THE HAWKE'S BAY TIMES. Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri. FRIDAY, AUGUST 28, 1874.

Hawke's Bay Times, Issue 1606, 28 August 1874, Page 338

THE HAWKE'S BAY TIMES. Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri. FRIDAY, AUGUST 28, 1874.

In our last we published an English version of an article by a Maori chief, wherein was set forth " all those things which pain and bear heavily upon the Maori people" —in other words, those wrongs, real and imaginary, over which the natives of the present period brood to a greater extent than is at all good for tli em. Written, as this paper was, entirely for the Maori people—intended for publication in what we may term the organ of the " Young New Zealand" party, Henare Tomoana's Wananga, its publication in English in our columns on Tuesday being entirely an afterthought on the part of the writer—it affords an insight such as is not often obtained into the workings of what is known as the " native mind." The state of feeling exhibited by this remarkable document is the natural result of a condition of transition such as the Maori race is passing through at the present time. * When, lie tells us,

through missionary influence, "the eating of man was abolished, with other old Maori customs," the Maori, people thought they would "no longer feel pain or any burden —hut these still follow us." And he goes on to review, as well' as he is able, the political history of the Colony in relation to his people, and suggest such remedies as he thinks would remove existing evils. First of all, he finds that the Maori representatives have not, as many fondly anticipated, " helped to carry the burden of the people;" they have failed to so much as understand what was passing in the Assembly; and, moreover, havo become " pliable " owing to the emoluments of their new position. Yet with strange inconsistency he proposes an increase of Maori representatives to fourteen, in order that they may bear the same proportion to the native population as the English members to the Europeans. This he considers a bright idea—"a thought.of light." The Maori members are no longer distinguished by their pliability —they do not, as of yore, represent so many votes to the Native Minister; but they are exceedingly inefficient representatives of their race. We may safely say that the whole of the judicious and effective advocacy of native interests in Parliament still comes, as it always has done, from European members: and we believe that Maori interests would really havo been better cared for, had there never been a native member in the Assembly. The writer, taking as he does, a superficial view of his subject, does not notice that he would place rebels and murderous hapus, as well as those wild and ignorant tribes in the fastnesses of the interior, who regard the European with disdain, on the same representative footing as that of the loyal and intelligent natives. The next " thought of light" looks very like a European suggestion—that two of the fourteen proposed members should be pakeha-maoris, who could also act as interpreters. Such an arrangement would be mischievous in the extreme. The twelve natives would be helplessly in the hands of their interpreters ; and of all kinds of people who might offer themselves as candidates, the Maori, if he understood his real interests, would beware of the ordinary pakeha-maori. We may note, in passing, that he entirely overlooks the fact that the Maori, under the present system, possesses a double franchise, being able, if he qualifies, to vote for the European members. From the subject of representation the writer proceeds to land-grievances. He complains of special legislation preventing the Maori from enjoying free trade in land. Such restriction was a genuine boon to the natives, though they do not appear to have realized it, and but for these past restrictions they would have been a far more impoverished people than they are to-day. With regard to his complaint that troublesome natives receive more tokens of Government favor than those who are well-affected; the objection has much force, and he has hit upon one of the cardinal defects] of the policy of the Native Minister—a defect which tonds to alienate friends and encourage the insolence of the disaffected ; but so long as the Native Office—our New Zealand Star Chamber—is maintained as at present, so long will this state of things continue. As we have said before, we look upon the publication of documents such as these as a sign of good rather than evil. It is a token of when instead of brooding over their discontent in silence, the natives publish their thoughts abroad to both races. Light will thus break in upon grievances which havo long rankled in obscurity ; and if only faced and grappled with boldly, many an old phantom of distrust will vanish for ever. Mails close for Auckland to-day and to-morow, as follows : —This afternoon at 2 o'clock, per Southern Cross ; and to-morrow at 2 p.m. per Pretty Jane. The latter vessel also takes a mail for Poverty Bay. We direct attention to the advertisement of the meeting of the Agricultural and Pastoral Society this afternoon, when Mr M. R. Miller is to read a paper on long-wools. We have no doubt that the meeting will be well attended. Owing to the delay of the s.s. Southern Cross, and consecpient nonarrival of the English Opera Company, the opening performance has been put off till this evening. A Provincial Gazette, to hand yesterday contains the return of land sales during the month of July, which amounted to £4,490 14s Id ; also the names of the Board of Wardens and Chairmen of the following Road Board districts:—Central Ruataniwha—Chairman : J. L. Herrick; Wardens: J. Newman, J. Atchison, J. Glcnny, and J. Harding. Havelock—Chairman: J. Chambers; Wardens : J.Chambers. T. Tanner, 11. Knight, S. Dyer, and T. Gilpin. Kereru and Aorangi— Chairman : James Lyon ; Wardens : H. W. P. Smith, H. A. Duff, T. Condie, A. M. Williams, and James Lyon. Puketapu—Chairman : W. Parsons ; Wardens : John Heslop, W. Burnett, Massey Hutchison,.. G. Peacock, and J. N. Williams.' Two meetings of the Hawke's Bay Permanent Building and Investment Society havo been held since our last, and the rules of the society have been amended and adopted, and the officers appointed. At the meeting on Tuesday, Mr W. Smith was appointed Treasurer, Mr Fielder, Secretary, and Messrs Craig and Margoliouth auditors; a number of gentlemen being also nominated as trustees and members of committee. On the following evening a ballot was taken with the following j-esult :—Trustees Messrs Newton, Brandon, and Lyndon. Committee—- • Messrs W. Miller, Turton, K. M'Lenn, Carley, Ellison, Grnbb, Winter, and H. Campbell.

In the Resident Magistrates Court, on Wednesday morning, John Smith, late Sergeant A.C!was brought up on l'emand, charged with obtaining the sum of £5 from Thomas Howe,, bootmaker, Wairoa, by false pretences, namely, by obtaining it in change for a cheque in his own name on the Bank of New Zealand, Napier, he having no funds in that Bank. Owning to the non-attendance of the prosecuor, the prisoner was dismissed. Our Tauranga correspondent, in a telegram (which will be found in our shipping column) reports a severe gale, which appears to have caused considerable damage. He also reports that District-Engineer Turner left Tauranga on Tuesday morning for Cambridge.— In a later telegram, dated yesterday, he informs us of the continued progress of the Order of Good Templars in his district, their institution having produced a perceptible change in the habits of society there, causing a falling off in Customs receipts, and a corresponding lessening of the work of the magistrates and police. Several accessions were made to the Lodge at the initiation meeting held on Wednesday evening. A special meeting of a social kind was to have been held, but in consequence of the indisposition of Deputy Bro. R. Harding, was postponed until after his return from Auckland. The third anniversary of the United. Methodist Free Church in Napier was celebrated on' Tuesday evening last, by a social tea-meeting in the chapel, which had been decorated with foliage, and fitted up with temporary tables. An excellent tea was provided, and the meeting was well filled. After tea, the hymn "Before Jehovah's awful throne " having been sung by the meeting, the chair was taken by Mr W. Thomas, who was introduced by the Rev. Mr Redstone as. a very old colonist, and one of the oldest Methodists in the Province. After a hymn by the choir, Mr J. T. Johnson was called on for the report, which showed the affairs of the society to be in a very satisfactory condition. Last year there had been a considerable balance of unpaid debt remaining on the church ; he had now to report that it was all paid off, and that there was a balance of £G in the Bank to the credit of the Society. The congregation had greatly increased, every sitting in the chapel, with six or eight exceptions, being taken up. The building having been found insufficient for the purposes of the Sabbath School, it was intended to erect a school-house at a cost of £-100, including the necessary fittings. For this purpose upwards of £6O was in the hands of the Treasurer, as well as a large quantity of useful and ornamental articles to be disposed of at a bazaar in aid of the scliool fund. Tenders had been called for and accepted for the erection of the building, and they were only awaiting the arrival of the necessary timber to make a commencement. The attendance at the scliool had greatly increased during the year, and the number of scholars now amounted to 137, for whom there were eighteen teachers. They did not intend to rest contented with what they had already gained ; they had written home to say they would require no further assistance from the general funds of the Church ; and they were now endeavoring to obtain an assistant to their worthy pastor, to relieve him from some of his most arduous duties, and to establish a regular circuit in this and outlying districts. Mr Doney seconded the adoption of the report, and dwelt upon the necessity of zeal and earnestness in the cause of God without which no church could prosper. The report was received by the meeting with great approval. Another piece having been given by the Choir, the Rev. 1). Sidey, of St. Paul's Presbyterian Church, was called on for an address. After congratulating the Church on its progress, and expressing the pleasure he felt in taking a part in the evening's proceedings, lie addressed them on the subject of the career of one of the most remarkable men of modern times in the religious world of Ger-many—-Krummacher, best known to English readers by his works on the prophets Elijah and Elisha. He traced his history from childhood upwards, describing the various influences, social, intellectual, and educational, amidst which he grew up, and sketching his influence in the world of German thought and religious feeling. He strongly recommended to his hearers the autobiography of this remarkable man—a volume which he had found more engrossing and full of matter of deepest interest than any book in the lighter departments of literature. Another hymn having been sung, the meeting was addressed by the Rev. J. White, of Waipawa, who took for his theme the various tendencies of the age which were found to be obstacles to the progress of the Church of Christ. Chief among these he indicated the inordinate desire for riches, and the absorbing struggle for worldly gain ; next, to the ambition for earthly honors and distinction ; and again, the passion for frivolity and dissipation. lie might indicate many others, but that time would fail him. In contradistinction to these pernicious tendencies, he set befoiehis hearers the necessity of self-improvement—cultiva-tion of all the faculties of their being to fit them for a more exalted sphere of duty and usefulness hereafter. He quoted from Longfellow's " Psalm of Life " as well as other poets, in illustration of his argument, and concluded with some well-chosen verses.. Another hymn was then sung by the choir, after which a vote of thanks to the ladies for their valuable assistance was moved by the Rev. Mr Redstone. Mr Moore seconded the proposition, remarking that " we could not do without the ladies," —a sentiment which elicited a hearty response from the meeting. He also expressed his vogrefc at the absence of the Rev. Mr Smalley. The vote of thanks was carried by acclamation. A vote of thanks to the Choir, moved by Mr Redstone and seconded by Mr Hawken, followed, as well as a cordial vote of thanks (moved by the Rev. Mr

■White) to the respected. Chairman of the meeting, Mr Thomas. The hymn " Dismission " was then sung by those assembled, and a very pleasant evening was brought to a conclusion by the benediction, pronounced by the Rev. H. B. Redstone.