THE MAORI MESSENGER. Auckland, September 12, 1850.

Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume 2, Issue 45, 12 September 1850, Page 2

THE MAORI MESSENGER. Auckland, September 12, 1850.

Our native readers will, no doubt, be extremely gratified to learn, that two superb pictures have been transmitted from England, in the "Lord William Bentinck," t'.ir t lie chiefs Te Warn and John the Baptist Kahawai. These pictures have been sent by command of Her Majesty, not only as an acknowledgment of the ardent loyalty which prompted the chiefs to ship, lor h t Majesty's acceptance, a portion of Hour ground in th-ir own mills, from wheat grown by themselves, but as a testimony of the deep anxiety entertained bv the Queen for the mental and social improvement of the whole native inhabi- j tants of New Zealand. The little history connected with these I pictures U one so honourable to the native character, that it affords us infinite pleasure to copy the Utters written and the answers that have been returned, into the pages of tins journal. They are ns fol'ows: Waikato, Rungiawh/a, New Zealand, March 2.">, 1840. Tj tub Qur.r.N of England— We, King George Te Warn, ai d John the Baptist Kaliawai, greet you ki-.dl/. We ttnst in yon, on nccuunt of your lefer saying that the Innils should not be taken away from ns, but that the trenty of WaiUngi should be scrupulously observed. We do not approve of War against Europeans, or against ourselves either, bul ruber that the Queen should cmlinue her kindness towards us—we approve of tbe European's laws—also of the Governor who shows bis regard towards u?. Do you O Queen send good Governors, who will attend •o religion in these Islands. The worship of God is what we approve, witltout considering whether Protestant or Catholic, enough, it is worship to the Gnat God. O Queen, our will is to live in pence, to cultivate our wheat, and to breed cattle and hoises, that we may ■rriiw up with European habits. Governor Grey has visited Otawha", mil Kangiawhia, he li«s al<o deputed Mr. Morgan to engage a European to instruct us in Agriculture. We are very much pleased with this plan. This year we commence plo ighing. We wished to do this long ago, but we are a tube possessed of little properly. Most of our pigs went to pay lor our mill, so that hitherto we have been unable to pay for a plough. The Governor was kind to u-, then we were glad. We will be very diligent in ploughing. Our Water-mdl is completed. We subscnbed all the money lor it. We paid the European who built it £2OO. Wo acquired this sum in flax and pigs—o62o by flax, and £4BO by the sale of pigs. We did such work as natives are accustomed to do, namely the sluices for the water, and other such works. We projected ' the. mill when we first sowed wheat. We were I a year in collecting the money, it was then ac- ' eomplislied. O Queen our regard for you is very great- We have nothing that we can I present to you, because the natives of this coi-iitry are poor, but we are desirous that you should see, and also eat, the flour which has been grown at Hangiawhia. But do not be displeased at what we send to you ; whatever it may be, great or small. It is a small thing to i:ive to the Queen of England. We have nothing else, to make you a present of, but this Hour. Look with favor upon our gift that our hearts may be made to rejoice. \V e are much pleased with the schools for our

children. Now we alinll grow up as men—but <lo not allo>» ihe (prisoners) i-xiles to come on our lands. We shall be perplexed, we shall In- afraid lest tlie evil should increase in our island. That is nil from King Or-onoF. Tf. WAnu, John Baptist Kahawai. Native Secretary's Office, Auckland, August 27, 1850. pRtEKDS, George (King) Tc Waru, and John the Baptist, Kahawai, Saluting you both. TJI2 Governor lias commanded nic to convey th- intelligence to you both of the receipt by His Excellency of a letter from Lord Grey, Secretary of St>te, informing him that Her Majesly had received your letter which you sent last year with the bags of Flour for the Queen Victoria. fc '" It is net customary for 1 lie Queen to take presents from Her subjects, but fo- you in this imtance stie lias madt an exception to this rule, and she accepts your present of flour and is much pleased with it, and with your Utter. It has made her very happy to hear that by your industry ami frugality you havo acquired money enough to build it Mill, and she is also much pleased with your thoughts about Education, a thing which? she will herself bear i» mind. To shew hei approbation of your good conduct she has sent to the Governor foi you, two pictures of herself, Prince Albert, and their children, which shall be sent to you, or given (o any person you may depute to receive them. (Signed) C. A. Dillon. From these it will be seen how deep i 3 the interest entertained by Her Majesty for the welfare of the naiivc race. The departure, in their favour, from the rule that prevents Royalty from the acceptance of gifts, is no trifling compliment j anil our native readers will probably be better able (o appreciate the honour now conferred, when we acquaint them of the fact, that 11 diamond of immense value, which fell into the hands of the Indian army, during the late war in that country, was proposed to he sent as an oflcring from that army to their Queen, by whom, however, the mngnilicent present was firmly but gra.-i'jusly declined. The pictures are now, and have for some days past, been open for inspection at the ofhie ol the Civil secretary. They represent the several members of the Royal family,—namely, the Queen, Ptince Albert, the Prince of Wales, Prince Alfred, the Princess Royal, the Princess Alire, and the Princess Helena. Tlnse pictures arc highly colon etl, and are enclosed in gorgeous frames of the richest carving, —such frames, indeed, as those in which the pictures that adorn the galleries of the Queen's residence of Windsor Castle are set. They are about thirty or six and thirty inches square, blazing in gold, and are t-linrinlii"; eximples of the carver's tkill. Her Majesty's arms, which surmount the whole, form a marked feature among the many rich t'eviees. The corners are beautifully designed and exhibit a variety of fanciful figures and tracery, whilst on the inner moulding the collar of the George,—ll superb decoration worn by Her Majesty upon great state occasions—encompasses the entire pi'- ture. We arc delighted that Her Majesty has been graciously pleased to transmit so befitting an acknowledgment of na'ive loyalty, and we congratulate Te Want and Knhawai in the possession of gifts, which will, we have no doubt, be highly esteemed by them, and their descendants after them