Ngaiterangi, and he said : This is great evil for us. My thoughts are in my words to you. I tell you what I think, this (the road) is a great evil for all of us. A flood will burst from this river (alluding to the road), if opened up ; and 1 say, therefore, let the road be stopped. Up stood Wiremu Ifaumu, of Ngatiraukawa, Patetere, and he said : Maungatawhiri and Whaingaroa must be shut up. There is death in these directions, if the road is not stopped. Therefore I say, shut it up. Up stood then another man, Matiu Wahapurua, of Ngatimaru, from Hauraki, and he said : I will not give consent for my grandfather’s backbone to be cut in two, therefore I say that Maungatawhiri and Whaingaroa are to bo shut up. Up stood Ngairo Ko Kahunuhunu, from Wairarapa, and he said : 1 come from the fish of Operoa (from the other end of the island). I am fearful about this road of Maungatawhiri and

Whaingaroa. Let it bo shut up : let the matter be ended. Up stood Paora kai watu no Kahuhunu, from Ahuriri, and he said : We do not know how this land is situated in Whaingaroa and Maungatawhiri. Who is the owner of it—the Maoris or the pakehas / It is for the Waikatos to tell us this, that we may understand how it is situated. In answer to this question, Herewini te Whakaete got up, and made a long explanation, which substantially is to this effect, that the land at Maungatawhiri had been partly sold to the Europeans secretly ; that they had objected to the pakehas coming to Maungatawhiri in 1854, making it appear, on the whole, that the pakehas were justified in the steps they were taking to stop the road in that direction. Up stood Karaitiana of Kahuhunu, from Ahuriri, and he said : It is right when a piece of the king’s land is mixed with land held by Europeans, that all should be treated as the king’s land. Therefore, stop the road. Up stood Wirihana ngati Kahuhunu, from Ahuriri, and he said: This land is in some measure situated like land that we have in our country ; and I will vote with the majority. Up stood Harawira Ngaiterangi, from Motuhoa, a place in Tauranga, and lie said: We say that the road shall be stopped, but the Waikatos can act as they like. According to the voice of our people, I say, stop it. Up stood Hohaia Whakatone, and he said : God made me a man, and he made this place for me to live in. Portions of this land have been parted with, and the government want to get it all from us, but now it has come to this that no more can be parted with, and the road must be stopped up. Perenara of Ngatiawa, from Teowa of Atua, stood up and said : This is what I have to say— You must stop the road. Up stood Te Hira, of Ngatihau, from Wanganui, and he said : I am only one ; but I come here to carry the words of 500. Shut up the road. Up stood Wiremu Toetoe of Waikato, and he said : Listen to me, all you tribes of this meeting. I was the bad man in the days of the reign of king Potatau (the First) ; but I have been to the countries of Europe, and I have seen the kings, each one who is sitting (or ruling) in that great country of Europe. The power, or jurisdiction of one king, does not overlap the power or jurisdiction of another king. From having seen these things, I first became aware that the idea of the natives in setting up a king for themselves was correct. Therefore, I say, stop the road. Up stood Wiremu te Waharoa, and he said ; We have had sufficient on the former subjects (the roads). Now listen to me, this meeting. I have three roots of talk (subjects of discussion), to lay before you. Rent—Shall we rent, or shall we not ? Shall we take credit, or shall we not ? The old debts—shall we pay them, or shall we not ? The Europeans who are living within the bounds of the Maoris—shall we expel them, or shall we not ? It is for you to consider these matters. These things being accordingly considered by all the people, it was written down on paper 1. AVe must love the pakeha who arc remaining within our bounds who are of good appearance (well behaved); but the pakehas of an evil appearance we must expel them. 2. Rent is not to be consented to. at least at the present time (land not to be leased), because these days are days of trouble and confusion. 3. Old debts are to be paid. 4. Credit must no longer be taken. 5. All disputed lands are to be enquired into by the Court (\A r akawa) which shall examine and decide upon them. On the 27th October, 1862, the king got up and said : Come here the men of the East, of the North, of the West, and of the South—come here to AVaikato. AA r e have always been a noble people. Although our skins arc dark, let the understandings of the statesmen be bright; and let them adhere to law, to love, and faith. Up stood Bishop Selwyn and said : Salutations to you, Matutaere, the chief of AA’aikato. This is what I have to say to you. Let there be but one law—the Queen’s law ; let there be but one authority (mana) —that of God. Do not divide the law and make them two, lest there be confusion. O AVilliam Thompson, give up AVaitara, that it may be judicially enquired into ; also Tataraimaka, let it be returned to my widows (the expelled settlers). Let them return to their place (homesteads). It is for you, Thompson and Matutaere, to consent to this. If you hold Tataraimaka we and my widows must return across the sea, and leave this land a land of confusion. Then stood up Kereopa from Rotorua, and he said: Listen to me, this meeting. I consented formerly that the question about AA r aitnra should he judicially enquired into, but now it is impossible to do so. It may be compared to a sack of wheat, which has been spilt all over the ground. AA T ho is there that can pick up the grains of wheat and make the sack exactly what it was before ? Up stood Hoera no Ngatiporou from AATiaiapu, and ho said : It will not be right for the mana of the Queen of England to override the mana of king Matutaere. It is not possible to yoke a horse and a cow in the same yoke. This is what I think about AVaitara. Why was it not judicially enquired info formerly, when it was easily possible to have done so ? Do we not see that needles and other small trifles are enquired into judiciallv when th.ey are stolen, hut AA r aitara. tins great thing, leave it to be decided by blood. “ Up stood AV. Thompson te Waharoa, and he said : O Bishop, if AVaitara is to be enquired into, how about the king? You say that only there (in reference to AVaitara) lies the difficulty. According to me, the king is the thing of most consequence. At the time we were fighting at AVnitara your (plural) letters came to me, lind they said, “ William, go and make peace.” There was no question in them about the king. I therefore went and made peace. AA T hcn I had made peace I came back, and then you say to me, “ O AVilliam let down the mana ” (king). Then I began to think that I was being humbugged (mamdtea). Who can be prepared for the manifold tricks frawe/ce) of the btovernor? lam preserving the island ; but lam out of breath (exhausted). Who can parry attacks on every side ?