IMPORTANT NATIVE MEETINGS

New Zealand Mail, Issue 36, 30 September 1871, Page 14

IMPORTANT NATIVE MEETINGS

A telegram has been received from the Waikato, stating that the meeting at Te Kuiti (the King's settlement) has terminated very favorably, and that a proposal has been made to hold a meeting next March, to which the Governor and Mr M'Lean will be invited, io settle all difficulties. The King party desire to plant on Hone-te-One's land if the Government give, them leave. They •will have nothing to do with Te Kooti, and will not answer his letter. In the Auckland and Taranaki papers accounts are given of native meetings in the Waikato and at Pariaka. Of the first meeting, held at Tokangamutu, the following particulars are communicated from Alexandra to the " N.Z. Herald," on the 20th and 22nd inst.:—

The Kupapas arrived at Tokangamutu on the 17th instant, to attend the great native meeting. They were received with great demonstrations. No less than 1500 people were present. A guard of honor was in attendance, consisting of 200 armed natives. The party, consisting of Maaka Maia, the Native Commissioner, Mr.. Edwards, interpreter, and all the friendly chiefs, marched through the guard of honor, and were introduced to Tawhiao by Rewi. The King received them with every mark of respect and good feeling. The principal chiefs at the tangi were Rewi, Manuhiri, Wahanui, Reihana, and the Princess Sophia. Manuhiri in his speech expressed his good feelings towards the pakehas. Rewi did not speak, but reserved his remarks for to-day, when the business of the great meeting will begin. On several occasions the King came among his visitors and spoke to them, a course of proceeding he has never been known to adopt at any former meeting. Rewi, in his speech on Tuesday, said that the Aroha mountain was in his hands. The King was the whaka roa. All leases, roads, and surveys were to be stopped. Reihana spoke to the same effect. The first insult to the Kupapas at Orahiri was on account of Nuku threatening to fire on the Kupapas. Nuku said that had he met any Europeans on the road he would have shot them. After the meeting, at the request of Manubiri, Te "Wheoro, Raiki, Hone te One, and other Kupapa chiefs, had a private talk in the house. The meeting is over, and the Kupapas return here to-morrow, on their way home.

Of the native meeting at Pariaka, the Taranaki "Herald" of Saturday Ba y S : —« Mr Civil Commissioner Parris and a party of gentlemen left town on Saturday morning last, at about eight o'clock. The reception the party met with from the natives was most cordial, and numbers of them ran forward to take their horses and carry the saddles up to the whare that had been prepared for the visitors. Te Whiti did not show himself until after they had settled down for the night, when he paid a formal visit. The demeanour of the natives at the present time is markedly different to what it was some three or four years since ; there are now no downcast sullen looks at the strangers, but on the contrary ,they all seem to viewith each other in their attention and civility. Of course very little transpired on the Saturday night, but the visitors could not but remark after all had retired to rest, the order and quietude that prevailed in the village. On Sunday morning early, however, the natives were abroad, and at 9 o'clock about eight hundred of them—men, women, and children—assembled together. Te Whiti formally opened the meeting with an address of welcome to all, Tamati te Ito followed, and the talk became general. Te Whiti said he was the " great mountain," and he wanted all the little ones to decrease; that he was the supreme head, and he alone. A discussion then followed, in which Mr Parris, Tamati te Ito, and others joined. The subject matter of Te Whiti's discourse was to assert that he was an inspired being; and on the part of the others to show that they did not believe in his pretensions. Most of the party returned to town on Tuesday, but Mr Parris remained a few days longer. The talk was principally respecting the telegraph and roads. Te Whiti was evidently in favor of the work being proceeded with, but several old men strongly opposed it. Finding that nothing further could be done in the matter, Mr Parris bid farewell to them all and left for town, arriving on Thursday afternoon.