The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 1878.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5515, 29 November 1878, Page 2

The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 1878.

IV:: reprinted yesterday from the Ministers’ newspaper what may be regarded as the official report of the proceedings of the Hon. Mr. Sheehan at Taranaki. We publish to-day, in accordance with our promise, the latest bulletin from the seat of action, which is as follows : {From the Own Correspondent of the New Zealander.) New Plymouth, November Kewi visited the various public buildings yesterday in company with the Native Minister. To-day being wet, he still remains in town at Cottier’s Hotel, with Mr, Sheehan, where he is visited by many of the leading settlers. Every respect is rendered to the old chief, and he shows an interest in every person introduced to him. He will patronise the Star Minstrels this evening. The Native Minister is worked hard with interviewers and deputations. Besides more important business of opening up the country, to-day he made arrangements with Kewi for receiving blocks of land for the Waikato railway, and a flying survey of the line when the fine weather seta in. Mr. Sheehan has had a long talk with the Southern natives about the Hiroki affair, Kewi being present, and rendering the Minister great assistance in this difficult business. Mr. Sheehan leaves here on Friday. “When the fine weather sets in” there is to be a flying survey of the Waikato railway, and arrangements will then also be made for receiving blocks of land from Rewi for that line. It is quite clear that “the fine weather” has not yet set in, and that it is not nearer than it was when the present Ministry took office. It is satisfactory to know that there was a long “ talk” about Hiroki, and that the Minister is going to leave Taranaki on Friday. In the name of common sense, wo ask what is the good of attempting to carry on this absurd farce 3 It is true that every one is laughing at it, but is it the business of a Government to be always acting and always getting laughed at 3 We are not wanting in sympathy for the Native Minister. It is his misfortune as well as his fault that he has got into the same boat with Kawana Kehei, and it is with a kind of admiration of his loyalty that we see him sacrificing himself and vainly laboring at tho oar in the hope of keeping the rotten barque from tho inevitable rocks. He may chance to be thrown over board presently by his great Chief if it bo necessary to excuse political failure by shifting the responsibility for it from himself. After long delay, about which moro will bo hoard by-and-by, tho publication of the “ Hansard ” has been resumed, and, in the 2Gth number, just received, we have tho continuation of the report of tho debate in the House of Representatives upon tho Native policy, taken by agreement upon tho question of the second reading of tho Government Native Land Purchase Bill on the 21st October, —more than five weeks since. Tho speech of the hen. member for Wanganui, Mr. Fox, is a very remarkable one ; for tho present wo content ourselves by making an extract from it, conveying advice to tho Native Minister, the soundness of which will, wo think, ho generally admitted. After reading extracts from a Maori letter, the full text of which is now before us, Mr. Fox, speaking of the “ papers” relative to the peace-

ful relations, said :—“ We all recollect “ that Dickens, in his ‘ Christmas parol,’ “presents a description of some families “who had been disunited, and whoso “ friendships had grown cold, but had “ been cemented by a good Christmas “ dinner. Well, the -Premier and the “ Native Minister, with a very largo “ number of other persons, speoialcorres- “ pendents and others, went up to .the “ Waikato country, and enjoyed a great “ feast given by the natives. They have “ now got upon a social footing again, “ and I have no doubt that some good “ will come of it ; but not that kind of “ political good which the Government “ say has been the result. There will bo “ more friendly dealings, and more inter- “ course between the natives and the “ Europeans ; but greater political signi- “ ficanco has been given to these meetings “ than the results warrant. I will road ‘ ‘ an expression of opinion of ono of these “ special correspondents : “‘A great many causes contributed to “ the holding of these meetings. They “ are the means by which the chiefs, and “ men aiming at wide influence, attain “ their object and make their power and “ celebrity known beyond their own “ settlements. Then those gatherings “are our public meetings, and our “ theatres, circuses, dancing assemblies, “ and concerts rolled into ono. For the “ last few weeks all the women “have been preparing - their best “ dresses to make a show at the gather- “ ing at Hxkurangi, and at these meet- “ ings the girls have an opportunity of “ seeing the young men of distant “ kaingas, and vice versa. I believe that “ the political elements are not tho first “ consideration for the majority of those “ present.’ “ I do not deny,—Mr. Fox con- “ tinned, —that there have been bene* “ ficial results from these social meet“ings, and that the Europeans and “ Natives will shake hands and be “ happy; but Ido not attribute very “ much political good to them, and I “ shall want something more than what “is recorded in these papers to con- “ vinca me that any political benefit “ has resulted. I will take the oppor- “ tunily of giving to my honorable “ friend the Native Minister a little bit of “ advice gratis. lam much in the habit of “ receiving advice gratis, and I hope the “ honorable gentleman will not object if, “ in a fatherly manner and from a kindly “ feeling and good wish towards him, I “ give him a little bit of advice. He has “ had all he will get out of the Premier : “ ha has shown him round, and has made “ all the use of him he can. Drop him. “ In China, when about to be besieged, “ the Chinese have a fashion of placing “ on the walls and over tho gates of their “ cities pictures of wild beasts and horrible “ demons, so that when the enemy come “ they become frightened. They call “these things ‘painted tigers.’ The “ Hon. the Premier has been an excellent “ ‘ painted tiger ’ to the Native Minister “ during the last recess. That sort of “ game is played out. The natives “ know very well what ‘ painted tiger ’ is, “ Let the Native Minister go to them ‘ ‘ himself, and take the bull by the horns. “ Let him go boldly among the natives, “ and instead of talking this baby English “ and Maori which the Premier is in “ the habit of indulging in, let “him talk in plain, good, ‘John-Bull’ “ English to them. Lot him speak tho “ language of common sense, as he knows “ well how to do when left alone. Let “ him talk boldly to tho natives as he did “ to Tiiokowab.it, as he did when he met “ the natives at Wanganui and other “ places, when he told them that he was “ no longer the head of the Repudiation “ office, but that he had handed it over “ to a very clever young friend of his, “ who was coming down shortly to look “ after the business, and that he would “ be glad if they would give him their “ orders. He spoke as a commercial “ traveller soliciting orders for his friend. “ Let him talk in that bold and straight- “ forward manner to the natives. Let “ him not talk to them about taking “ their hands off each other’s heads. Let “him not talk to them thus : ‘Do you “ light up behind the whare, and I will “ light up in front.’ Let him speak, as “ I know he can, in a manly and straight- “ forward manner ; let him give expres- “ sion to his own ideas, and not the “ Premier’s nonsense, and I believe there “ will be good results from his action. Do “ not let him hamper himself in that way. “ He has got all out of him ho can get ; “he has made use of him, very con- “ siderable use of him; and now let him “ drop him.” Wo venture to echo Mr. Fox’s advice about the Painted Tiger,—“ drop him.” If there is a royal road to the solution of the Native difficulty, Sir George Gkey has not found it, and is not likely over to find it. The man who succeeds must loam to efface himself, and to work quietly, soberly, patiently towards that end, for the public good, and not for his own personal glorification. Mr. Sheehan knows the right way, if he have the courage to follow it. His chances of success will not bo improved by constant blowing of ram’s horns or by tho publication of telegraphic despatches which are an insult to the intelligence of tho public, and, because of their studiously deceptive character, a discredit to their author.