ALARMING ATTITUDE OF A MINISTER.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5416, 6 August 1878, Page 3

ALARMING ATTITUDE OF A MINISTER.

(From the Thames Advertiser, July 2-1.) The Hon. Hoaui Naho, through his amanuensis Reihana Poto, has told us in unmistakeablo terms that tho Government would bo acting very ungraciously if they attempted to condemn his action in connection with the opposition to Te Aroha. Ho evidently does not fear a Cabinet tap over tho knuckles for the awkward position in which ho had placed Ministers anxious to keep faith with the Thames people, and to open up without loss of time blocks of land for settlement. Hoaui Nahe asks (through Reihana) who set up Sir George Grey as head of tho Government and who set up Mr. Sheehan as Native Minister? The reply given is that Hoani Naim’s vote ousted the Atkinson Ministry, and this consideration alone is sufficient to ; atone for any irregularity on tho part of an lion, member who sets himself up to oppose the Government land purchase agent and acquire for others a larger interest in certain, lands than the Court, after-careful investigation, felt itself aHiberty to award. Reihana’s defence is :—“Perhaps thire are soms friends who recollect tho voting in-tho House—39 on - oneside, and 39 on tho other—tho result being that the present Government took office. If Xlbani Naho had been inclined to vacillate, or

to act dishonorably, he .would ejther have remained outside tho House, or 1m would have gone over to tho other side. If in* had acted in either of the ways mentioned, those persons, who are now being advised by the news-, papers to turn round upon and eject the honorable member from office, would not have attained the positions which they flow occupy. He has sent a telegram to tho Government to explain the position of affairs. He will not go to the Parliament, even although it should be opened, but will wait for tho answer of tho Government as to the wish of the general public of both races on tho subject. It may be that he wants them to_ express definitely their own ideas regarding his conduct, so that ho may make up his mind how to act in the event of the Government being attacked by tho Opposition during . the coming session. Now, we are not aware that any newspaper recommended the ejection; of Hoani Nahe from the Ministry in consequence of his action. All that was done was to point out the anomalous position he had placed himself in by his appearance as the advocate of a sub-section opposed to the ruling of the E alive Land Court. It was not unreasonable to expect that Ministers would point this out to him, and recommend him to hand over the advocacy to another, not connected with the Government. But the argument put forward by Keihana is that Government would not bo so ungrateful as to interfere, and in this he appears to bo ri'dit. The threat contained in the concluding sentence of the extract quoted above is altogether unnecessary. Hoani Naho has obtained too. firm- a footing as the righthand supporter of the hon. tho Native Minister, and a firm friend of the Premier’s, to render such a menace necessary under the circumstances. The sentence means that unless ho is to he received with open arras on his return to Wellington he will join the ranks of the Opposition, and throw over his chosen friends, the Ministry. No wonder, therefore, that the hon. the Native Minister replies as follows to a oommuidoation from Hoani Nairn on the subject “ I must apologise for not sooner answering your telegram about the Land Court at Hauraki. You perhaps know that I have received a great number of telegrams complaining of the action taken by you and Taipari in contending with the Government about Te Aroha. The only ones I have answered are those which I have received from Europeans, and I have replied to the effect that both you and Taipari were at liberty to act as you thought fit in the matter. Although yon are a member of the Government, it is quite correct for you to fight for and protect Che lands of your people, even though the Government should be losers through the action taken by you. Wo do not blame you in the least, as we could not expect you to abandon your land and your people simply because you have taken a seat in the Ministry.” Does Mr. Sheehan consider it is nothing that a movement against the claim of the Crown—on which cfaim some £60,000 have been paidshould emanate from a Cabinet Minister, and be supported by a native agent in tho pay of the colony ? We will not question the merits of the claim, although the Land Court in its decision yesterday showed how lightly those merits were esteemed after another patient investigation. However defensible such a course, may. be regarded from a Maori view of right and wrong, the course is vicious and irregular, Here is a native agent, in* receipt of some £3OO a-year from the Government, attempting to upset the claims of the Crown,, and backed up by a Cabinet Minister, on the ground that the Government have paid their money to the wrong people—a line of opposition which we have no doubt will very soon bo shown to be valueless, now that Mr. Mackay, the former land purchase agent, who paid the various sums, is in our midst. One of the greatest proofs of the justice. of the decision of the Court is a fact which came under our own observation when Mr. Mackay arrived here yesterday morning. On being informed of the decision, and asked how much he thought the Ngatirahiri (the opponents) had been awarded, he promptly replied, “ 7000 acres,” which is within 500 acres of the actual award, out of a claim to 51,000 acres. Who should know the merits of this case better than Mr. Mackay ? and the rlghteousu'-ss of tho decision of the Court is thus fully admitted by one who is thoroughly conversant with its intricacies. The Government had admitted their claim to a reserve subject to a . payment of £2OOO thereon, which was to be investigated by the Court ; hut this did not satisfy the Hon. Hoani Nahe and W. H. Taipari, native agent. As to the charge •that the* late Government .laud purchase agent had paid money to persons who were not entitled to receive it, we have no doubt Mr. Mackay will be able to answer such a charge in a manner far from agreeable to these who have dared to make such an assertion, and we shall not be surprised to find an example made of some of those native perjurers' who were set up to support a very shady claim to a large and valuable estate, tho future home of the Broomhall settlers.