MARLBOROUGH.

Colonist, Volume III, Issue 269, 18 May 1860, Page 2

MARLBOROUGH.

(From the Marlborough Press,, May 12.)

MAORI MEETING, On Tuesday, Ist May, about 30 Maories attended at the Court house, Blenheim, after .having requested Dr. Muller and the Rev. H. F. Butt to, hear their statements, which were as follow:—

Enoch te Waha (Rangitani) .—-Salutation, Mr. Muller. My clothes formerly, were made of dressed flax; my food was ferf^root,. on that my body subsisted. I have Sold1 pivt of my land to the Queen. . My thoughts this'day are tnrried to my religion for the.good of.my soul, to working, the land for the support of my body. I am very sorry to hear of this disturbance with William King. This is my thought, let us all live in peace.* There remains, labor, for food to support my body, religion to save my soul. ■'''.'. Mason Te Ware Rauponga (Ngatitoa):—l am come to talk to you, Mr. Muller. My thought is that we should all live under the Queen; that the Queen should be protector for the Maori and the Pakeha; that the Maori and the Pakeha should be of one mind. We liave.no thought [sympathy] with William King's conduct; we think only of the Queen, our religion, and our labor, that our bodies may be supported, and our souls improve. >

Maunsell, from the Oyerri (Ngatikuia):—Sir, Mr. Muller, lam an orphan. There is the Queen on one side, and religion ; lam in the rakHle. I am very sorry that the Pakehas have spread such evil reports, namely, that I and my people were going to kill the Pakehas. It is quite false, quite. Let all men know that we never had any such idea.. All.my thoughts are about the Queen religion, and working for.food.

William Broughton (Ngatikuia):—This is my speech. I have seen life, and I have seen death. My thought is to live peacably among the pakeha, and to labor for my food. Religion teaches me that men should live together like brothers. My thou ght is to live quietly with the Pakeha.

Joshua King Te Teauwai (Rangitani) :—•! am pleased to come this day to the Magistrate and the Minister, My heart was very sad to hear about William King; I seemed to be the remains ofthe overi left for death. Now, religion, working for food, and living peacably, are all my thoughts.

Brown ■ Tiit.ua (Rangitani):—Great is my sorrow to hear of William Khig^s strife. I was afraid for my land and the sacred places (lest they should be taken away). This is my wish, to live at peace with the Pakeha;

Judah Parapara (Rangitani) :—I am an old ra'ari. All my thoughts are about working the land, and my religion.

James Wakarere (Ngatikuia):—l have heard about the work of William King. I have no thought that, knows anything about that work. I have been born in religion, and grown in religion. My thoughts are steadfast to religion, and working my land.

Dr. Muller addressed them as follows:—

My friends—l am very glad to see you here to day, coming, as you do to show your loyalty to the Queen and attachment to the laws. lam happy to find that you are so peacably disposed, and that your wish is to remain in friendship with the white man, and attend to the cultivation of your land. Why should we not be friends? .The Queen is our common sovereign, and knows no difference between the Maori and the white man. 'We have the same laws and the same religion. The law will protect equally the white man and the Maori. If a white man injures a Maori in any way, the law will punish him; in like manner, if a Maori injures a white man, he must also be punished. One of you has said that he was afraid the Governor would punish the Maories in this island, by taking away their lands, for the faults ofthe Taranaki tribes.' i<He very much misunderstands the-English law if he thinks so. It is quite opposed to all principle of Ehglish law to punish the innocent for'the guilty. -Only those guilty of a crime will be punished. William King has done wrong : he has rebelled, and made war against the Queen. He must be punished. Someofthe:Maories at Taranaki, taking advantage of the war, have slain some inoffensive white men, men who' had been living in the midst of them'and been trading, with them for years, and tvho had never done any harm to them: these white men they have killed in cold blood, and have burned'their houses, and destroyed their farms. These Maories are murderersand robbers; the Governor will punish them in the severest manner, but he will not take revenge on the peacable and well-conducted Maori. Years ago, when your were in a state of darkness and ignorance, the Maories used to practise this line of conduct, and revenge themselves upon those who had done them no harm. But now you knowbetter. The Queen has sent the Bible'to the Maoriei, and Missionaries to teach them. That Book does not teach us to indulge in feelings of revenge or animosity to one another. It teaches us to love and help one another. . The; English law is founded on that book,..and while it inflicts a punishment upon those who have offended, it at! tlie same time never forgets that. Justice should be tempered by mercy, I hope, by what I have said you will see that the Governor has no desire to take vengeance on the unoffending. You know perhaps, why he is now fighting'at Taranaki. It is to protect the rights and interests of the Maories It is to show them that they are to be treated the same as white mm, and that they shall buy and sell their goods as well as they. Teira has some land of his own that he wishes to sell to the Governor, he wishes to get mon(_y by selling his land - W. King, although the land doeß not belong to him, says,'Teira shall not sell it. Teira appeals to the Governor, and the Governor sayg he has a right to sell his land, and he wiil buy it. Whereupon W. King makes war against the Governor and against the Queen. This is the quarrel, and it will regain so,, unless other Msories should be so foolish as to side with W. King. Four ships filled with soldiers have come from other countiies to assist the Governor, and more are coming, so that the Governor will have plenty of men and arms to subdue any outbreak. I will not keep you any longer, but repeat that I am glad to see you here to day. I am sorry that false reports were sent to Nelson concerning your intentions ; for, myself, I never doubted your loyalty, and I have written to-the Governor to tell him so. I have lived among you some time, and I have always found you quiet and well dispbsed, and obedient to the law upon all occasions. Continue so to do. If you have any grievance always come jto me, and you shall find that in administering I the law, I koow no difference between white man l and-Maori,