Mr. Rollesion & Te Whiti.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume IX, Issue 991, 27 October 1881, Page 2

Mr. Rollesion & Te Whiti.

The AT. Z. Herald's correspondent, writing from Wellington, says :—“ I am in a position to state on authority that on the recent visit to the West Coast of the Native Minister (who returned to Wellington last night), several communications passed between Mr. Rolleston and Te Whiti, through a European gentleman, who is a very old friend of the latter. The result of those communications Was that Te Whiti sent an express invitation to Mr. Rolleston to visit him at Parihaka for a personal interview. Mr. Rolleston accepted the invitation, and went to Parihaka, where he had a long interview with Te Whiti, the resnlt of which was unsatisfactory, Te Whiti stubbornly adhering to the position he had previously taken up, and refusing to agree to the slightest concession. This much I have on authority; but I may add what I hear further from private sources — namely, that Mr. Rolleston gave Te W hiti very distinct and solemn warning of the absolute determination of the Government to carry out their policy, and enforce law at all costs, and of the serious consequences that might ensue to himself and followers if they persisted in setting the law at defiance. Te Whiti, however, is said to have treated the warning with the loftiest disdain. It is clearly ascertained that not the slightest warlike preparations are being made by the natives who are hard at work on the cultivations, which are even more extensive than reported. Their demeanour is entirely pacific, and they seem to rely imphcitely on Te Whiti’s supernatural powers, but it is not easy to determine on what he is really depending for being able to maintain his threatened resistance to the Government. It seems very probable there will be no serious opposition, but that the system of continual harassment which has been so effective hereto will be persisted in by the natives. In that case it is understood that they will probably be made to pay the resulting expenses, by the forfeiture and sale of a sufficient portion of their reserves to meet the cost of continued military occupation. This, however, must not be taken as authoritative, although I believe it will be found a tolerably correct forecast.