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Patea Mail, Volume IV, Issue 358, 21 September 1878, Page 2

NATIVE AFFAIRS STATEMENT. The bon Mr Sheehan delivered bis Statement on native affairs on Tuesday evening, lie sai<l that the time was now past when Statements on native affairs were looked forward to as of a sensational character. We had ceased to have tiie country from one part to another involved in an internecine wav. War had become a thing of tiie past. Murders were extremely rare, and none bearing politically upon the condition of the colony. Peaceful settlement reigned throughout. He had last year initiated the practice of making a Statement on native affairs to the House, which lie considered should be a political one, dealing fully with the whole condition of llio natives, from which the House could judge of the fitness with which the administration was carried on. There had been too much secrecy surrounding the Native Department and ho intended to bo more open. Before the present Government took office negotiations and communications with a large section of the native race had completely died out, and they had remained estranged for years. Land transactions were in such a confused slate that it seemed likely Government would lose three-fourths of the areas negotiated for, and the same proportion of vast sums advanced for land. In various parts of the country surveys were being perpetually interrupted, and trigonometrical stations were being destroyed. The Native Land Court could not bold its sittings in many parts of the country. An unsuccessful attempt had been made at Maketn, and another at the Thames. At the same time, on the West Coast of this Island, the extensive and fertile Waimato plains, being land confiscated by the Grown, wore allowed to lie idle and untouched. In point of fact, the Government of the time having refrained from asserting its rights, * the original owners believed the land hud been gi\ on back to them, and wore beginning to lease it to Europeans. Travelling through the country last year he had met a European driving a herd’ of cattle on to the Waimato Plains. On making enquiry it was ascertained that the European hail obtained a lease of those; lands from Tilo Kowaru. lie (Mr Lhechan) had the man summoned to explain why hj j bad illegally entered upon the lands of (he Crown. Besides these matters (hero was a snpiness in upholding the law. UflVnees were perpetrated and allowed to go on unpunished, and a damaging effect generally was in consequence produced on the native mind throughout the colony. A thorough discontent prevailed among the whole nalivc population from one end of the island lo the other ; there was an absolute loss of confidence in the Government, and a weakness of their faith in its administration of native affairs, and the same feeling existed in regard to the impartiality of this House with reference to its legislation for the Maoris. That impression merely arose from the fact that for years past officers in the Native Department had been acquiring laud for themselves and their friends, and instead of getting land under the same ad vantageous circumstances for the Government, they were simply acquiring it for their own private purposes. Making matters still worse, there was all over the country a most powerful opposition on the part of private land owners to the operations of the Government. The competition, lie did not hesitate to say, approached at times on confines of treason, am! if enquiry had been instituted, many might have been brought to our courts of law. He would show how the present Government had improved on this state of affairs, and thought he could show the House that they were fit and proper persons to have the management of the colony for the future. They had established a face to face policy, which had enabled them to ascertain the wants and grievances, and just complaints of the native people in their own settlements, and before the eyes of the Government. He (Mr Sheehan) had been in a position to visit every important settlement in the North Island, had, in fact, travelled from the North Cape to Kaiapoi, and had seen the people, and listened to their grievances, whereby a feeling of confidence had been created in the Government. Ho had found many just causes for complaint of neglect bj 7 previous Governments in the settlement of Maori claims, and gave instances. This was only one of many causes of discontent which had existed in the past. Where he had found there was a really just claim against the Government, rather than raise a legal quibble, for the honor of the country he had recognized it. There had been great want of decision and nerve in the past Government, an instance of which was cited, wherein the Chief Land Purchase Commissioner, who had half a million acres of land under negotiation for the Government, and upon which about £IOO,OOO had been advanced, was kept waiting in Wellington nearly the whole of a session, for money to settle his claims, instead of being* on the spot completing the negotiations, and protecting the interests ot the colony from spoliation. The speaker entered minutely into the social condition of the natives. In 1874, the native population of the colony was computed to be about 46,000. This year showed a slight increase, which he attributed to the better facilities now afforded for collecting returns, and not to actual increase. It was plain to him that the native population was decreasing, and unless some change took place, the Maori people would soon pass away for ever

iiii’.i. 1 !,o face of the eiutli- Taking; the | settled Districts from Hokiangn, and various districts to Opotiki, the population lifls been reliably ascertained. The total population given of those districts in 1874, was 10,414, and in 1878, 14,550, showing a. decrease in four years of about 1,900, or twelve per cent, on the total population. The decrease in females during four years was 900, of males, 550. Intemperance was one great cause of (he decrease —the communistic mode of living was another, and until tribal ties were broken off, the natives would continue contracting disease until they died off. The natives as a race, were also injured from the inferior nature of their diet. When Rewi Maninpoto had telegraphed to him the other day, respecting Judge Thomas, lie (liewi) gave it as one of the reasons why lie objected to the Llyotwarry scheme, that it was only applicable to a people by whom it was adopted, and who lived upon rats and rice. He (Hon Mr Sheehan) and those who had visited native settlements, knew full well that the Maori diet was in nearly all cases, but little more nutritious. On the other side, there was evidence that half-castes were superior to the European or Maori parent in physique —whether they would show mental superiority had yet to be determined. Anothergrati lying feature was, that there had boon quite a revival in religious matters, and churches had been built* While he was at To Kopu on the occasion of the late meeting four different forms of worship wore going on at the same time. There was the Christian religion, the Hanhau religion, Tareaoa, and a new form of worship as taught by To Kooti. Ho (Mr Sheehan) held it to be the policy of the Government to refrain from interfering with the natives in regard to matters of a religious character. The spread of Good Tcmplarism was a noticeable feature on parts of the Bast Coast, in Napier, Ihc King country, and on some uarts of the West Coast. Jn response to numerous applications ho proposed that the House should sanction the introduction of a Bill which the natives could themselves put into operalion in districts in which they desired the sale ot liquor to be suppressed. As regarded education there were fifty native schools in operation. The total attendance of pupils for the past year was 2029, showing an increase in attendance on the previous year of 129, the expenditure being £13,244, which would this year be increased to ,£14,500. Better teachers were required ami men of good moral standing. IVovision should bo made for continuing the education of Maoris to higher standards, and so help to prevent them going back their old habits and haunts, and turn them into useful educators and workers. Ho said religious bodies bad failed to utilise endowments given by Maoris for educational purposes, and the House should compel the proper use of tlie laud or have it returned to the natives. The question of increasing the number of Maori Representatives in the House would mainly depend upon the negotiations entered into between the Government and the chiefs, and be would ask the House to give him that amount of “rope” by which be would bo enabled lo make such arrangements with the chiefs as would be for The mutual benefit of both races. Much adverse criticism had been indulged in about the negotiations which had taken place with the King party. The Native Minister quoted from Hansard to show what his anticipations were last year, and said the result was infinitely better than he had expected. As a inaltor of fact, not one invitation, or two, or a dozen were received, but for days after the Government came into office, and before going to Waikato, they received telegrams supplicating them to go into that district and meet the hying and his people. This was one of the absolute results of the present Premier coming into office. He had heard of Sir George Grey’s great influence with the natives, and had believed his friends had over-estimated that power ; but he (the speaker) was now prepared to say but for that gentleman’s c miing into office, there would have been no settlement of the native difficulty, and things could not have been carried to so successful an issue. They had had four meetings with the natives. One was at To Kopu, to arrange business ; the second was at Hikurangi, at which 4000 or 5000 people were present, including the principal tribes then living estranged from the Europeans. At that meeting certain proposals were made, which were then on the table of the House. Those proposals had reference to a settlement of the native question, and he had now an absolute assurance, so far as the King was concerned, that his people agreed to accept them. The question was now absolutely and practically settled. He believed the Waitara meeting was the keystone of the arch, and at that meeting conclusions were come to which had had a powerful effect throughout the length and breadth of the Island. The speaker gave a number of instances of altered feeling on the part of natives—the interest being taken in educational matters, desire for a store and the opening of the Kawliia harbor, the running of a steamer (partly owned by natives) between Mokau and Auckland. Then a more significant fact was the survey of the Waimato Plains, which was land taken in rebellion, and the survey of which Rewi had told him by telegram he entirely approved. The result of the meetings had been shown by this undeniable fact, and by the spread of law and order over the whole face of the Island. Ho complained that there had been on the part of the Opposition a want of admission as to the results of the native policy during the recess. The Government had made substantial progress upon the West Coast of this Island. They had acquired and were acquiring large tracts of native land, were maintaining law and order, and were vindicating the law. With reference to the Waitotara, an influential native had told him that lie must not survey the land. He (the Native Minister) had replied that he had instructed Major Brown to survey the land, and if there was any trouble it would fall upon him', and if he committed a breach of the peace the Government would take the necessary stops to prevent a repetition of it. The Waimate Plains-business had a much more serious phase, as for years it had been unclaimed by the Government, and was occupied by Tito Kowaru and his people. He had been warned on all sides that an attempt to survey- the Waimato Plains would .result in a breach of the peace. And here he would pay a deserved compliment to the officer in charge of the West Coast, lie (tiic speaker) had had

the utmost confidence in his judgment and decision, and he had found upon every occasion his advice was such as he could rely upon. If it had not been for his conduct in the survey of the plains, it is possible they would not now have been occupied. Honor was certainly due to Major Brown for this. Natives who had stolen tabocco and matches had been refused shelter by Te Wliiti, and had since been arrested by the police, but were dismissed for want of evidence. From this it could be seen that the Government were able to arrest men in that country, and that natives would be dealt fairly by when arrested. When the Government came into office there were something like 30 blocks of native land under negotiation. Of these the deeds have been secured for not fewer than 29, leaving only one upon which a large amount of money has been paid to be passed through the Court. Returns to 30th Juno showed that double the amount of work had been done this year as compared with the past year, and to enable arrears of work to be overtaken extra judges had been temporarily appointed. There were now forty cases on hand with something like sixty adjourned cases to be disposed of. Much hindrance to the acquisition of land b}' Government had been occasioned by private persons coming in between the Maori and Government trying to upset the negotiations. As to the leasing of native lands for 21 years, lie considered such a tenure was, practically speaking, of no earthly use to the Government. In a country like this, the great tendency was to acquire freeholds, so that these leaseholds were practically of no use whatever to the Government. It was no use asking a private person to take the leasehold for such a short, term, more especially when he could acquire a freehold on the liberal terms provided for in New Zealand. What ho proposed doing, then, with these leaseholds, was this : lie would ask the House to affirm his proposals to convert the properties into freehold, or renounce them altogether. Last year the offieers of the Native Department had been prohibited from dealing in native land. He now intended to ask the House to prohibit all other officers of the Government from mixing themselves up with transactions in native land. Ho next proceeded.to show the House the present position of land transactions, as also the disbursements made in connection therewith. For native land purposes they had a vote of £700,000. Up to the Ist July last they had spent £582,000, leaving a balance of £IIB,OOO. The total area of land purchased by freehold, in respect of which the title has been completed, 2,011,000 acres. The total for the present year was 59,000 acres. The total area brought under the operations of the waste lauds of the Crown, 1,310,000 acres. During the present .year they proposed bringing another half million of acres under administration of the Waste Lands Boards. There was 253 outstanding claims incomplete, for which ho estimated that a sum of £519,000 would be required. Alluding to certain lands situated on the West Coast, lie said that last year he had told the House he was in favor of certain of these lands being withdrawn from purchase. Since then he had modified his opinion in that respect. His reason for doing so was this-—unless the district was opened up, it could not ho made to contribute towards the construction of the railway line. The whole of the Hot Spring country had booit placed under proclamation to the Crown, which country it was desirable should he opened up, for the benefit of the whole community. When he came info office there were two classes of people who took some interest in the matter. One class were afraid he would dismiss all the officers, and the other hoped he would do so. He had made some changes in the department, and assuredly there had been nothing like an attempt to turn the department upside down. Any changes made, had been in the public interest. Referring to the provisions of the new Native Lands Bill, the speaker said the principle upon which native lands should be dealt with in future was this :—A large area of country over which the Government did not intend to obtain the title, would be opened up for private purchase. Before, however, any title would be completed thereto, the consent of the Governor in Council would have to be obtained. Should Government, however, desire to obtain the land for public purposes, they would be enabled to do so by payment of the stipulated purchase money, and the incidental expenses connected with the purchase, or any portion of the land might be acquired on the same terms, or the Government might insist on the block beingcut up into small allotments. A Commissioner had been appointed to inquire into the position of certain native affairs in the Middle Island, which, he hoped, would result in a final and satisfactory settlement. In concluding, he asked the indulgence of the House for a few remarks of a purely personal character. It had been said that he was a disciple of repudiation, but such had not been the case. He had Held the balance fairly between the Maori and others. He looked forward hopefully to the removal of all difficulties as between the two races, believing as he did, that the time was approaching when the Native Department would be abolished altogether, and the two nations would have become one under the same laws, and otherwise united under the same customs.