MAORI CHIEFS IN LONDON.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 54, 24 July 1914, Page 6

MAORI CHIEFS IN LONDON.

RECEIVED AT ISUCKINCHA.VI. PALACE. London, ,lulv "i. A picturesque and interesting ccr.'moiiy took jiliic-u recently at, Ihickinglimiii Pa:ace, when the three Maori chiefs', who are in this country intent on laying before the Imperial'tlovcrnirent certain alleged, grievances in connection with their tenure of land, pi .i homage to His .Majesty King Ucorge and Queen Mary. I'h.e "party of visitors received at the Palace were Te JUi.i Malinta, Tangakiiwa, W'irenm Taiiic'liaiiu, and Jjita. Kareka, with Air Ceo. Paul, Maori interpreter, and Mr A. (.'. M. Lambert, 'head of the Dominion"; Department of the Colonial OlViee, at tended to present the visitors to the King. The presentation was of a purely cereinoni.nl character, it having been arranged that any question should be conveyed through the usual constitutional cifcuinelr'. The chiefs drove lo the Palace in the conventional dress of western civilisation, save that eiieh wonin the bands of their silk hats a luiiu feather. Hut before entering the I krone Room this dress was discarded for their 'own native eerenionial costume, and on approaching the Throne, cast at the King's feet their robes, which they knelt niion whilst paying homage. The King, who, it is stated, greeted the. Maoris with "Kia Ora," received the chiefs with much cordiality, and after he and the. Queen had shaken hands with their visitors, and Te Rata had handed to His Majesty a letter, expressing the loyalty of the Maoris to the Crown, said: "I am glad to welcome you, more especially as you are the tirst Maoris, I believe, to gain access to the Throne of England." Thereafter, it appears, the conversation between the King and Queen and their chiefs, -was carried on with the aid of the interpreter,'mainly concerned the former's experiences among tinMaoris when in Xew Zealand, and the latter's experience on this side of the world. During the conversation, the King is reported to have said: ''l will not forget my Maori people, but will always protect them and look after their interests."

At the close of this interview the "mats" with some "meres" were placet! in a heap before the King, anil, hemline, in obeisance, the chief bogged that they should be accepted. The King graciously intimated his pleasure in accepting the tributes, and expressed his hope that the visitors' stay in the .Mother- . land would be enjoyable and beneficial. | The visitors were then ushered from the lioyal presence. Afterwards, one of the party, dos- . cribing his impressions of the audience, said that their Majesties made them feel at home at once. "I cannot tell you, however, what the King was dressed in," was bis human confession of the scattering effects of being received by I Royalty. "As to England,'' lie went on, I "my greatest astonishment was t.iat the Mist of my food was presented to me in French. '[ had to ask for it to be translated into English." It mav, bv the way. he something infinitely 'worse than ni"iv!v -'constitutional'' to suggest that t'v king can make a mistake, but at the risk of being incarcerated in the deepest dungeon beneath the Tower moat, one may venture to suggest that if King Oorge reallv did welcome bis visitors as the first Maoris to gain access to the Throne he was in error. 1 am more than doubtful at this distance of time whether Tai■wiho ever paid homage to Queen Victoria, but it is, T believe, a fact that away (back in the middle of last century a •Maori, chief was received in audience by the late Queen at Buckingham l'.il«cc.