MAORI REPRESENTATION.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 14, Issue 711, 23 August 1869, Page 1 (Supplement)

MAORI REPRESENTATION.

(Wanganui Evening Herald.)

Before the commencement of the war by Tito.kowaru the Colony exhibited an earnest desire to promote the welfare of the Maori race. The Government listened to the tender tale of every Native Agent, and took the natives iuto their confidence. They aimed at no less a result than the fusion of the two races—a blending, until there should remain only one people in New Zealand. One of the results of this feeling was Maori representation in the General Assembly. Great things were antici pated if we only initiated a little special legislation, and by dividing the colony into four districts, allowed the Maoris to send a representative for each. Mr M'Lean was the author and promoter of the scheme. His knowledge of Maori customs and character gave him the ear of every one on all native questions; and, consequently, when he held out such high hopes of one peaceful, happy and contented people in the colony, the voice of dissentients to the proposal was hushed, and as com plete unanimity prevailed among our legislators as it was anticipated would prevail among the races. The elections took place, and among the noble representatives sent down were Ta reha and Mete Kingi! If the bill had contained a clause, that no mem ber could have been returned unless he understood the English language, it is probable that much of the ridi cule which has surrounded the affair would have been avoided. But in two or three cases the vilest savages were found, who were ignorant alike of the lauguage of parliament and the wants of their owu race. These men not only made themselves ridiculous but everything with which they come in contact. They do not add to the information of the House by giving their experience or their opinions, but are led by the nose by the government in office. They; readily take up the cry of any extremist, and one day ask that the confiscated lands be given back to the Hauhaus, and perhaps the next demand that the Hauhaus be shot. The whole character of Maori representation is embraced in Mete King ism. A Maori member meets a white brother and says, " Pakeha! make it the lend the five herring," and thinks it the proper thing to borrow from every person that is willing to lend sums too small to be ever recovered. Mete Kingisin is not half so respectable as Kingisin. The first is a depraved vicious thing, dangerous to its friends and of no terror to its enemies. What advantages have been derived in the way of giving contentment to the Maori race, from the exceptional legislation, the evils of which we have been referring to ? The answer is on every person's lips. The latest good thing from the portfolio of Mete is about the question of population, and Malthus must hide his diminished head for ever. " No Maori woman ha 3 twenty or thirty children, and it was on this account the Europeans continued to increase." This is very good to provoke the risible feelings, as it succeeded in doing in the House of Representatives, but it is more fit for a Maori pa, where the topic would elicit a variety of entertaining opinions, if not a desire to indulge the cannibal propensities in keeping down the dangerous increase. We suppose the members have estimated the value of Maori opinions and treat them with the contempt they deserve; but the value of a Maori vote is not to be treated so lightly. We have the fate of governments hanging upon the decision of two or three reformed (dubious) cannibals, and we have the nuisance of having the proceedings of our highest authority reduced to the level of burlesque merely to suit the whims of ** Maori doctors." There is a disposition to reduce the number of representatives; and we think there are good grounds for repealing the Maori representation act, and placing the Maori in the same position as the colonist in the exercise of the

suffrage. By this means the number of representatives would be reduced and the most worthless be among the ejected.