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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5156, 1 October 1877, Page 2

Truth, it is said, lies at the bottom of a well. But as far as regards some of the statements lately made by tho Opposition, it might as well have been in the crater of Tongarxro. The Hon. Mr. Whitaker, in the course of his remarks, referred to an able letter that appeared in our columns from the Rev. Mohi Turei, expressing regret at the contemplated stoppage of the Waka Maori, and pointing out the evils that were likely to arise to the Maori tribes if it ceased publication. Mr. Lusk is reported to have said that the statements made by the Hon. the Attorney-General were, to say the least, inaccurate; and he then proceeded to correct the inaccuracies complained of. The Rev. Mold Turei’s letter should, he said, receive very little consideration, as he was a man of no rank or standing. Mr. Lusk erred here. Mohi Turei is an important chief along the East Coast. Years ago he was the pupil of the late Bishop of Waiapu, by whom he was ordained, now over ten years since. Mr. Turei exercised an important influence over his people in time of war, and does so still. It was no later than May last, in a case of witchcraft at Waiapu,. where a native’s life was threatened, that Mohi Turei stepped in, and by his intelligence and rank convinced the people of the fallacy of carrying out the superstitious practices of their ancestors! And this is the man Mr. Lusk speaks of as having,no ranker standing. 'Had .that gentleman been more careful of the source from whence his information came, he would never have made the assertion he did. The Reverend Mohi Turei is opposed to the Repudiation newspaper, the Wananga, and this in itself will perhaps explain the: remarks made by Mr. Lusk and his equally well informed col- ; league- on native matters,- Mr Stout. Indeed, all the intelligent natives are much of Mohi Turei’s opinion. Speaking in their figurative language, they say that the natives ! of Hawke’s Bay sold their, peach trees ere they 1 blossomed; and now they weep, and want others to weep with- them, in the columns of the ' Wananga, for the fruit that has gone to the ’.Rakeha. The natives- outside of Hawke’s Bay are to a great extent tired of the onesidedness of the Wananga. Issue after issue last session contained-little else but the utterances of the hon. member for Rodney. Picking up a copy’ of the paper the first thing that would meet your eye under the heading of parliamentary intelligence was Ka tu te Hiana, ka mea. “ The 'Sheehan stood .up and; said.” And- this was only varied in the following issue by “ A ka tu ano te Hiana.” And again "The Sheehan stood up,” and so forth. Another charge that has been’laid against the 'Wananga, and which can be substantiated by referring to the number dated the 15th September last, is that articles appear in Maori and English, of which neither is the translation of the other. This opens the way for , statements going to the natives that only those persons skilled in the Maori tongue can understand, and vice versa in regard to the English portions of the paper. We believe no such charge has beeu brought against the Waka Maori since it purported to publish in .both languages; for the very good reason that such a charge would have no foundation in fact. It would be only necessary,to travel through native districts out of the region of Repudiation influence to find how the Waka- is appreciated by the Maoris, and how misinformed many of, the Opposition were, judging from their remarks respecting it.