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Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3193, 14 May 1879, Page 2

The following from our correspondent at Kopua upon the situation will be read frith interest, and shows the undercurrent of thought that has been at work, and accounts in a great measure for the / pbsitiori taked; up by' the natives during the meeting :—TJi,ere. are., t f wo ways in. looking "at tile "Eopua meeting—one in what it failed To' achieve, the other is in what has resulted. f It-has failed to pacif j the*" Kingites,' but it has torn'away their strength,- and they hare no home nor habitation save on - sufferance; an^ .the *a£n\3sl:- wiiose lands they dwell^and thrive, h&9sCfW?fiodM»\ lot with the Government, Te Ngakau is called among! ftM Tjtelo-" Tutu*i":aml Bpwi&inkslhe j has. been Tutua; ridden long, enough, j .There: tare, iimits to patience and the" "rite's !'Lof - '''■ hospitality, ajttd ; .fßewi 'tHrnks^'hia^guestis: hare 'been 1,, guests long enough. ,:fle has convicted them also of double»dealihg7 while professing to be paupers.,., He has been shown the lands they 3 Eji ye sold '" and leased 'during a J peri^of s naariy years; .^islimgossibte; to foretell! what.may be,theresultsiof thnr discoveryj-and his indignation thereat, for nearly all^ tha Ngatiamariiapoto and all the j NgatiiriakawW will-j XoliqwS him. There is dissension also among the, Emg s adhbrents;: many of them like Te' Ngakau, hunger after, the .flesh-pots,,of-the Europeans, and T fain, wpuld clothe themselves in broad-cloth'or other raiment consonant^to their deiiresj for at thb present time they*'eat only ancestral food, and wear but scanty raiment. One -who has not been through the meeting cannot imagine how the lustful eye outbids the inherent stubbornness T f>f the Maori malcontent. The Government blame Major-Mair and Major Jackson with having prevented the successful issue of the meeting, and they' further' consider that, the. Colony, has vhad■.. a • fortunate escape from the ratification of McLean's promises confirmed at Hikurangi and Te Kopua. They consider the Colony has saved a large sum of money by such action,, but/ on the' bther hand, it must be borne in mind that the Maoris consider these promises binding, notwithstanding Grey's abrogation. They say and maintain that, they cannot, be,repealed by the dictum of one man, they therefore jeyert to,,. w the. r ., : ppiQion^,,,thit,,__|Q;.qyern" ments are continuous and not successive, and .that the promises made them cannot ibe abrogated under'any /conditions. ;; 3?hey; >jfurther; | cohijder that these promises were a provision, acceptance-or 1 otherwise notwithstanding, and that the .prorision, independently of thei^aMsnt,!^ in its integrity. What McLean promised they; f;yss#^consider theiri^ilfiji •belief&fSir "deorge^Gr^'cannonakeawif^ When f^piostula^v^thjiith^fay^lwby should we say-yes, when it is our own, no man can take it fromus, and GfeyhaSno power to repeal :what McLean told usiwie I shquld have.'^'Yott sefe aMaori considers aprbmise equivalent to a future possession, .and appraise it as such; thu3 when I urged oh;aJchief, to-day 'acce'pStance of pr/qimises,' 5 he. said ' 4' I^can Wiiit, and then promises of' n'eceßsiiy can stand;" the fact is 1 their European advisers say they can afford to wait, because the next Ministry will give them better terms. - ... ...... ! ,