THE MAORI DIFFICULTY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XVI, Issue XVI, 5 November 1881, Page 1

THE MAORI DIFFICULTY.

To the Editor op the " Evening Mail." Sir, — I have read thrtiiigh iYith consider able interest the long and able letter of Mr J. C. Richmond's in yesterday's Evening Mail, and I should be glad if I could endorse his Belf-complaceDcy in the matter of Governmental action with reference to toe Maoris. He tells us that "New Zealand Governments have ever been unanimous in holding out a friendly hand to the Maori race." lam afraid bistery will not bear oat Mr Richmond's optimism. Allow me as biiefiy as possible to giacce over the page of history. Our claim to sorereigoity here is founded on the treaty of Waitangi made at the Bay of Islands in 1840 between Captain Ilobson and the Ngapubi chiefs. By this treaty the Queen promised the Maoris the "full rights of British subjects ;" will Mr Richmond contend that tbis promise has been kept ? Only a limited number of New Zealand chiefs ever signed this treaty — those who did so receiving a blanket for so doing. The Waikatoa never signed it. *' t am chief of the Ngatihana," said Wirema Tamihana whenchirgei with rebellion against the Queen, " which is | an independent tribe ; my father, Te Waharoa was chief before me ; neither he, I, nor any of my people signed this treaty, therefore we are Dot bound by it." All our wars however have arisen from an assumption that he and all other chiefs were absolutely bound by thia treaty. Again, in assuming sovereignty over the natives we incurred responsibilities, Now, were they fulfilled ? Did we govern onr assumed subjects ? Let us hear what the Governors say" on this point. Colonel Browne, in a memo-: randum dated May 25, 1861 aaya "The residents in these districts (some of the most populous, such; a« Hokianga or Kaipara) have never felt that they are the. subjects' of the Queen of England, and fhave little reason to think that the Government of the roiony cares at all about thtir welfare" . Sir G. Grey, in a despatch to the Secretary of the State, I dated December 6th, 1861, writes: "Ten years eince, the urgent necessity of introducing simple municipal institutions among them (the natives) wag pointed out, and the first step taken to induce them to refer their diaputos to i our ccufts. But although various proposals bave been made for facilitating a [further advance towards those objects, the matter ha9 been practically left uearly*where it then was." Thatis.to say the first step towards fulfilling our undertaking to govern was taken eleven years after the treaty, and no further step wa§ taken for ten years more. The trutb, as staled by Governor Browne in the minute above quoted, was that the Government was unable to perform its duty for want r.f properly trained and duly qualified officers. Men dificient in intelligence and character were sent into Native districts who succeeded only in bringißg the | Government info general contempt To make up for deficiencies in tbe direction of good government a most; nuschievoua policy known as the "sugar and flour policy " was introduced. Thia was about as fatal to moral icfiaer.ee as similar conduct ever proves in domestic circles. A mother who can only secure obedience by the free use of sweetmeats is universally condemned as a domestic failure. So with the Maoris: our presents only fostered idleness and covetousness acd caused the chiefs to lay aside that 6elf-respect which had made them so superior to the generality of barbarians. od6 of tbe großseat; cases of dereliction of duty on the part of Government has been in the matter of strong drink. Although perfectly cognisant of its ruinous effects on the Natives, Government haß never put forth its power to stop its sale by Europeans. Truea. colonial law imposes a fine of £10 on the seller of spiritg to Natives, but it is e. dead et ter. Tbe provincial police dare no"t offend >ie ir employers, the publicans, by enforcing

the unpopular law. XSarl£ every tribe in Waikato sent memorials to Gtoverament flatting forth the evils of rum selling, and crying for the suppression of the trade. But it was'too pTi/filible to the Government, arid the cry was disxeyar led Is this the " friendly hand '• which Mr Richmond says the Government has " ever held out to the Maori race?" Another deep Maori wrong is connected the sale of land, Erom 1850 to IS6I six million acres of land were bought from the Maori3 in the North Island by Government for an average of six pence threefarthings per acre ! This land the Government sold at ten shilling an acre, Now when it is remembered that the Government had prohibited the sale of land to auyone hut itself it will at once explain the sense of injustice underwhich the Maoris writhed. They saw themselves robbed wholesale by a huge monopolist called Government, These and other causes resulted ia the Taranaki war, and constitute the hasis of all our disagreeof the Maoris been all that Mr llichmond ments with the Maoris. Had our government would have us believe it has been, there would long ere this have ceased to be any possible pretext for the military "masquerading " of which Mr Koufc spoke at the School Board the otlier day. — I am, &c , ; Historicus.