MAORI MEETING.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume III, Issue 287, 7 July 1875, Page 2

MAORI MEETING.

(From the Otago Witness). A great meeting of ,Maoris, resident in the Middle Island, . was duly commenced at theKaik on’the 25th June. The following chiefs- Were present:—• Qeorge Grey Taiaroa, Timothy, and Korako Karetai (Maori Kaik,) Henri Tahai, Tara Chekau (Little River) Tom Parata, Hapi Marekalierik, George Tewaihia ( Waikouaiti), Tuarea (Taieri), Kiji Kurepohatu (Molyneux), Wai Karawako (Akaroa), John Miller (Purakanui), Wai Aipai, Te Kooti, Ah Piri (Kaipoi), Paori Taki, and. George Kahu (Timaru). An abundant supply of provisions, comprising flour, tea, sugar, b«tef, mutton, fish, and mutton birds, for the visiting tribes, formed a barricade about forty feet long and six feet high, opposite the meeting house, which has betm named Te mahi tamarika (“ the wotk of the childrajs”) When His Excellency the Governor was passing in the Luna at noon, the. Maoris dipped their flag several times. The weather wm truly magnificent. Mr. Taiaroa, during of an eloquent speech, said the intention of opening this meeting was to pass a motion of those natives who were present at the purchase of the Otago Block, Port Chalmers, by Colonel Wakefield, in the year 1844, and to ask the Government to return', one acre out of every ten acres, according to the original agreement. The natives were not willing to take what he (Taiaroa) asked as compensation at the General Assembly at Wellington —viz., £2,000,000. They preferred to have one acre out of every ten, as it Has not money that had been pipmised them. It was., land that they were to get back, and thiswas the principal reason why they gave wty to Wakefield’s purchase, and also .to Kemp’s purchase of Akaroa in 1848. The natives did n6t sell the whole island, but only a portion, onthe sea coasts. The middle part of the island was not sold. The whole island was in Kemp’s deed, which provided that the Government were to

give the Maoris- large portions of land when the surveyors surveyed the Middle Island. That was the reason of the present meeting. Those ■promises, made about 30 yean ago, ■had been nqglected and not fulfilled. -After Kemp’s there Iras the Hon. Montell’s purchase afSouthlaud, and then..the Maoris then waked for a large amount of payment. Mr .’Mantel), however, gave them £2OOO, and’ promised that the Government would give them land, money, schools, and hospitals. None of those promises had been fulfilled, and they were not entered in the deeds. The where then unable to read and These promises were only given, but Mr. Mantell wrote down and forwarded them to General Government and the for fulfilment. The natives thought ' the promises made by Messrs Wakefield, Mantell, and Kemp, were entered in the deeds as those gentlemen read them when the purchases were being affected. Mr. Mantell acknowledged that these promises were made to the natives, who allowed the purchases ouly under the impression that the promises would be fulfilled. The Government, however, said “ Wait, wait,” and the natives were waiting yet. The object of this meeting was to subscribe money for several natives to proceed with lawyers, and lay their grievance before the Imperial Government and Her Majesty the Queen, with the ? f havin g the said promises fulfilled.—(Applause.)