The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1875.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 1912, 18 February 1875, Page 2

The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1875.

They who have to deal with Maories had need to possess the patience of half-a-dozen Jobs. Yesterday the meoting. for talk was commenced, but was cut short prematurely, owing to the downfall of rain. The report of; what transpired, as detailed by our " special," will be read with interest. It will be remarked that the .Natives, having once consented to "give up the gold>" do not evince any disposition to recede from their promise. On the contrary, -they display an unaccountable willingness to get the matter completed right off. No quibbling about the gold—not a bit. But/they have a card to play, and their hand has been well conned since the time Sir Donald McLean left. They have more trumps than one. Granted the gold, what is to become of the timber, the coal, the copper and other minerals ? They want to know about the townships, and the business licenses and a host of other things. It is not possible that the Maories can have thought of all these things themselves, and it would be a source, of immense satisfaction to learn who the pakehas are that have bo wellschooled the Maories in the art of asking. They certainly don't want much tuition: they are apt pupils., Only once give them rein and they will show that their consciences^ in ; the matter of asking; are much longer than their pedigrees, arid the latter are sufficiently obscure to puzzle even the Herald's College and all its associates. If Maories ask for ; bread they are not content with a stone; but they know how far to push their requests. They have had long enough; since Sir Donald McLean left the Thames after his coup d'etat, to mature their plans for getting as much as possible out of the Government. They are now trying their best to° forward these jjlatisi. /It may be that their efforts ; will protract unnecessarily the proceedings for settlement; but that in time they will be brought to reason we have no doubt. Only a few Chiefs have spoken, and they belong principally to the con-, servative party. To-day's proceedings will most likely put a different complexion on affairs.