Untitled

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5147, 21 September 1877, Page 2

Hawke’s Bay is a fertile and very important district; but socially we should say its condition was somewhat “ mixed,” and that at present it does not present many attractions to persons who are seek-ing-a quiet home and a safe inv'tment for capital in land. Lawyers and natives are ithe disturbing’ elements', and the insecurity is general. The combination; is formidable and is new; at least we do not reipember in,, the history iof .colonisation any " example of the formation of a predatory, class out of, such elements. ’ " , ,

11 We are not now going, into the discussion of the'general-aspect of the Hawke’s Bay question; there are no doubc wrongs, on: both sides, but 'so much passion has been imported .into,’it; that an,appeal po the reason of ■,the, >belligerents;wonjd, we feel; be futile. There must be more der pletion. Possibly .when the oyster lias 1 been divided in the Usual professional way, those who become the fortunate possessors of the shells may awake to a true; sense.'of.the .situation they have so energetically made for themselves. A particular case has, however, come into public notice, which, as illustrating, the ' temper' of ; ' the Native • Repudiation party and the general character of their complaints, is not unworthy of being recorded. '• ' -i' ‘ : ’ \ ■ ' ' ! '

A petifion was lately presented to the legislative Council sighed by the chifef Te HapukU; and 203 other natives. The petition sets out that more than fifteen years ago the chiefs, at the request of the Governor,and of, Bishop Selwyn, made,a grant of land at Te Aute for the establishment of a College ; that the Colonial Government gave an equal quantity of land, and the estate was thus made up to 7500 acres .; that hi 1855 the school was started by the Rev. Mr. Williams, but that as he employed the children in doing all manner of work, growing food, splitting firewood, &0., &c., and left no time for instruction, they left the school; that the school was reopened within the last two or three years,' .but that the majority of children attending it are Ngatiporou, Qr children of other East Coast tribes, and not those of the resident natives; that the present rental‘;of ; the‘-land is too low, that it is contemplated to grant a new lease to Mr. Williams at £IOOO a year ; that; the land ? should be divided into smaller blocks and leased by tender.' The petition concludes with a prayer that investigation, may take place, aud that tlie proceeds of the land may not be expended on other objects than those for which it was intended. The petition in language, style, and character is not Mapri—it. is Pakeha-Maori; its getting up is ho doubt part of the business of the staff of the Wananga, and it was presented to the Legislative Council by ia gentleman;whp ’has imposed upon himself the- oherous; and honorary duties of Chief Protector of Aborigines in Te Ante, Pukemapau, and .other places in Hawke’s Bay, the Honorable Henry Robert Russell. •• •• : ;, ■ ; i ,

The facts of the case as regards Te Ante school estate'appear to be these Wh.en the block was set apart fifteen years ago it was in a state of nature, unfenced, the hills cbverbd with : fefii, and the small quantity of leyel...land contained in it rough, undrained, and unproductive. An attempt 1 was made somewhat prematurely to establish a school, but in the war .time Te Aute shared the fate of,many other institutions of like character which were under missionary guidance, and was deserted by the, pupils. Unlike some of those institutions in the North, however, the objects of the trust were steadily kept in view, and the land was not even for a moment diverted from the purpose for which it was granted. The Rev. Samuel Williams, with unselfish devotion which even in Napier will one day :we hope bo acknowledged, took, charge of the estate, and in the course of time, and by the expenditure of his money in fencing, clearing, draining, planting, and sowing grass seeds, has so improved the estate that with the sheep upon it, which under his care have increased from 240 to more than 7000, the annual value, which was at zero, has so grown that it is now variously estimated at from £ISOO to £2OOO. In addition the making of these improvements, Mr. Williams has been paying rent at the rate of £SOO a-year, has exercised a constant supervision over the school since it was resumed, and during the several years last past has himself provided the necessary funds for its maintenance, amounting to some hundreds of pounds oyer and above the amount of rental which 1 we have named. To reward Mr. Williams, and to encourage others who like him may be disposed to make sacrifices in the cause of native education, the Repudiation party furnish him with the Hapuku petition by way of. testimonial. ,The Public Petitions; Committee.of the : Leginlative Council, we are- glad to see, take a different view ■of the case from that of Mr. Russell and -his proteges. The following report was l presented to the Council and read on Thursday last:— “The Public Petitions Committee, on the petition of Te Hapuku and 203 others, •natives of Ahuriri, have'to report that they consider that under the circumstances all has been done that could be towards ■carrying out the- purpose of the Te Aute Trusb,: and that! they find that,ton the termination of the’present lease, in February next; the very. largely:;enhanced rent obtainable fot'. itk renewal wjll; give;tb the trustees a financial power whipn will greatly ■assist-tlieni to mote fully answer in future the requiremenfs~cfeated under the said trust;” ' Th,e/trustees., of, the Te . Aute estate are, wo believe,. the Bishop of Wellington', the Hon. Mr, Stokes, and Messrs. Hunter and Bannatyne of this city. It will probably bo admitted: that the interests of the trust will be as safe in the hands of those gentlemen as if they were confided to the Hon. Henry Robert Russell and his friends in Hawke’s Bay.