ADDRESS TO THE-GOVERNOR.

Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume VII, Issue 20, 31 December 1860, Page 6

ADDRESS TO THE-GOVERNOR.

We have been requested to reprint the address of the Canterbury Natives to the Governor, in January last, and His Excellency's reply thereto. We readily assent, inasmuch as the good advice given to the Natives on that occasion is equally appropriate at the commencement of another year. We may mention that the Land Reserve referred to in the Address has since been subdivided and fairly apportioned to the native owners. The present value of this Reserve (at Kaiapoi) is estimated at £GO,OOu ! Slit for the settlement of Pakehas in "tWneighbonrhood it would not have been worth so many farthing;-

On the 6lh of January, 1860, the Natives of the various settlements in Canterbury assembled at Lyttelton, 10 meet His Excellency Colonel Thomas Gore Browne, C. 8., then on a visit to that Province. About two p. m. the Governor, accompanied by His Honor the Superintendent, His Lordship the Bishop, the Resident Magistrate, and several other gentlemen, arrived on the ground. As *oo:i as His Excellency appeared the Natives raised loud cries of " Welcome. Governor, Welcome!" '' Welcome, thou stranger, Welcome!" ac, at the same time waving their garments in the air, and beckoning with their arms. When the part) approached, the Naiives welcomed their distinguished visitor in the following figurative song: The starry host, awaiting The rise of Matariki! Lo! he ascends his path; Performs his heavenly course, And disappears again. &c. Having ended their song they sat down in front of the Governor (who had taken his seat under the shadow of a tree). He addressed a few words of salutation to them, after which John Paralene stepped forward and read the following address : Port Cooper, January 6th, 1860. Our friend Governor Browne, we salute you. Welcome, Governor, Welcome ! Welcome! Welcome! Welcome thou, the head of New Zealand assemblies, both Euroropean and Maori. We salute you. Listen to our cry of welcome—from the peopleof ICaiapoi,of Rapaki, of Purau, of Port Levy, of Akaroa, of Wairewa, and of Tauihuiu. Give ear also to our sayings. We come unto you who our complaint as unto a doctor, that he may administer relief. It is this. We are without house or land in this Town for the purpose of a Marketplace. '-<■ We are like unto a Cormorant silling on a rock. The tide rises, it flows over the rock, and the bird is compelled to fly. Do thou provide a dry restmg place for us that ■we may prosper. These are the articles (of trade) we propose to bring to town :—Firewood, potatoes, wheat, pigs, fish, and other things. We want this place also as a landing place for our boats. Friend, the Governor, we greet you as the white crane of rare appearance. Friend, hearken! We are striving to adopt the example of the Pakeha. As an instance of

this we seek your approval to the erection of a (flour) mill at Port Levy, and we ask your assistance in the same manner that you have aided ihe people of ihe Northern Island in the construction of their mills, and that you will send us a wise man (a millwright) to superintend the work, thai it may be property done. All the machinery has arrived and we have paid for it ihe sum of three hundred and eighty pounds fifteen shillings and three pence. The assistance we ask of you is, to erect a house, to set up the mill, asti to dig an aqueduct. And when the proceeds of the mill are sufficient we will repay your advance. Let this be made a proof of your regard for us. Here is another subject for us lo speak of, 0 Governor! The voice or all the people is, that our land Reserves be subivditied, so thai each may have his owu portion. We ask you to give to each man a title in writing to his own allotment. But we leave the mailer in your hands, O Governor. Our reason for urging the subdivision of our land is, that our difficulties and quarrels may cease, lhat we may live peaceibly, and that Christianity and good works may thrive amongst us. These are our farewell words 10 you. Depart 0 Governor! Heium lo your home at Auckland. Farewell! Farewell! Farewell! From all the chiefs of the people. From Paora Tail ) '* Pita teliori ( , •« Hakopa te Ataotn f Assessors. " Te Wiremu te Uki ) (and 28 others.) The Natives then rose, sang a short song, and sat down again. The Governor replied—through the interpretation of Mr. Butler in words following:— My friends,—l am glad lo see you. Our Great Soverign the Queen who reigns over tiie people of many nations loves you and cares for you. She gave orders to ihe Governors who came before me; she has given her orders to me ; and she will give her orders to those who may come after me. Her orders are always the same—" Take care of my people. Make no distinction between the Maori and the Pakeha, unless it be for their own good. Make my people live together in peace, and teach the Maori to follow Ihe example of their Pakeha brethren. Tell ihem to listen to the Missionaries, and lo scud their children to school. Advise them'to be sober and honest, and to shun evil communications whether they be with Pakeha or with Maori."

These are the commands of our Gracious Queen. .., lam glad to be able to provide a "dry resting place" for you as you desire, and have directed your good friend Hamilton to purchase a place for you. Here you will be able to bring your firewood, your potatoes, wheat, fish and pigs. I am also glad that you have erected a flour mill, and when I go back to Auckland I will enquire if there is money ready and if so I will lend you some. You must know, however, that I have only a certain sum to lend. I have lent it all, hut when those who have borrowed pay their debts (which may not be for some time) I shall be again able to lend, and will lend to you in your turn. I regret to hear that differences exist among some of you respecting your timber land. What you say about subdividing these lands and apportioning them in fair proportions to families and individuals is good. To assist you in effecting such a subdivision of the land as the chiefs and owners thereof may cordially agree to, I will direct an officer of the Native Department to accompany you to the places in dispute, and to witness the fixing of such boundaries as you yourselves may decide upon; but you must distinctly understand in making you this offer that you are not to have any quarrels or disputes among yourselves in settling the boundaries. If I find that you agree in this arrangement, I shall then recommend to the Queen that titles similar to those of the Europeans should be issued to such individuals or families* It wUI always afford me the greatest pleasure to hear from time to time that you are making good use of your Reserves which are now become valuable by the settlement of Europeans; and I trust that you will by industry and perseverance farm them to good advantage. You should also build comfortable and substantial houses to live in, as some few of you have already done. This will tend to promote very much your own health and comfort. All peopleacquire wealth by being frugal and industrious, and you have the means at your disposal, by having a ready market for'your produce, to become a prosperous people; and I trust the time is not far distant when you will more fully appreciate and recognise the

advantage of living under the protection of the good and wise laws of the Queen of England. Farewell my friends! Live in peace with each other, and remember that the Bible tells us to do unto others as we would they should do to us. After this Mr. Buller called on the Chiefs who had previously been supplied with a card to come forward, in order to shake hands with his Excellency. The following chiefs were presented: - Paul Tau, Peter Te Hori, Jacob Te Ataotu, William Te Uki, ThomasTikao,JohnPapita, John Timaru, Peiara, Albert Scott, Isaiah Taihewa, Poihipi, Abel Pukenui, Abraham Te Aika, Pohau, Habakkuk, Paul Taki, Te Wbakaemi, Jeremiah Mautai, John Tukutuku, and Solomon Haukeke. His Excellency then bade them farewell, which was responded to in a most hearty manner.