The Standard AND PEOPLES ADVOCATE. (PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SATURDAY.) SATURDAY, JANUARY 2, 1875.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume III, Issue 235, 2 January 1875, Page 2

The Standard AND PEOPLES ADVOCATE. (PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SATURDAY.)

SATURDAY, JANUARY 2, 1875.

We shall sell to no man justice or right : We shall deny to no man justice or right : We shall defer to no man justice or right.”

The news from Auckland by the Pretty Jane is principally confined to holiday making, and the partial settlement of the Ohinemuri difficulty. In this morning’s issue we have given copious extracts from Northern papers on this and other subjects of interest. A meeting was held in front of Taipabi’s house at Shortland, on the 19th December,at which Sir Donald McLean met Te Hira, Te Moananui and other notables interested in the Ohinemuri lands, when the opposition to letting the land pass into the hands of the Government, was greatly allayed by the tact and perseverance of the Native Minister and Mr. Mackay. We fail to gather that the matter has been definitely settled, although the Auckland and Thames papers are jubilant at the result so far achieved. Our readers will judge best for themselves from the following speeches made at the meeting, by Sir Donald McLean and Te Hira :— Te Hira: I stand clear of any crime towards my people or towards anyone. They indeed have brought great trouble and grief upon me almost equal to the trouble brought upon them by Mr. Mackay. But, notwithstanding that, I have willingly given up my other claims, all, save and except the only bit remaining. When the whole of the lauds outside were sold I never interfered, and I remained upon the land that I early held, and upon that 1 have been ever since. 1 have taken upon myself the debt of the people, and endeavored to meet it with what remaining claims I have, and therefore I feel I have a right to hold fast to the small remainder. I have for many years defended the claims to this land, and in doing so I have taken care of their claims also, and so I have a right to speak. In holding this land it may be a means of prolonging my time for a few years yet, but if I were not to hold it my days would be cut short, as I have no resting place. Nevertheless, I will sympathise wfth the people in their present position. Therefore it is that I earnestly desire that Ohinemuri shall still remain as a resting place for myself and my people. I exhort them to live in peace and quietness with each other and with the Europeans. I ask jou to look at me from an early period, and say what wrongs I have been guilty of. Will you not say lam right in preserving a small piece to cultivate and live, so that my fire shall burn in quietness. If these my people will only live as they ought to live, in quietness and peace, then the land for which I now contend will find them sufficient support and means of livelihood. Only if forcible means are used, then perhaps 1 shall resist.

Sir D. M‘Lean rose to reply to Te Tira, who stood listening with attention while he was speaking. Sir D. M‘Leun said: With reference to what you have said, I reply that it is not the wish of the Government that any undue pressure should be put on you to abandon the place where you live. You say you have nothing left for you ; but you are mistaken. All that is wanted is I he gold on land : that is all. Your own people have consented to this gold being worked ; and my advice to you is that you should have some consideration for them. The land itself will not be taken ; all that now is wanted is the right to mine upon it. You know that I have always acted as a friend to you, and I now ask you to concede the right of mining for gold and to allow Europeans to prospect. Should gold be discovered, then it will be well; should gold not be discovered, it will not harm you. I think you might make this concession to me, as from your past knowledge you must know I would not ask anything from you which would be injurious to you. In what you have said you are. perfectly correct. You have been quiet and consistent, and you have directed your people to conduct themselves peaceably. Now I have one word to say to you. Why should you object to the taking of what is under the ground ? At this place I see pakrhas and Maoris living in amity and their children attending the same school and growing up together. Under these circumstances I think the best, course would be for you to make this concession and let the gold be worked so as to pay the debts of the people. I am well aware that the young men will not always listen to you, and that they will not be prevented from benefiting themselves by disposing of the gold. They know it is to their advantage and to yours to agree to the views of the Government and to open up the land, and you should yield to their wishes, which are very reasonable. Te Hira: What you say is true, but there is gold sufficient upon the blocks I have already agreed to sell, upon Waikewau, Moehau, Te Puru, and others. There is gold upon these lands ; and also coal. There is gold sufficient upon these lands to meet the claims upon the people. My reason for declining your proposition is this : Suppose there is a rush of gold-seekers to Ohinemuri. Let me give you an example. A match is a very small thing, but when it. is lighted, and puts fire to a bush, there is no stopping its effect. And so with regard to the miners. It would be impossible to stop them. I say these things so that it may not be said hereafter that these objections were not made. Then, if it should prove that there is no gold at Ohinemuri, then the Government would seize the land for the advances that have been made. Therefore, I say, let. the land already given up be sufficient. I know there is gold at Waikawau; let that be sufficient. I could not point out where it is, but the gold is there. The foregoing is from the Thames Advertiser's account of the first meeting, and does not seem to indicate an immediate prospect of success. In another place we find that Te Hira said : —“ I have willingly resigned all 11 1 had in the outer lands, but in re- “ gard to the remaining portion, “ Ohinemuri, I will never surrender." After the meeting was over, however, Sir Donald McLean had a private conference with the Natives in Taiuari’s house, when, it appears all

the preliminaries of consent were given to a cession of the land. The significant and intended absence (by the natives) of Mr. Mackay at the private interview, may somewhat account for Te Hiba’s previous opposition, and promise to concede to Sir Donald McLean what he had refused to Mr. Mackay. The other items of promise will speak for themselves. A fortnight was asked for, and granted, in order to arrange terms &e.; but we still take leave to doubt that the rose-water time of dealing with Ohinemuri has arrived, although Mr. Mackay says “ the chiefs admitted “ they were beaten.”

We wish to put ourselves right both with respect to Mr. Cheeseman and the public. It appears that the remarks we made in our last issue relative to Mr. Cheeseman’s “ preremptory removal ” from the charge of the Gisborne Post Office, conveys an impression that the Government found it necessary to take this step whether Mr. Chbeseman liked it or not, and in the face of his request to be allowed to remain in Gisborne. Such, however, is not the case. We have become aware (from sources which in no way compromise Mr. Chebsem-an) that the transference of that gentleman to a superior charge was understood by him to be of a temporary nature only; that having been away from his family for some months without any official intimation of his appointment likely to become a permanent one, he naturally sought to be relieved as early as departmental convenience would allow; and, as our readers are aware, Mr. Corbett is appointed his successor. It may appear to be strange that Mr. Cheeseman should feel “ aggrieved,” as we before stated, at being removed from Gisborne al his own request ; but thi sis quite reasonable, —for we learn from independent sources, and our own knowledge of the service—that there was every probability that he would have been appointed permanently, had the Government not concluded that he was anxious not to remain here, from his application for permission to return home; while that application would, probably, not have been made at all had he known there was a liklihood of his residence becoming permanent. Mr. Cheeseman is favorably impressed with the place, and the public, generally, will regret his departure. We take up this question on public and independent grounds. Mr. Chbeseman is quite irresponsible for, and disconnected with, our object, which is to defend the officers of the Civil Service by all means in our power. No one is responsible but ourselv.-s in saying that the action taken by the Postal Department is not only peremptory but unfair, in making a convenience of Mr. Chbeseman, by keeping him away from home for so long a time, and then sending a successor in his stead without offering him the substantive appointment. But this may not be now too late ; a misunderstanding, each as to the intention of the other, has occurred between Mr. Cheeseman and the head of his department, and we hope that that gentleman’s claim to promotion, .both of position and pay, will yet be favorably considered by the Government. ' '’*4 . ..

Education Rate. —Regulations appear in the Auckland Gazette, for facilitating the collection of t' e Education Rate. Rate Collector. —The appointment of “ Francis James Piesse ” as Education Rate Collector is gazetted. Council Journal. —We have to acknowledge the receipt of a volume of proceedings of the Auckland Provincial Council for 1873 4, from the Superintendent’s office. East Coast Sheep Act.— By a recent Provincial Government Gazette, we observe a proclamation by the Superintendent bringing the “ East Coast District Sheep Act, 1874 ” into force on the Ist January, 1875. Registration. —We beg to remind our readers that the time for registering claims to vote has again arrived. An organised system is to be made this year so as to secure the claims being forwarded in time, of which we will furnish particulars in early issue. “ Watch-night.” —The time-honored institution of “ Watch-night service ” in connection with the Wesleyan Church was held on New Year’s eve, in the Gisborne school-house : a fair number attended. The service was a solemn and impressive one, commencing at 10.30 p.m., and continuing until shortly after 12 o’clock, when the congregation sang an appropriate hymn, and dispersed. The meeting was presided over by the Rev. Mr. Russell; Messrs. East and Carey also took part in it.

Telegraph Poles. — A movement is, at last, being made at the Gisborne end of what will, some day, be the Telegraph line. The stack of poles which have, for some months past, been lying on the Custom House Reserve, are now on the move to some other spot—we suppose for the purpose of erection ; Our local quid nunc suggests that as they are sufficiently rotted on one side, their removal has been rendered necessary so as to complete the process by turning. Ergot. —We observe, in our last exchanges, that Napier has been very active in “ wiring ” telegrams through the country to the effect that the grass in this district is affected with ergot, and, in consequence says the sender, “ the report will probably raise the price of seed in Napier.” We are not in a position to disprove the foregoing, but shall be happy to receive communications from settlers and others who can refute it, or otherwise throw any light upon the circumstance that has given rise to the “ report.”

Sunday Services, Sunday 3rd January. —The Rev. G. W. Russell will (D.V ) conduct Divine Service in the Gisborne schoolhouse, (instead of the Music Hall, as heretofore,) on Sunday, morning and evening, also at Makauri, at 2.30 p.m. The Rev. W. H. Root will hold Divine Service at Ormond in the morning, and St. Andrew’s Church in the evening, at the usual hours. The Rev. Mr. Murphy will conduct services at Gisborne, morning and evening, and at Matawhero, at the usual hours. We are also requested to notify that a confirmation rite will be held in the new Church, probably in March next. In the meantime probationary classes will be held as under, in the Court-house *. —Formales on Monday evenings, and for females on Wednesday evenings, in each week at 7 o’clock.

Wn (Say of Plenty Times) observe among the passengers per s.s. Southern Cross from Auckland, the nauie of Dr, Bergen, a distinguished botanist, who we understand i$ ou a mission from the Swedish Government to investigate the flora of New Zealand. Dr. Bergen has lately been thoroughly examining the Northern part of the province, and is on his way to the Hot Springs and Taupo, which, if we remember right, he investigated some short time ago with very interesting results.