MAORI TROUBLES AHEAD.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 15, 21 December 1878, Page 2

MAORI TROUBLES AHEAD.

TO THE EDITOB. Sib,— ¥*>** probably hare teen, a bool^ cabled " The \^ar m N#w Zeaipnd,"- by tho. Ho.v. Ms. Fo.x. In it tl.fofe occurs, this sentence, m referenca thp. Wuitoara W»r. iajiO, " Wlyju tUis new war commenctxl were not ten men outside the Natira. Ojfltce who knew tW Colony was on th» eve. of a conflict.* (Ed. 186,6, ? «7.) f I; sho.tikl like. %o ask my fellow sett If ra, m thi*. district, wthetlier vn& a,r<t a^ny . better info,nne4 now aa to, the «Mft ftf <>4r. tel»tioB» ; with the i^aopis, than, we were, m 1880^ Vhen the "ftrstshot": W as fired at Wai.' tara, si^dJeulv. »ta,rtied us into, a fuller, knowledge, and launched us i^o.a warth»t, rage^ for nearly ten ye^rA. that I know of any, immediate can«a foraUrrain, this district; but we ba^:had^ I mayaajr terrible proof, that tr^tiniC *« th» Of tHat Minister, we makj^anjat find our. selves involved m war; and I think it i» iv our plain duty, to ourselves carefully to "*•-. .. view the salient points of our .."Native polwj l*tince the cesdut^on of hostilities in 1869, and endeavour to. form au iiitelligent_opiwoi» ' as to, whether is tends to piibjfc peace, tMt A i prosperity, or, as m the similar perib&T ni-evious to to a "firatsjior^anday.. greviaus war.' I k«o^vr- tVat-Miiiy fiolonitttf*^ think another, war m New £ealand al|j>« gethar. impbsajbjle, or at any r^^hjohljr im- , pr.ol.ahle; and I think such cdlodUt'a' are ' right, if tliay meanfftoh^anolher war as -t\.% last wur m W^itifei^iVd; 'Waikato ; hut I aip s.tiH mprd^'Onftd^nt that we may, and ' unless we take (Byre i«\' time, p.roba.bljf r irilr hava smaller disturbances of tho- piibtio pieaca, which cannot h.e 'otherwise thau highly <jet I'im.ental to^klie in^rajts alik* of 1 -. . tho Maoris and of the col-mists. Bemem*. beripg that human nature MTery- much- r the Sttina e»erjwhei-e, ldt'us ask ouHelvea, wli^t i 4 the character .o.f o.ur legislation ou Nativo affairs, especially -with -rjsgMrd- to: ' land ? What; would bo the prohable^elßet ' of such legislation upon us, if applied, .t<*. ,-> our lauds ? W^ it uot probably p^W'

•tmilttr effects, good or bad ds ifie case may bt, - «pon the' mincU and^aelions of tho Maoriei? In considering^-fclftVe questions IVfoat be borne m mind-thtifc.wigt.lv orun*i»ely, JMitij or unjustly, the soil of Jfevr Zealand is held by law to be the property pf th# Maoris until, it is fj\(rjr.^o<iuired bj |iurofaue qr otherwise from jtVom, Moreover iaoui* Christian phi]antiiropy, we were Hot edbient to rt'gHrd ifpw geiiland as the prbpertj of the Maoris as 11 corporate body, or . nation, vrhich might be dealt ■wiih through sqtne recognised head, but jrc W«nt much further s,nd entered into an en«igemenfc or treaty< (of WaHaitgiJ»*aince fon'trmbd by constant custom, by which Majestj guarantee^ to chiefs, and r tfi >ea, and indiriduul Mabries, each his, or jtf own particular pQvtJoi^ pf the sojl. Ob--T|qn»ljr then -before any -land can be acouired for cQlonizution, or for an» other Jdrpose, it is iieqesawy to as'oertnin the parlieulir Maori Qwner, or qwneps qf the portion of laftd wkk-h it is proposed acquire. And app^ other groith^s it nill be found on epnsideratiaqji thut the Colony, is comtfl tftte steps to, ascertain tlip individual owners of the 'aio}\._ But this necessarj ascertainment of the ;nd.iridunl owners of this «cpl Js a rerj njqehiinope di^cMlt bustBtM then jhight at first be supposed, ' The •ttetqpt to determine the indiri^iial title of Maori claimants to land a^t Waitava 1860, «U. the proximate cause of that fatal '< first •hpt" there, and gerferaHjr, v it,maj be said thlt now and m the futni-e, tjje peace and prosperity 6i the Qolony, on the oqqtrary, {Upends ;ih, » ,-yeny great iaea.siu'e upon the now m vppyQxi .which we might Kftdqpt for the determination of Nat ire «nd counter clrtim,s tft land. Is it jpbt then well worth ofur' while to carefullr txamine, s^d see for buraelrea whether the V«*t possible means Are being used far. this . purpose. -/To assist Jater colonists, or others. wh,o perhaps hare r\ot lu"therta thought Bt^cl) on the subject, m forming an opinion, I IwUl 'suppose a, case. StippoAO that by some un»,|oidable oirci^n^9tanc'es t ar wide■premd catastrophe, ererv scrap of written •?idence of title (0 land between Mana«tat u •jifd Kangfrikei Hirers were lost or desinjsd, and aIV existjtig nurrej- lilies a.nd parks oiblUers,ted; We, the present set tiers Wou^d then, m such s, case, be exaelly m (he position of Maori owners. Eachafu,* Would know more ojr less accur*tely, our •wjb house ' cur section, and were we all perfectlj honest and trqp men, we could no donbVredet ermine our wpectire boundaries, stnil obtain fresh tit lea. But 'human' natai* being what it is, the matter would cert Uinjjr require our utmost care. We can pdeftl imagine the. anxious deliberation *fth; *bV* ?arKanient and people would |triTfl,ia our. su(pposedi case, te frame a law, •nd select appoint some court or-com-nusJion to take Terbai evidence, and endeayour so. far ?i hmnanly pjassibfe to reWrilitate and granjt us new titles to our f«w^ T: fßKm^,.,s.ecti§n,s Jl ,> l inc| house. But, plas J 'cu\ trei not, , m such a case, •Uo reidijty eonceivejhe deriluh ingeuuitT, Kesr i>trjsixj, «n4 scpwidrelisra,, with which »se»Stynouia%p^e to the front, •nd endeatour to defeat the efforts •like of <3ourt >l and.Parli9 ! meat, swi people. And this is. the. process and ordeal which ths .^ories. hare, had, and still hare to undeVgo: fot sflxp.e time. p»s.t, and: to. come, pcouridi-ek are as. numerous with then as with us. Their title iund is entirely Torbal tnidUiona^ ana Habfe to dispute— many of them desire to.hare it left, so— others of them desire to substitute. Crown Grants for their title "according to Maori; cus.tom.' X And, for one, I belieVe that it is the clear daty of the ■ibibnyaKkeinthe interests of coJonWs, and Maori*, to proTJde machinery by which •wy. Maori who desiies to obtain,* tangiWe title to. his land should be. able to do so— and fuitherl think tbafc it is 'the duty of the Colony, »nd of erery rolomst who e»n as»is|, to give and exrr/'ise the aame •are and pains m the siihstitujtioji of w-i&ten titles, for tij Irs according to. Mabpfc custom/ as I am bound to behe*-e would be girtn, and excercised inthecase I hare supJ>osed, of all the. settlers m this; djstrict Jpsing-their present titles; and: requiring aewones. Thp question thjen ; which I propose to your. leaders is.— Has. such caje been exercised .ia the past, or is such care evident m existing. Natixe Land* Act ? If any enquirer- cat?, answer this qnes.tinn m thsraffirroature, eoofk and well. But if not,, is it not reasonable, to. expect ebulit ions of •nger^from a, warlike., people, who look to V*» ««a- -j thinJt are entitled on many grounds to look to. us foe. such care.— l am, A. SfcDoxidD. Raikopu, 16th December, i 876. -