THE NATIVE QUESTION.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5660, 21 May 1879, Page 2

THE NATIVE QUESTION.

(per press .agency.) ■ GBAHAMSTOWiT, Tuesday.

The .Sheehap-Rewl negotiations are , regarded here'- with considerable' satisfaction. The Advertiser, which is not considered usually a supporter of the present Government, stated some days ago that the Premier, qnd Native Minister had sown good seed at Kopua,' although the meeting seemed to be unproductive. '“Cambridge, Tuesday.

After the despatch of the .last r telegram from Kihikihi, Sheehan,’ Manga; LeWis,' and others went , across to . the parade, or exercise ground, from the township; With* the cavalry ; and Manga, after seeing the evolutions of the force, complimented them on their efficiency. He said that looking on them he could realise his position at -the present time, 1 and- the relationship in which he stood to the Furopeans and the Government. ; ■ He l said;* “You can see your enemy face to face, and so my presence is an Omen of better things. 1 ’” Grace interpreted for the old man,. Rewi, who is close on 70 yeara’of age, and l soft-spoken as a child. Those assembled cheered the old man lustilv. He came here with Sheehan and party to see the land being passed through the Court, as he is a bigger land owner in Ngatiraukawa than in . Ngatimaniapoto. The Ministerial party * arrived here at 5 p.m., and were loudly cheered. Manga .does, npt . wish the basis of the agreement with Sheehan known. A great crowd of Maoris are here waiting for the Laud Court, ahdthe presence of James Maokay. . The Auckland land- tfng hereare well represented. Cambride is full to repletion. The date of departure of Manga is uncertain. Manga is to have no mans over the territory Crown granted to hapus, only a'general -superintendence over the interests of the people, and any assertion to the contrary is erroneous. Kihikihi, Tuesday. _ The southern /boundary ’ of 1 the territory mentioned in Rewi’s proposals as from Taupo to Pukehau-is : undefined, as'fna.ny of the places laid down in the proposals are unknown to Government and -Europeans—in fact the whole of the boundaries are only tentatively given. In the northern portion of the reserve the King is reported to have some interest. The boundaries; of;this bjock will;have tO,fbe surveyed. - It will be noticed that by the action of the Government the original proposal at; Hikurangi to make Tawhiafl'a kind 6! independtitt princelet in this 'territory is now abandoned.' ' The consent of .Apiha, Weteri, Tainui, Heremia, and others to Rewi’s proposals enables the Mokau River and its coalfields to be connected with the Waitara line of railway at ohce. ’ ■ As -the*; hatires ’ arc anxious for the

working of the Mokau coal it will enable the owners to run a line of rails up to the Mokau River district some distance, and the probability of the objecting landowners preventing the continuation thence to Awamutu or elsewhere will be considerably lessened. Apiha and Wetere are firmly determined to open, Mokau.

The Native Minister, Mr. Lewis, and others went to the Cambridge Land Court to-day with a number of natives.