THE MANAWATU-RANGITIKEI BLOCK AGAIN.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 15, Issue 797, 20 June 1870, Page 3

THE MANAWATU-RANGITIKEI BLOCK AGAIN.

fFrora the Evening Post, 31st May,] In ano'her column will be found a letter to the London Times from Colonel Had field, accompanying a petition from the Ngatiraukawa claimants to the Manavvatu-Rangiti-kei Block, whoae claims have been disallowed. The petition sets forth in a sort of mock pathetic tone the wrongs and grievances the petitioners have undergone at the hands of their white oppressors, and prays for a direct interposition of her Majesty's authority to restore to them the land of which they had been robbed. The statements made in this petition are false from beginning to end; but as their fallacy has been so clearly exposed by the Independent this morning, we will not deal with them in in detail, but °ay a few words as to the source from whence the petition emanates. It is no mystetyC Although the name of Parakaia is appended to it, it bears internal evidence of European origin, and ♦"he writer in all probability is not very distantly connected with the gentle man under whose auspices it reached the Times. The course this gentleman has seen tit to pursue with reference to the purchase from the first has been one of obstructiveness to the Provincial authorities, from no high and philanthropic desire to see justice awarded to the natives, but simply from the very commonplace one of greed to acquire land himself. He and those who have worked with him, have used every effort in their power to upset Dr Featherston's just and equitable arrangements ; they have fought with bitter obstinacy from point to point, and been finally diiven from them all. We imagined that the leader at least had retired fiom the strife; but such is not the case; he has changed the venue, and, foiled in New Zealand, has commenced to raise an agitation in England, and again enlist the sympathies of the Exeter Hall saints against their conn try men. Whether the Province of Wellington, as well as the Colony of New Zealand, will longer tolerate this systematic asper siou and injury, remains to be seen. The Independent suggests that Mr M'Donald should be subjected to severe punishment; we would advise going to the root of the matter; there are others far more to be blamed than Mr M'Donald, who has, all along, been merely a subordinate. One thing is fortunate, Dr Featherston is in London, and is able to reply to the slanders against the Colony and himself, propagated there by parties who, if justice had been dealt to them, would long ago have been removed by force from the district where they have done *>o much mischief.

The following is Col. HadfieldV letter and the petition referred to in the above article : TO THE EDITOR OF TIIE TIMES.,, Sir, —I forward you a copy of a petition sent by the Ngatirauka natives to the Governor of New Zealand for transmission to the Queen. You may rely on the accuracy of the translation. There is a remarkable similarity between its subject matter and that of Lord Granville's despatch—a despatch, moreover, which the 340 natives, who, I hear, signed the petition, had not, and, indeed, could not have seen. It treats of soldiers, land, and recognition of Maoris as capable of local self government. The petition is valuable in that ifc shows not only that the Maoris arc a highly intelligent people, and that those who assert that they cannot originate anything are in error, but also that they have no wish td rebel against the Queen ; that the iniquitous way in which their land is taken from them is their only grievance. True, there had been an investigation of the Jttangitikei purchase in question. Eut it was made after the Government had paid £25,000 for it to the wrong owners.—l am, &0., ChAELES J. HADjFXJiLD, . Colonel. Oekbrook, Derby, March 22, 1870.

A PETITION TO OUE LADY TEE QUEEN. Otaki, December 12, 1869. Madam, — Salutations. Madam, listen to the troubles of your children. What was done by the Governors appointed by you used to be good. What they said agreed with was told us by the ministers of the Grospel. They spoke of your gracious name to the Maori people. Now what is done is bad. First, your loving voice and your laws are no longer permitted to reach the Maori people. Your authority is not allowed to extend to us at this time. Second. Our laud at Rangitikei has been taken from us. Our dwelling houses, our cultivations, iu which we raise food for

our children, are there. About 300,000 acres are being taken from us. But we do not consent that it should be taken.

Third. Do you, 0 Queen, restore our land! Let us not be robbed of it by a law made by the Government of New Zealand. Fourth. We are set aside by the Government j we have done nothing wrong that we should be excluded. Our offence is our refusal to part with our land. It is not a new refusal. We have steadily refused to alienate it ever since l 1 48 until the present time, 1860.- Now it is taken from us by a legal process. Wo have committed no other offence than this. Fifth. If the Government of New Zealand should attribute it to another cause, it will be a misrepresentation. There is no other cause but the laud,

Sixth. We are in great trouble because of our exclusion from the Supremo Court. The Court which adjudicates on Maori title to land was established by the Government of New Zealand for them alonft. It is not a real Court. The Judges are not Judges holding permanent employments. They are servants paid by the Government. But what of them. Let your word come to us. This is our third peti tion to you, O Queen. The first was in 1860, about Waitara, asking for a Governor to investigate Waitara. That petition was granted. Governor Grey was appointed. He ascertained that the Maori claim was right, and the Government wrong. The second petition was about ilangitikeij in reference to the unfair mode of purchasing adopted by the Government. That was about land. We received no acknowledgment of this petition from you This is the third. All our petitions have been land. This, perhaps, is our offence, which has shutout your voice and your authority from us. We are cast out—we are excluded from your influence. The life we onco had is gone. The governors and tho ministers of the Gospel have spoken to us. Life (or protection) for the body comes from you; life for the spirit comes fmm God. The Government of New Zealand has put an end to this. This is our reason for petitioning you. Your God lives. May you live, O our Queen, and and withhold your soldiers! As we always uphold your laws, may you manifest your love to your Maori people ; love the people now without a parent. Be pleased to send us some ono to investigate these troubles—that is our land, of which we are robbed by the Government. This is the petition of the Maori race to you. Give authority to some Maori man of New Zealand. May you be pleased to grant this petition of your people. If you this, the troubles of this island will come to an end. .111 wars will cease ; lands not <o be taken* away unjustly. If you assent send some commissioners to convey your authority to New Zealand. From Ngatiraukawa Tribe, Pakakaia Te Pouepa, Secretary.

[From tlie Evening Post, 11th Juuo.J It is quite possible that the great Manawatu difficulty may shortly be placed in a fair way of solution. The principle supporter ot the dissentients- Archdeacon Hadfield—has been detached from their cause, and has now assumed duties and responsibilities, the fulfilment of which would be utterly incompatible with the course he has been pursuing for the last few years. Apart from his unfortunate Maori proclivities, the Bishop elect is a most estimable man, and we have no doubt that he will preside over his diocese with credit to himself and advantage to the Church. It has struck us that Church preferment might be further extended with beneficial results. Suppose Mr Alexander M'Donald u ere put into holy orders and made Archdeacon of Otaki, and Parakaia received a small cure? This would be a cheap way of getting rid of them, far better than shutting them up in prison.