THE Manawatu Times. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 84, 1879. WHO IS TO BLAME?

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 50, 18 June 1879, Page 2

THE Manawatu Times.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 84, 1879. WHO IS TO BLAME?

"Wordsare •hints, and a drop of ink falling like dew spoil a ihoushi, produces Wnt -whisk makes thoasande, porhaps raillloni thittk."

..' ; » < :........ :* ... . . - The. '"tS!ativ^ difficulty still remains m statu, quo j r with' both the contending parties. on the quivive, and poising for a spring. In a former issue, when dealing with the question, we stated, upon the aptho.ity of Mr, MAeEAT-Athp agent deputed to investigate the griev-arices— from whose ewri lips we- had it, that the Natives, or at least a great number of them, had very good" grounds x of oomplairit' against the Government. In that category b© <lid not include Te Whiti, or any of his baud of fanatical outla.wsrr-but . friendly-- Natives-^tbos c ; whose arms had done good service m figh tirig the' battles of the "White Man, and who had bprpe theibrunt of the * contest m times gone by. '-These staunch -men had had ; , certain lands voted to them for their services, and of which they were authorised to take possession by the subordinates of the. then Native Miriister, Major Brown and Mr. Barbis, ..: Knowing .that these gentlemen were the duly; recognised "agents of the Government, with; full authority to .settle.i the! r .; claims, they accepl ed; their %&re word jils tHe" title, to* their lands, .•'and .',iiV"e^'' ; oii'r.;'frdm year to year m perfect; security, only to find! out to the"jr> cost 'that their clain»s were not reniembored, nor their rights respected. Although we freely admit that the rebellious prophet 'and his fanatical followers are. deserving /of no consideration whatever, still it must not be imagined that' the JS*atiyes have been grumhlipg : without a cause, and that tbe Department can show- clean hands m; the affair. ■Take,,;foi' instance^ the J ■ treatipent of the loyal Natives r'e-.pect-jng the. Opunake Block/ and -it will he; Seen that, for the past dozen of!.yea rs, they ha^ve' been ppaoeably. epdeavoring . to jjjet'\th'e--'"G,P.vern'me^'t't.Ov-grant. them!. s justice, but witliput success. . We have heard so much on the one side that it is well to hear a little on the other, and, therefore, we extraclf a calm, impartial narrative: or::'the'*whßle riortlie'M dilßculty embodied m a ' most temperate' letter to '& WellinJEttonl-cffpteriiporary. | The 'writer, who- signs • himsblf " AkaNlHliH'miON.A,'' says;:— ; Ist. In -Su ; Doriald M'LeaV.s time you' will find m tlie •Biue.Bqoks "promises were J made to the Natives ' that amplp reserves were to be made for the rebels'nnd f riendl ies, j the -balance of land remaining was to be bought at a price not exceeding five shillings • an acre, which promise, as far- as riiy limited .experience goes, has. never hesri folfilled. 2nd. Land^ belonging to Wiremu Eingi; Makater, and A ramakaraka, and their hapusvwns.returriftd^to thpirijnot m a hole-and-cprner. way, b.ut|publicly. Mr. Pflrris slated, in^ the preseri.ee of two or V; .threa' huridi'pd Maoris,' i in ''1860j; that the/ lnnd from>Mantoti River to Tab ngatara River was aban•doned .toi"|iiose "tribes hecaus'e. they wera .always loyal NaiTves. The Opunake 'town-. ..s.hipisiri the centre otthat land, .comprising JJ^OOlacras of "tajid, for which not b'hei- shit, ling compensation has been paid, even vto -this day:. """Vhen ;'Wi Piirata was a member ; pf theliOwerHopie, lnstrpetib-ps were'gfVen ;*o hip\ to; geS';a ;;- cpnimisslon pf .eriqnir j,; it tappjsawj^rirhpu'; success, and fcq Mr. Parris rand- .Mr. -Brown also ! sri'ih -a request '1 was •made. When Mr. Sh eehari was travelling : down that coast, I 'sa^'h'tai. myself, and ex.'plained it to him : /The above is th!e^ statement !p*> the 'w'ritprv concluding with the assertion 1 hat the 'matt er- was afterwards brought l itfider the attention of! Sir Groror Gp*b.y nnd t"he t Parliamenti but the Native Affair Committee^ without taking , any evidence, referred it back to, thp Govern-}: mpnt, since which it 1&r bepn, hung xtp2 Th ese', fact ■» prp y\ u! greßt; pleasure subb"f Vh** JUVj W^ k°M "tlw;.

lips of Mr. Mackay, and it is stated ;that there can be no ignorance alleged of the grievances not. being known, because Messrs. Pahhis, Brown, and Wilson got 500 acres each out of the totah Had the Grovernment, or rather the Native Department, dealt fairly and, equitably with the men to whom they owed so much, there would be now ho need For spending from £100,000 to £150,000, which the present defensive measures have entailed. Although we are at one., with those who advocate caching the Maori malcontents such a lesson^as will leave.a lasting beneficial Impression upon them.let us first calmly and dispassionately discriminate as to who are entitled to be considered such. If, as is quite clear, we have not only been ungenerous, but positively unjust, to our. former allies, let us retrace" our steps, and do full— though, perhaps, tardy — justice. Let a Commission be appointed, composed of men whose antecedents, and proclivities will protect them from a leaning to the one side or the other, and should the grievances of the Maoris be satisfactorily proven, then, m the name of honor and justice, let them be at once done away with; but m doing so,- give them clearly to understand the grounds for the action. Tell them that it is not through fear, but because the Fakeha wishes to mete but tbe same measure of justice to which all subjects m the Colony are entitled — be they white or black— -and that having now taken such pains to carry out the law, the Government were determined to visit the first infringement of it with the utmost rigor, Having taken that stand, we can go into the field with cleau hands and a clear consciences, alnd meet the slightest aggression with boldness and determination.