THE KING MEETING.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2839, 1 May 1882, Page 2

THE KING MEETING.

(From the Special Correspondent of the Press Association). [Bv Telegraph.] Mercer, April 29. About half-a-dozen Europeans, including Mr C. 0. Davis and special newspaper correspondents, left by the Waikato train this morning for the King’s meeting at Pukekoo. Henaro Kaihau and twenty natives from Waiuku came on by train, and a number more natives from Mercer. Only 24 Kuipara natives have gone up to the meeting with the chief Paera Tuhaere. All these came from the districts south of Helenaville. None of the natives from Upper Kaipara will go, chiefly owing to the influence of the Rev. Gittos, Wesleyan missionary at Otamatea, who has systematically encouraged his people to ignore the Maori King altogether. Owing to this, only two of them went down to Tawhaio’s meeting from the Reweti. Probably more natives from the vicinity of that settlement would have gone but for their poverty. The Government not issuing free passes to them they had no money to pay railway fares and other expenses. Nothing is known regarding Tawhiao’s intentions at the meeting, but the absence of any member of the Ministry will deprive the gathering of much of its - importance. It may turn out no more than a big feast, Mr Bryce, Native Minister, sent Tawhiao a present .of sporting powder, &c.. which the latter accepted, and stated he would use it to shoot pigeons for the meeting. Although the opening of the meeting will take place on Monday next, -it is probable that the speech-making may not .commence for two or three days. Alexandra, April 30. The difficulties of a special correspondent on reaching that ultima thule of European civilisation, the Kingcounntry, are now of a most prosaic kind. No more may be narrated, Othello like, of moving adventures and hairbreadth escapes ; the railroad carries him southward one hundred miles to Te Awamutu, right through the theatre of the eventful war of 1862-4, now dotted with prosperous settlements, at a rate of speed averaging about twelve miles an hour. The most adventurous part of the journey is the miles remaining between To Avvamuta station and Alexandra. Landing in pelting rain and knowing there are forty Maoris and Europeans to bo stowed into a limited number of conveyances, a grand rush ensues, in which the Anglo-Saxon is triumphant, carrying the covered busses by storm, and leaving his dark-skinned brother and sister to commune with nature in the open expresses. Such want of gallantry, however, is doomed to meet with severe retribution, for nothing daunted the dusky belles, averaging 12 stone each, invaded the cars and placed themselves on the pakeha knees. “ Distrust,” which has been expiated on in blue books and has exorcised the arts of New Zealand’s best diplomatists, is singularly absent from the countenances of these native rebels. Groaning under its load, aggravated by sudden plunges of the vehicle into deep ruts in the unmetalled road. The seat gives way, confusion is confounded, it is hailed as a happy respite when the horses make a dead stand at the second hill and the Jehu orders his fares out in the rain and mud to push the coach up from behind, a process repeated at each succeeding hill. These opportunities for viewing the outer world through less opaque mediums than five substantial Maoris on the box seat, reveal a country of unsurpassed fertility, and one unfortunate gentleman from the South, while wrestling with the off wheel, is heard to exclaim that in Canter - bury he has seen a hard metalled road that had scarcely been travelled by a dozen persons, passing through poor sheep country. I retorted, however, that this reflection carried no conclusion unless he is prepared to bring in a Bill next session to transfer those roads from Canterbury to Auckland' After two hours of hard whipping and pushing from behind, the distance, six or seven miles, is completed, and wo are landed in Alexandra, the border town of Maoridom. This town comprises 42 houses ; built too broad, well laid out streets, along the lapses and water courses of which, in the present weather, one might easily paddle his own canoe in Alexandra; Impassable rapids in the "Waipa river stop the passage of the steamer, and upon the faith of its being the head of the Waipa navigation, the inhabitants rest their future as a great metropolis. Immediately across the riverjand, overshadowing the town, rises the picturesque mountain of Pirongia, 2800 feet high, and if the Hon. Mr Bryce and Buckle’s theory about the influence of mountains on sanity is right the principal institution of future Alexandra will be a gigantic lunatic asylum. The mountain exhibits all the varying lights of Egmont, To which it bears' some small resemblance in outline. King Tawhiao’s choice of site for his new settlement of Whatiwatihoe (the breaking of the paddle)alsoaugurs badly for the settlement of the difficulties of the King, because his village is right at the base of the mountain on the other side of the river from Alexandra. Perhaps the influence of the mountain may account for the singularity of Tawhiao’s first manifestation of a disposition to relax his exclusiveness, and his request for a bridge. The Waipa was bridged at Alexandra 17 years ago, for the convenience and safety of military settlers located in the Pirongia district, but that bridge is about a mile below Whatiwhatihoe.and Tawhio said if the’pakehas wanted to come to him they should come straight, hence the new bridge, which is being vigorously pushed by Maclean and Sons, the constructors, will cross the Waipa at Whatiwhatihoe, and literally form a junction of the European and Maori. townships, bringing Finche’s hotel in line with the native township, a facility which, judging by last night’s proceedings, will be largely taken advantage of. It is satisfactory to know, however, that to whatever the influence of Tawhiao’s altered attitude towards the pahekas will bo attributable, it is a favorable one. He has expressed the wish that the railway should be brought to Alexandra and it is believed that the completion of the bridge will be followed by permission to survey the line, I have reason to believe that Government are prepared to take advantage of the earliest permission to that effect, and the survey of the route for the line will be commenced by Mr Wright, now acting as Government Inspector of Bridges, immediately Tawhiao intimates his willingness, Alexandra was crowded with natives and there was a good deal of drinking in the township. The Hon. Mr Bryce has telegraphed to the Con stabulary hero to enforce the prohibition danse of the liquor law during the meeting, and the question has been raised as to the intcrprclion of this order, some contending that it only applies to meeting places, but the authorities boro observing that their jurisdiction at Whatiwhatihoe is nil, presume very naturally that it is intended to apply to the Alexandra hotels, and will probably act accordingly. The following is the

notice of instruction, received from the Hon. the Defence Minister : “ The law will be strictly enforced against all persons supplying drink to natives at Tawhiao’s meeting, either by sale or gift. By order, Edward ShuRRINS, Sergeant A.C,” The instructions came to Colonel Lyon at Cambridge,fiotn him here. The settlement of Whatiwhatihoe is built or rather is being built, on a small plateau situated between the Waipa and a small stream called the Nangiwikia. The land is good, but there are no cultivations yet, all food being brought down the river from other settlements. The w'hares are generally very poor, some being removed from Kopua and Other settlements inland. A large number of natives are living in tents and the dwellings are scattered about without any order. Some of the notable chiefs have only tents, and the only good building in the village is the runanga house, 85ft long by 25ft wide, which, it was understood, had been erected for Europeans, but the ground inside was so damp that they all slept under the verandah outside. Europeans must not come up with the idea that there is any sleeping accommodation available ; the only practicable stopping places for them are hotels at Alexandra, a distance of not more than a mile. The inconvenience would not bo very great in fine weather if Tawhiao provides a sufficient number of canoes to cross the Waipa at the settlement: going across the old bridge necessitates riding over two small creeks. To-lay, however, the whole place was a sea of mud. The Rev. Samuel Wilson went over and held' Church of England service, preaching a very animated sermon from Ist Corinthians, 15th chapter, 20lh verse—" Now is Christ risen from the dead.” He dwelt eloquently upon the certainty of the future life revealed in Christ,' and appeared to impress his hearers. The service was held at the big runanga house, and only the Kaiapara Natives’ were present at it. The Rev. W. Baston and the Rev. Mr Atua, two Maori clergymen belonging to the Wesleyan body, were present. Dr Maunsel is in Alex-' andra. but he did not visit the settlement to-day. Mr Champtaloup, stationer, has come to erect a tent to represent the Maori newspaper. Karoraaki was at the service, and exhibited a handsome - volume combining a Maori prayer book, New testament, and hymns, with Tawhiao stamped on it in gilt. One of the chiefs remarked that Tawhiao was to have been there, but he was not at the Hauhau services, however, to-day. Most' of the resident Natives are working between the showers at the construction of houses or bringing dovyn • food or building material Many of the expected visitors have not yet arrived. The Taupe natives are at Kopua; the Wanganuis and other south-west tribes are at Eewi’s place, at Puni; and the Taurangaand Rotorua natives are at Oreku. The Zawai natives, with a supply of fish, have also not arrived. The parties are expected to-morrow, though it might be later, and there will be no talking till they come. The King’s present council consists of Manihiri, Wakanui, Rewi, and; Ahipiri Natua. Of these Wakanui was. absent to-day entertaining visitors at Kopua, six miles distant, and Rewi was i.t his own settlement at Puni. Tengahau appears to be under a cloud, not having received the King's confidence, and > the . relations between Wakanui and Rewi are reported to ; be the reverse of cordial. The stores of food in the settlement’s do ; not seem extensive. : William Thompson’s son brought yesterday nine head of cattle ‘ and thirty-four pigs, and other contributions will doubtless come forward in due time. There are plenty of potatoes. What course the meeting will take cannot bo predicted with any certainty. Any European visitors who come, however, will bo struck with the fact that to all intents and purposes the King difficulty has settled itself, as there is nothing approac'hing menace to settlement, and it has resolved itself into a mere question of getting access to that section of the country for the purpose of settlement. In Alexandra last night, with at least a hundred natives within the*.township and five or six hundred in Whatiwhatihee adjacent, the only protection was : supplied by five policemen. Europeans and natives fraternised in Christianity with perfect freedom and without restraint, and Tawhaio is in Alexandra nearly every day. Although there are here comparatively few people and the matter may make many of those who proposed attending the meeting unwilling to come, yet the meeting promises to be of more importance than Maori meetings generally are. The business which will be transacted here will be apart from what transpires at the meeting to a large extent ; this is apparent from the fact that the King’s councillors are giving way, and the barriers which they placed around Tawhiao, to isolate him from the Europeans, they are conniving at their being removed. Hence more than ever ' it is not what Tawhiao may wish or desire, or even 1 Rewi may hope for. The bulk of the natives here regard with attention what Tinui may induce Tawhiao to soy or compel him to do. Wakanui now feels that the “Aukati’ has been broken down, and all the king’s horses and all the king’s.men cannot put it up again. He has recognised- this more fully than lie ever did since he came back from Auckland, by the host of letters and telegrams the King people received, all eager in their quest for land; as he remarked, the “Aukati,” is gone,and “I do not.know what willbe. done with the pakehas. They all want the ; one thing ; they are all divided against each other. One says one thing and another something else compelling advice from a different man. Not one can see the end, and we shall have to get our lands made over to ourselves in self defence.” When Wakanui says this, a groat deal more is meant than could bo meant by the utterance of any other native in the Waikato, as of the Ngatiamaniopoto he is the largest landowner. Rewi holds his land through his wife only, and only to a limited extent. His chief claims are about Taupo, and Rewi affords another proof under the “King administration” of the peculiarity of the Maori tribal tenure, that a man may be a groat chief, possessed of great power, reputation and authority, and yet be comparatively a small landowner. Viewing the action of Wakanui in this light and hearing the occasional utterance of Manga, the natives regard the position of the Waikato lands in a light entirely different to what the Europeans do, and aro now waiting with some impatience to hear what the land policy of the Waikatos in future is to bo. The leasing of Rotorua at a high rent has caused further room for deliberation while the speech of Mr Bryce at Kihikihi, which was translated and sent in circulars and given to the various tribes advising them to sell no more lands but to lease thorn, has added complexity to the Maori world. Ho caunot lease to advantage unless ho can do so in the open market, and this ho cannot do unless the lauds aro first surveyed and their title determined. This is a work of years, and the King Natives are short of money, it is stated, although they were supposed to have com stowed at Takjuki, Hence the policy of free ‘

trade in land will cause the Waikato (now it seems on the point of being broken up) most probably to fall into a few hands. I hear this opinion expressed by Europeans here"who are well qualified to form an opinion ; hence the anxiety with which the King people regard this meeting, and tlm surprise that is engendered by the silence of Wakanui. So much by way of forecast. Mokau Jones, it appears, is at tho. bottom of the Mokau Land Court; Grace, it is stated (his agent at Wihui), went down to Mokau to advise Wihiri what to do, and his advics was to do. nothing until Tawhiao had spoken. What has been stated about Tawhiao’s pro ving his claims to Mokau and such matter actually means nothing, as because Waihiri went to Mokau under peculiar iconditions, too long to narrate at present, Wihiri is hardly expected to show up at the meetings. Alexander McDonald, of Manawatu, is here urging the claims of a section of the Ngatiraukawas persistently, as he did in his successful control with Featherstono and others in the Rangitikei and Manawatu blocks. There is a chance for the quidnuncs for Kawhia is to be opened ■speedily. Tengakau, the late King’s secretary, lives there, and will be largely influenced by Major Wilson, of Cambridge. What makes it probable that Kawhia will be opened soon is this : —Those natives living at a distance having claims there have been \varned by Tawhaio to comp and make their fires on their lands, to be in possession when the day of allocation comes. : To my knowledge they have acted in this direction from a distance, because the; seeds of the Tainui immigration scheme have r been widely scattered. Tawhaio regrets that he did not.lake the terms offered him by Sir George Grey ; ’ the £SOO a year would have been a material aid to have held to preserve some respect for his mana entirely, and ’• to have maintained the bond of fealty which he fluids is being weekly relaxed; Such are some of the forecasts of the meeting of the’ outer environments of the Maori situation in the Waikato- -