The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) SATURDAY, MAY 18, 1878.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5348, 18 May 1878, Page 2

The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) SATURDAY, MAY 18, 1878.

Honorable Legislative Councillors may be surprised to find that the Maliiapolo chief Rewi has declined the honor of a seat in their Council, which, as we are fdven to understand, has been offered him by the Premier. Remembering the kind of estimation in which Sir George Grey holds the Upper House, and the contempt which he loses no opportunity of expressing for nominees of the Crown, it may be doubted whether in making this proposal he was not actuated by a desire to elevate and improve the character of the Council rather than to confer an honor upon the old chief. Manga, as he is called, is one of the few representatives of the '“ Rangatira Maori ” in his best form, now surviving, and is probably the best of them. His mana as a chief is still completely preserved, and,his influence with his tribe paramount. Looking'contemptuously at the holders of divided authority in other tribes, he says, proudly, that Maniapoto have one chief. Quiet in manner, selfjJoasessed, soft-voiced, strictly observant of the ceremonial forms which governed the intercourse of natives not always friendly with each other in the old days, he is, in all externals, the gentleman, and would not be out of harmony with his surroundings in the Upper House. Rut he appears not to be ambitious of the honor. Rewi, in mind, belongs to the class of the; “ astute,” and his memory is good. The dialogue at the late interview between the ex-Governor and the man who summarily suppressed Mr. Gonsx and the Government, newspaper the “ Pihoihoi Mokomoko” at To Awamutu in the war time, might b'e given in the words of nursery song, “Will you walk into my “bower, said the spider to the fly?” “No,” said the astute old fly. The combined talents of the private secretary to the Premier and of the private secretary to-the Native Minister appear to have made a great deal of gratifying and instructive intelligence out of this meagre dialogue, for, the use of the “ Auckland Herald,” of the Ministerial journals, and,, of. all the people. The ability shown by them on this occasion makes-us still more,to_ regret the delay in the publication of the daily bulletin of official transactions to which we were taught to look forward ; we foeU thftt We afe suffering a matutinal wrong in being deprived of a lively and imaginative serial provided free, which will; add to the delights of a free breakfast table. > ■ •

In a friendly way we ventured lately to warn the Government that the Maoris were irrepressible raconteurs , who conceal nothing, .and that the truth was sure tb be known, and told’in the end, regarding all transactions with them. _ The deception in the matter of intelligence which has -been practised at Hikurangi and at Panin was probably intended to affect only the European.supporters of the present Government; . nut some officious person thought it liis duty to translate to Maoris and to the astonished chief Bbwi the highly imaginative report given in the Auckland “Herald” of his interview with the Premier; the result was shown in the communication .from “ Our “Own Correspondent” published in our issue of yesterday, ( Bewi is on his guard again, apparently, and the hopes of good from his cordial co-operation with the Government in bringing about a general reconciliation of the tribes may not be so speedily fulfilled as we had a right to hope. “In a great business,” wrote Junius to Wilkes, “ there is nothing so “fatal as'cunning management.” Wo venture ■to offer tlio - - tpiotatiph to the Government as a motto for the “Daily “Bulletin of official transactions,” when it appears.