THE WAIMATE PLAINS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5638, 25 April 1879, Page 6

THE WAIMATE PLAINS.

TO THE EDITOR OP THE NEW ZEALAND TIMES. Sin, —As the subject of the Waimate Plains confiscation is fresh in the minds of your numerous readers, and as criticisms of the Press generally have been adverse to the natives, I hope in justice to the Maori and the English love of fair play, that you will permit me space in your columns to expose a glaring piece of injustice perpetrated on the natives by the Government, the publicity of which I trust will prove that the Maoris are entitled to a little more consideration than is generally accorded to them, and that there may exist extenuating circumstances for this unexpected raid upon the surveyors. I wish, sir, to be as concise as possible, and will not, therefore, give in extenso the despatches sent Home re native affairs, but will ask the public to read them in the appendix to Journals of the New Zealand Parliament. They will find that the Government guarantee the loyal natives their lands, and if any of it should be necessary for settlement, adjacent lands or a money payment would be made, bnt on no account would there be any taken without such compensation. In the year 1865 Major Eichmond acknowledged the loyalty of Wiremu Kingi and Arama Karaka, (the chiefs who saved the lives of the passengers of the Lord Worsleyj. Sir George Grey did the same at Waingongoro. Mr. Parris, Native Commissioner at Taranaki, publicly stated in the presence of from two to three hundred Maoris that the lands of .those chiefs and their tribes was returned to them, the boundaries commencing in the North at Mautoti Liver to Tanngatara Liver in the South, and were exempt from confiscation. If y Oll refer to files of ’67 or ’SB you will find the Government sent surveyors to Opnnake to lay off a site for a township situate in the centre of the land of those loyal tribes. They expostulated and objected to the surveyors, but uselessly, as an additional force was sent there. The natives had to submit or go into rebellion. Rather than do that they had to’ sit idly

by and Bee the lands so dear to them taken by the English, people who profess to be so just and honorable. This land, so dear to us Maoris on account of ancestral rights and tribal conflicts, has been partly sold by the Government, and not a shilling compensation paid to the owners; 2500 acres has been seized, of which the Government kindly apportioned 500 acres to Mr. Parris, Major Brown, and Wilson. If so badly needed for a township, it seems strange that the native owners should see 1500 acres apportioned to three non-settlers. But, sir, we had still our lands from Mautoti to Taungatara left us ; but what have the Government done since but removed the boundary.? If you will look at the land tenure map of 1878 you will there find the boundary delineated as commencing further south from Koteoteo, thereby further diminishing our lands to the extent of 15,000 or 16,000 acres ; and see, they are now proposing to carry a railway through the block, still further reducing the area of land to which wo are entitled both in equity and law. Of course such proceedings as these, sir, are not likely to be forgotten or overlooked by the natives. And may there not exist as good a cause for the opposition to tho Waimate surveys ? Is it an unreasonable supposition that the owners of the plains aro dubious about reserves being granted to them, and may it uot be thought that tho promises of the Government are all moonshine ? Are the past actions of the Government to be accepted as a guarantee of their future ? If so, God help tho Maoris. I will not trespass too much upon your valuable space by farther criticism, but would ask, sir, in conclusion, if you would tell us how to procure redress without taking such extreme measures as tho Waimate owners have had to do. This is the fervent wish of tho tribes of Arama Karaka and Wiremu King!.—l am, &0., Akanihi Kurakxioro, A Claimant. Wellington, April 5. TO THE EDITOR OF THE HEW ZEALAND TIMES. Sir, —Following the unexpected turning off the Waimate Plains of Government surveyors, tho announcement that it was tho intention of the Gevemment to sell 16,000 acres of the land was received by the settlers along this Coast with unbounded satisfaction. It was interpreted to mean that the much and bold talking was going to be followed by decisive action. It was fully realised that the Government had a difficult and, delicate duty to perform ; but that, with ordinary care, success would bo assured. To assist in the accomplishment of this desirable object tho settlers were prepared to afford every assistance iu their power, and even went the length, so far south as Waverley, as to ask the Government to put them in a position to be effective, in case of their services being required. It was felt that the plains could not be sold and occupied without the purchasers of the land having a material guarantee for their safety. This would, of course, have been in the form of an armed occupation of tho advanced frontier. Tho Government appears to realise this fact, and upon a hint being given of their alleged intention’ to enrol a body of military settlers, scores of men within this county alone at once offered their services. Hundreds could readily have been obtained. , Had this intention been carried out not a shot would require to be fired. I fear the position is altered now. “The Government have withdrawn the Waimate Plains from sale.” The whole colony will yet realise the significance of that short sentence —“The Government have withdrawn the land from sale." By whose orders ? For what purpose ? What influence has been at work ? These aro questions I will briefly speculate upon, log that I shall write with some knowledge of facts. '

The order was issued in Wellington, in the absence of some of the Ministers, who were probably not consulted in the matter. Sir George Grey, then, it may reasonably be supposed, took upon himself the responsibility partly on account of certain telegrams sent to Government from Opunako and New Plymouth. By whom ? I shall come to that presently. , Sir George Grey has an additional reason. It will give him a new stalking-horse —the validity of the confiscation ! What influence has been at work to bring about the present state of affairs? Will the colonists believe that, despite the bounceabie attitude of Te'Whiti, and the fact that he is harboring a red-handed murderer, notwithstanding the fact that ho had jnst bearded, bullied, and openly insulted the Native Minister, the Government have sent two persons to endeavor to “ conciliate,” to make terms, thus practically placing the peace, the honor, and general welfare of the colony in the hands of two persons, ex-Commissioner Mackay, and (I pause before I give it publicity) Captain Blake, exGovernment agent, and at present supposed to be agent for the Auckland land ring f Why were these gentlemen discharged from the Government service? and what special qualifications have they lately acquired, that they should be entrusted with difficult and dangerous negotiations t Captain Blake is a half-caste, and is, in consequence, far, more favorably disposed to Maoris than he is to Europeans. He claims the Parihaka people as “ his people,” and as such is supposed to have great influence with Te Whiti. P may say, in parentheses, that his influence, like that of many others, is gauged, by the quantity of land or the amount of money which he can get out of the Government. This gentleman has proposed to the Government that Te Whiti shall have land to the value of at least half a million of money secured to him first. He does not say so in as many words. It is “the land bounded by the Umuroa on the one side and the northern boundary of the present reserve.” In round numbers, one hundred thousand acres. Have the Government consented to this ? If so, Messrs. Mackay and Blake’s fortunes are made; and is not this of more importance to them than the peace of the colony? In addition to this land grant to the murdererharborer and his friends, the Waimate Plains have been withdrawn from sale, to enable these worthy gents to say to what rebels and. their friends that land, or at least the greater portion, shall be given. And see how eagerly the Government have obeyed the telegraphic mandate sent to them from Taranaki.. Whilst these two agents were “ conciliating ” at Parihaka, another agent, Mr. Commissioner Williams was on the plains, acting under instructions from the Government, informing Titokowaru “ that the question of the Waimate Plains must be settled at onee.either by Major Brown or Colonel Whitmore.”

Now, as a matter of fact the Waimate natives are extremely jeaiou s of To Whiti, inasmuch as he ! received from Parris and McLean two blocks of land—one of 50,000, and another of 18,000 acres; and the Waimate natives are not satisfied, because they have not had proportionate concessions. If the additional block previously mentioned is given to To Whiti, Titokowaru will not bo satisfied with anything short of the whole of the Waimate Plains, and in upholding this claim he will of course have the support of To Whiti, and the two Government “ conciliators.” There is a grand field of operations opening for the land ring.

It cannot be denied that the Government made a serious mistake in interfering with the survey in the first instance, shortly after they came into office. I do not think I am far wrong iu stating that that action was taken on the advice of one of the present “ conciliators.” That action materially weakened the position of the Government. Mr. Sheehan’s visit to Parihaka was also a serious mistake. He had not been sent for. Why then did he go, unless in every way prepared for the consequences? The “great” Maori meeting was over, and Te Whiti had almost completely lost his mana through the non fulfilment of any of his prophecies, and the great hulk of the natives had left Parihaka disgusted ; hut after Mr. Sheehan’s visit, Te Whiti’s mana rose higher than ever, because “ he had beaten Sheehan and defied him.” Subsequent actions have still further strengthened Te Whiti’s position, and to-day, the man, who if quietly ignored by the Government, would have been, to say the least, very weak, is all-powerful—-of course for evil. The Government conciliators say that the natives on the plains had not been sufficiently consulted as to reserves inbe made for them ; but that statement is, as may naturally be expected, untruthful. Major Brown had consulted the natives on many occasions «n the matter of reserves. They were repeatedly asked to say what land they wished to have reserved. This was done openly at meetings at which Europeans were present, and could hear for themselves. Major Brown’s dealings with the natives have , been perfectly open . and fair. There is noue of the native “ mystery man” about him. Europeans on this coast have had many opportunities of seeing and.judging for themselves, and the general impression is that if he had not been interfered with, and if Mr. Sheehan had kept away from Parihaka, the plains difficulty would have been solved, though it is thought that he made too many concessions to the natives. The settlers here .feel disgusted and humiliated by the action of Government, and naturally ask how long is this state of affairs to exist. ■' 1 . .‘.1... ' ~ ■ ;■ ,v..

There in but: one remedy now. 'Parihaka must be rooted up, or it will nhortly have accessions to its population in the shape of a few more Hirokis. At present there are a large number of the worst natives in the Island congregated at Parihaka under the protection of To Whiti, and they aro daily gaining strength. In fact, the place is a very hornet’s nest, and should be treated as such. The withdrawal from sale of the Waimate Plains land has dealt a serious blow to the advancement of the whole coast. It is felt that tho next move will be that the natives will lay claim to land in tho settled districts, and there is no guarantee that the Government, or at least Sir George Grey, will not at once acknowledge such claims, on the ground of tho invalidity of the confiscation.—l am, &0., A Voice from Patea. TO THE EDITOR OP THE HEW ZEALAND TIMES. Sir, —I fully endorse the view that it is wise on the part of the Government to take the necessary action for the purpose of allaying all excitement and ill-grounded fears as to the probable outcome of the Waimate difficulty. It is at the same time equally desirable and even necessary that the unvarnished facts relating to the situation should be made known to tho public. For, whenever there is a manifest disposition to hide something—as is obviously the case with the Government in connection with all matters appertaining to the Maori difficulty—-it tends not only to a general distrust in the Government, but to excite fears and strong suspicions that matters are very much worse than they really are. To say the least, tho utterances and doings of the Government in this matter have been most unsatisfactory, principally because so very contradictory, conveying to the public mind the. impression that there is something behind tho scene which Ministers are afraid to disclose. We learn from what appears to be a Government source, that “ all fear of an outbreak is now at an end.” In the face of this we find the Government summoning and concentrating all their available armed force on the scene. ; This is but a fair specimen of the kind of information the public are treated to by the Government, which must be regarded as highly unsatisfactory, because so completely contradictory. If “ all fear of an outbreak is now at an end,” why irritate these peace-loving Maoris by such a display of armed force? Judging from other portions of Ministerial utterances, they are doing their best to throw the entire blame on the late Sir Donald McLean, for the account of a long interview of Mr. Mackay with Ta Whiti (in which Te Whiti declares that while they did not wish to fight they were not going to be robbed of their land) winds up with the folio wing Nothing further can bo done until the exact nature of McLean’s promises are ascertained and made known to the natives.”—l am, &c.,

Observer!

LATEST NEWS FROM PARIHAKA, (FEB PRESS AGENOT.) New Plymouth, April 19.

TheParihaka meeting, commenced on Thursday, ended to-day. 600 natives were present, including Te Whiti, Titokowaru, and Hiroki, Mackay, Blake, and other Europeans were also present. Te Whiti spoke for two hours on Thursday, his sentiments being very peaceful. The Government ended disputes with the sword. He would settle this dispute with his tongue, Mackay spoke on Friday, suggesting a common form of inquiry as a solution of the difficulty. This was favorably received by most of those present. Te Whiti did not seem to favorably entertain it. Hiroki was not so demonstrative as at past meetings. He moved about with a body guard to assist to distribute food. European visitors were very kindly rewived. ■ ' ’

April 22,

To Whiti has ordered the settlers and constables to leave Opunake, and Mackay ond Blake’s negotiations have not yet concluded successfully. > April 23.

Mr. Sherwood, of Carlyle, who has just arrived by the Mountain-road, reports that a Maori has ordered the surveyors off the lands abutting on the eastern part of the Mountainroad, stating that the lands have not been paid for by the Government. Reports of this kind are creating considerable excitement here. Eight dray-loads of preserved provisions, received some time since by steamer, were conveyed by the natives to Parihaka.