The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) FRIDAY, AUGUST 2, 1878.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5413, 2 August 1878, Page 2

The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) FRIDAY, AUGUST 2, 1878.

The unfair attempt -of tho Premier to arrogate, to himself individually and to his personal influence; with tho natives, ail the'credit for what his Excellency tho Governor had been advised to call ‘‘.the “ fact that peaceful relations had at last been established with the Waikato and “ Ngatimaniapoto tribes,” has caused ao much comment that wo have reprinted in our space to-day from the appendix of the journals of the House of Representatives the reports of the interviews had by Sir Donald McLean with Tawhiao ini February, 1875, and in May, 1870. These reports were furnished, independently,by tho officers of tho Government who were present on each occasion. For tho

first meeting wo have taken the report furnished by Mr. Bush, and for the second meeting that furnished by Major Mair. The reports of the proceedings at the meetings hold this year by the Premier with the King were published so recently that the recollection of the narrative of events given in our columns, and in the Government organs* must still, be fresh. We do not therefore propose to encumber tho. limited space at our disposal by reprinting them. There is a very great. in the -recorded incidents of the. meetings, and. in the speeches on the native vsido.’; Tawhiao has boon on . all occasions persistent in his demand for the restoration of Waikato, and on all occasions ho has-postponed ' for -future consideration the offers made to him as well by Sir Donald McLean, as by Sir George Grey. In the cordiality and frankness of the reception and,, subsequent intercourse there was a great difference in favor of the late Native Minister. Ho had no “lost days” to complain of. Sir Donald McLean spoke in the name of the Governor, and as a responsible Minister of the Crown ] the Premier spoke as. the Governor of old days, and as if it was with him, Sir George Grey, that the rebellions subjects of the Crown wero to .make peace, and that it was 'by him and not by her Majesty’s representative that their submission was to be received, and the past condoned. Great also is the difference in the inducements hold out, “ Like unto a quartz, stono his hardness,” said a native spoakin<* applaudingly of the terms offered by Sir Donald McLean, The late proposals of the Premier to Tawhiao include 100,000 acres of land, allotments in all the townships, an annuity ot £SOO a year, an official residence, and money for the support of his people; and yet we see that neither in the one case nor in the other have the terras offered been accepted. “ The consideration is with me,” Tawhiao says, “and the.days and the “months and the years.”® Ho has no sympathy with the impatienco of a Minister who wants to meet Parliament with a story of his triumph. The lelations of the Government with these people have long been peaceful, are still peaceful, and are tending, wo hope, gradually and steadily to tho end which we all desire ; but the “ at last ” has certainly not yet arrived in the case, either of Waikato or Ngatiraaniapolo. For the sake of. a party success we are alarming the natives, who see something sinister in the earnest solicitations of the Ministers, and, suspecting a trap, will not be hurried into' Sir George Grey’s arms. Our Waikato correspondent, thoroughly well informed, tells us to day that some of Rbwi’s people .who had returned from Waitara state that Rbwi’s price for the permission to make roads, railways, and wires throngh'his immense territory is “the return of all “ the confiscated land in the island.”

If that be true, the proposal that the Parliament shall'consider-the question of extending the North Island Trunk Railway from Auckland to Taranaki a little premature. We hope that it will pjove otherwise.