A ROYAL COMMISSION.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume III, Issue 433, 2 December 1876, Page 2

A ROYAL COMMISSION.

' —■ — —And let no man Como to our tent tin we nave none oar conference. Let Lucius and Titinus guard the door. Julius C-esab-Scene. — Wilkin, the tent. Assembled two Lords of High Commission from Ponelce. A Detective from the Sugar and Blanket office, Clei'ks, Interpreters, Messengers, Police, &'c. Enteb Wirihana and. Rokena. Wirihana. — “ That you have wronged me doth appear in this. You have condemned and noted me to our great Chief For buying lands illegally, from The Tokomareans, the eaters of the Pipi, Wherein your letters state I acted wrong, And knowingly did spend much gold, Most foolishly.” Rokena— “ Let me tell you Wirihana, You yourself, are much condemned ; Ido not say you have au itching palm ; But to buy for our Colony, and court For offices of gold, from the great Henare And others, whose right to sell, I did, and now, deny.” , Wir. — “ lan itching palm ! You know that you are Rokena that speaketh thus, Or, by the Gods', this speech were else your last.” Rokena. — “ The name of Wirihana honors this corruption.” Wir. — “ Rokena, bay not at me. I'll not indure it; you forget yourself, I am a soldier, older in practice,

For 30 years a servant of our Queen, Who confidence in me reposed to deni With all her subjects, black and white.” Rok. — “ I have my Minute Book, and ean prove Your great abuse of her most Royal favor. Wir.— “ You can’t" Rok.—" I can, and will.” Wir/ —“ Commissions of the Peace I've held ; The sword I’ve drawn in honour's cause, And writ great books, whereat the world hath stood amazed." Rok. —“ Away, thou boaster ! Thy greatness and thy smallness, to me, are one. The peace, together with thyself, I long have held, And wish not now to break it. My simple tale unvarnished is, and I Can prove from books, which cannot lie, That I, for Truth's and Justice’ sake, Have made my charges jure ; And one must fall, by this Commission hehl. You ;say you are a soldier; Let it appear so. Make your vaunting true,.. And it shall please me well." Wir.—“ You wrong me every way, you wrong>mc indeed.” Rok.—“ I cannot wrong you. In thus trying to heap wrongs on me, You have but wronged yourself.” Com. to Com.—" A truce.” 2nd Com, — “ And lam truly glad ! " Rok.—" You have done thatybu should be sorry for. Restore the money, thou hast vainly spent. Make restitution; relieve thyself from terror. For me, there arc no terrors, For I am armed so strong iii honesty, -That they pass me, as an idle wind, Which I respect not. I would rather coin my heart, Than for ever have this crime upon my head. " Restore to the Treasury every farthing Spent by thee in error, or design, And then shalt thou again have favor in the public eye” Wir.— “Oh! Rokena, thou lov'st me not!”

Rok. — “Ido not like your faults” Wr.— Revenge yourself on nie- . I am sick of office, Native Land Courts, Henare Pote, and the world. Check’d like a bondman ; all my faults observed; Set in a note book, learn’d and conn’d by rote, To cast into my teeth. Let me coil up vtithrn myself, And be no longer visible to the oplies of colonial man.” Rok.—" When I wrote, I was illtempered too.” Wtr. — Do you confess so much ? Give me your hand.” Rok. —“.Aye, and my heart too." Enter Attendant.— “Oue Rocke, wishes an audience" l et Com. — “He cannot come in." Rocke (from outside).—" Let me go in to see my friends, There is some grudge between them ; But 'tis not meet they quarrel thus.” (Enter Rocke). — Forshame, you officers.' What do you mean? Live, and be friends, as two such men should be.” Rok.— “ Get thee hence sirrah. Away !” Wir.— “Bear with him Rokena—his head is large; His heart and body small —’tis his fashion." Rok.—" Why the interference of such jigging fools ? This Commission is enough, without another spy. Wirihana, shout all round, And end this needless way of further money spending." Wir.—" Withall my heart. Let’s now adjourn and taste the local swipes.” Ist. Com. — “ Gentlemen, ’tis well and meet you thus This jealousy and petty spite do end.” 2nd Com.— With you I quite agree ; our labor’s o’er, And all things will be squared, When we return, an account to give To our royai chief and head. Head Clerk (Cannon). — Amen ! Exit Omnes to the “ Masonic," to enjoy Wirihana’s shout.