MAORI REPRESENTATION.—THE MEETING- AT KAIPARA.

Southland Times, Issue 927, 3 April 1868, Page 3

MAORI REPRESENTATION.— THE MEETING- AT KAIPARA.

Prom the Auckland " Weekly News.") Paul Tuhaere, of Orakei, sends us a report of a discussion amongst the natives at Kaipara in reference to the Maori Eepresentation Act. It is a pity that the Maoris look on the Act in the way they do, namely, that no representation is worth anything, unless they have equal numbers with the Europeans. One great use of having Maoris in the House would be that, if honest, they could afford valuable information to the Europeans on the many bills by which Maori interests are affected. The following is the report : — Orakei, March, 4th, 1868. This is an account of the meeting held at Otamatea, Kaipara, on the 23rd of February, at night. The object of the meeting was to discuss matters in relation to four Maori members called to the Assembly at Wellington, who were to be elected to carry thither the views of the Maori tribes. These are the speeches of the chiefs : — Winiata Tomairangi said :* " I belong to the Northern portion of the Province from Mongonui to the West Coast. We object to the ! four members ; if there are four Maoris and twenty Europeans we cannot approve." Menare Taramoeroa, of Hokianga said: "We do not consent." William Pomare, of Bay of Islands, said : "We cannot consent to four members being elected. Let there be equal numbers on the Maori side and on the Pakeha side, and the thing would be at once established." Hare Hikairo, whose boundaries go from Hikurangi to Kaikohe, and thence to the East Coast, coincided in Pomare's remarks. Tirarau, of the Wairoa and Whangarei, also supported what had been previously said. Arama Karaka Haututu, of Otamatea, Kaipara, said : "I am not willing to elect these . four men. Our views could not be carried out by them. They would be swamped by the many European members of the Assembly. We should be deceived. If there be fifty European members, let there be fifty Maories also, and then matters will work well." Hone Waiti supported Arama Karaka's sentiments, and gave as an example the parable of Christ, which says," " What king shall assay .to go to war with another king with ten thousand men to fight with the king who cometh against him with twenty thousand men." But let the numbers be equal. Paraone Ngaweke, of Kaipara;

Te Hemara Tauhia, of Mahurangi ; and Wiremu te Wheoro, of "Waikato, supported the previous speaker. Paul Tuhaere, of Orakei, near Auckland, said: " I agree with what you have said ; let us carefully consider first this law made by our European friends. The Govern ment first gave us a political power in sitting as assessors, and they said there shall be one law for the Maoris and for the Europeans; but the laws were not equal, but diverse ; now, also, the law is not equal in relation to these men. Now let us see, all the principal chiefs of the island were elected as Magistrates for the Queen, but the thing was not satisfactory. At the Kohimarama conference, I requested that Maoris be admitted into the General Assembly, but it was not conceded. Now, however, that word has been agreed to. How is it they see it now ? All the chiefs of this Province, it has been agreed, shall write to the Governor, so that he may come back to Auckland, and leave Wellington, that place of earthquakes. European women have been killed there, and many persons have felt ill from the motion of the earth. As to the coming to Auckland to see the son of the Queen, it was agreed that it would be better for him to visit the Ngapuhis in their own country."