Tawhiao on the Taranaki Situation.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3238, 5 July 1879, Page 3

Tawhiao on the Taranaki Situation.

Eingites Determined to Koep

Clear of War.

Ansious about their Land. ■■ ■• r

The Press Agency supplies the follow*

ing account of a meetjtyg of Kingites :■— An. important''meeting of Kingites was

held at Te Kopua on Thursday. Tawhiao sent a special messenger to Auckland tbi 1 communicate the proceedings to the Press agents, in order that they may be published in the newspapers throughout the colony.. The meeting was held at Alex. Thompson's House at Te Kopua, Vfhere the Government party stayed 'during the late meotins;., Tawhiao, Pakuko'whatu, Manuhiri, Te Wahanui, Whitiora, Tipene, and about forty others were present. The meeting was held at eight .o'clock.last night. „, ] Tawhiao ' cpmmoneed the discussion. He "said: What is the cause of this trouble at Taranaki between Te Whiti and Sir, George G^rey P. Why are men tie^nff, r(irres.le3'"y.by. t,ho Europeans P My heHrt is very dark in consequence of this work, lest it should be. said I am' the cause of it. , „ „ „ j. ; Tv Potatu was the next speaker. He said: I do not* understand, the cause of

this work Te Whiti must bo responsible foV'i'i; 1.' ulfc is jt Work of'confuM/in. Ifcdoes '!-'riot'emanate .from Tawhiao.,: If Te WWti . and^ljeGQY^rntnentdesire.taco.ntiniletljis . miist confine it to their own il"pla'cp,;., issy, must not copapliqate Waljkato. There.must be no trouble herd.* It is for Mr Sneehan and Te Whiti to settle it b|etween them. • • ; ' j Wjahanui i (Ngatiraaniapoto): I hatre not^jpg- to say- about. this t work at. . rt §Carapakji;, ; .it-is for Te Whiti to 'settle this—he alone his responsible. It is no ,\ n *fl&,irio,f mine. ■■''■/■'"', "'"".'" '" , \•■ u ,y..i'Piukttkbwhatu said^ I'haVe no word jfco hir-iajS'Alt'is for^TaWih'iao arid Te Wahanpi to speak with referietioe'l6 this trouble, il am not the man to meddle .with this; work. ..""; ! i

Whitiora' aaid': 3i3ftm not responsible for Te Whiti's worjc#- Te Whiti is one and Mr Sheehan wanbther. It is for Grey and'Shriihan to stop, that ivork. s Hdnoni^ te^Maih^'saM': 'I do n6t approve of the action of Te .Whiti. All I have to do is to adhere to what was laid! at -thfe Te Edpua meeting, Whejn Tawhiao laid down his words that tkere must be no fighting in this Island-—that war must be put outside.■:' Tawhiao iaid: I have been' Iboking into the cause of the trouble at Taranaki, and the imprisoning the men. I have

seen the news in the newspapers ; what is the'cause. I want to ask Mr Sheehan

whencei'are the'people who are now cauls' '^ng 1 thfe trouble—are they from Waikato,

qr whence,are they,? ;We are here in our ".QW.n '.places',, adhering to what I said at the ' last meeting, that there should be no war, fi np,yar ? ,no yr&v I „;I will ask Mr Sheehan tliis questionrr.whence are these people ? Let them not complicate Waikato. Let them not involve my people. - ..^.jThis; eaded "the .discussion. It is * nnderstood that Tawhiao and .Rewi will .Je^grapli to. Mr Sheehan. .Rewi is. at ais .Bet&ew&ii at Puntii; trat he wrbte a fil&tterto Tawhiao, which was road at the meeting, and was t6 the fallowing effect : ■ «*a^ido not uhderstarid the meaning of i*&rhbsbm% iaese men. Yon had better ask Mr Sheehan and Sir George Grey what is the cause of this trouble.".. r

Thq messenger, says the Hauhauer ard '"iti'a 1 greaVstate of alarm at. the afFairs in Taranaki, lest war should, spread to Waikato. They fear that Sir George Grey went, away from; ,Te Kopua angry, and that he has resolved to make war. Many of the Hauhaus said yesterday: " Where haveiwe. any guvs or powder to resist, the Pakehas if they attack us? We .can.only, lie quiet; and let them kill ur,. without) resistance." Tawhiao and his people are also intensely) afraid that the prisoners will be sent to some distant island, in 'the < same manner as the prisoners during the war were sent to the Chathams. The messenger describes their fea^jas^^ftwehiiawa (great alarm). Some mischevious pakeha Maoris have been inciting the natives by using bounceable,, talk,,.but their; influence is dfisSpegardgd*,. iTfiwhiap. was so anxious to represent his irresponsibility for the pre-, sent troubles in Taranaki, that he wanted a messenger to go direct to Wellington, tef^ttttW tii^'yiew^'jto 'they(?oyern'ment.: The■HiuMns'areinsuc^ a,state of alarm' rtlikt''rerJßf' f&w 'ot themwiil venture across , «H^6W£Pssated' boundary. This information is thoroughly reliable, and is published at Tawhiap's urgent; request. The' mess^ger left Alexandra this morning and mad© all4iaste to town. * j^roH retruziiufy: of News see 1»4; Page.) . 1