MAORI MEETING.

Marlborough Press, Volume I, Issue 19, 12 May 1860, Page 2

MAORI MEETING.

On Tuesday, Ist May, about 30 Maories attended at the Court House, Blenheim, after having requested Dr, Muller and the Bov. H. F. Butt to hear their statements, which were as follow: Enoch te Wana (Kangitani):—Salutation, Mr. Muller. My clothes formerly were made of dressed flax; my food was fern root, on that my body subsisted. I have sold part of my land to the Queen. My thoughts this day are turned to my religion for the good of my soul, to working the land for the support of my body. I am very sorry to hear of this disturbance with William King. This is my thought, Let us all live in peace. There remains, labour, for food to support my body, religion, to save my soul. Mason Te Ware Bauponga (Ngatitoa) : I am come to talk to you, Mr. Muller. My thought is that we should all live under the Queen ; that the Queen should be protector for the Maori and the Pakeha;. that the Maori and the Pakeha should be of one mind. We have no thought [sympathy]

with William King’s conduct; we think only of the Queen, our .religion, and our labour, that our bodies may be supported and our souls improve. Maunsell, from the Oyerri (Ngatikuia) : —Sir, Mr. Muller, I am an orphan. There is the Queen on one side, and religion ; I am in the middle. I am very sorry that the Pakehas have spread such evil reports, namely, that I and my people were going to kill the Pakehas. It is quite false, quite. Let all men know that we never had any such idea. All my thoughts are about the Queen, religion, and working for food. William Broughton (Ngatikuia):—This is my speech. I have seen life, and I have seen death. My thought is to live peaceably among the Pakeha, and to labour for my food. Religion teaches me that men should live together like brothers. My thought is to live quietly with the Pakeha. Joshua King Te Teauwai (Rangitani) : I am pleased to come this day to the Magistrate and the Minister. My heart was very sad to hear about William King. I seemed to be the remains of the oven left for death. Now, religion, working for food, and living peaceably, are all my thoughts. Brown Taitua (Rangitani) :—Great is my sorrow to hear of William King’s strife. I was afraid for my land and the sacred places (lest they should be taken away). This is my wish, To live at peace with the Pakeha. Judah Parapara (Rangitani) :—I am an old man. All my thoughts are about working the land, and my religion. James Wakarere (Ngatikuia) :—I have heard about the work of William King. I have no thought that knows anything about that work. I have been born in religion and grown in religion. My thoughts are steadfast to religion, living peaceably and working my land. Dr. Muller addressed them as follows: My Friends—l am very glad to see you here to-day, coming as you do to show your loyalty to the Queen and attachment to the laws. I am happy to find that you are so peaceably disposed, and that your wish is to remain in friendship with the white man, and attend to the cultivation of your land. Why should we not be friends? The Queen is our common sovereign, and knows no difference between the Maori and white man. We have the same laws and the same religion. The law will protect, equally the white man and the Maori. If a white man injures a Maori in any wav, the law will punish him; in like manner, if a Maori injures ’a white man, he must also be punished. One of you has said, that he was afraid the Governor would punish the Maories in this island, by taking away their lands, for the faults of those of the Taranaki tribes. He very much misunderstands the English law if he thinks so. It is quite opposed to all principles of English law to punish the innocent for the guilty. Only those guilty of a crime will be punished. William King has done wrong; he has rebelled and made war against the Queen. He must be punished. Some of the Maories at Taranaki, taking advantage of the war, have slain some inoffensive white men, men who had been living in the midst of them and been trading with them for years, and who had never done any harm to them; these white men they have killed in cold blood, and have burned their houses and destroyed their farms. These Maories are murderers and robbers; the Governor will punish them in the severest manner, but he will not take revenge on the peaceable and wcll-conducted Maori. Years ago, when you were in a state of darkness and ignorance, the Maories used to practise this line of conduct, and revenge themselves upon those who had done them no harm. But now you know better. The Queen has sent the Bible to the Maories, and Missionaries toteach them. That book does not teach us to indulge in. feelings of revenge or animosity to one another. It teaches us to love and help one another. The English Law is founded on that book, and while it inflicts a punishment upon those who have offended, it at the same time never forgets that Justice should be tempered by Mercy. I hope by what I have said you will see that the Governor has no desire to take vengeance on the unoffending. You know, perhaps, why he is now fighting at Taranaki. It is to protect the rights and interests of the Maories. It is to show them that they are to be treated the same as white men, and that they shall buy and sell their goods as well as they. Teira has some'land of his own that he wishes to sell to the Governor, ■ he wishes to get money by selling his : land. W. King, although the land does not belong to him, says, Teira shall not sell it. Teira appeals to the Governor, and the Governor says he has a right to sell his land, and he will buy it. Whereupon W. King makes war against the Governor, and against the Queen. This is the quarrel, and it will remain so, unless other Maories should be so foolish as to side with W. King. Four ships filled with soldiers have come from other countries to assist the Governor, and more are coming, so that the Governor will have plenty of men and arms to subdue any outbreak. I will not keep you any longer,

but repeat that I am glad to see you here to-day. lam sorry that false reports .were sent to Nelson concerning your intentions; for, myself, I never doubted your loyalty, and I have written to the Governor to. tell him so. I have lived among you some time, and-1 have always found you quiet anti well disposed, and obedient to the law upon a occasions.’ Continue so to do. If you ave any grievance always come to me, and you shall find that in administering the law, I know no difference between white man and Maori.