The Thames Maoris.

Thames Star, Volume XIII, Issue 4235, 28 July 1882, Page 3

The Thames Maoris.

. R vl4 r-> [Bt Telegbaph.] (fbom otxb own cobbespondent.) , -I * " . Wellington, This day. ] - In Mr G. T. Wilkinson's report of 17th Miy, on the condition of the natives in the Thatnes district;, he says :—" A consider-- ■ able number of Hanraki natives attended ,-, the King meeting that was held at Hikurangi daring the month of April, 1881, hnt > with the exception of N.gatikako and some - of theNgatipoua and Ngatitamatera tribes, they attended it more out of curiosity and amusement than anything else. During the meeting a curious instance of the force of example occurred, which may not be >.-: uninteresting. As is usual, at those meet* 0 ings,, everything that was said and done 1 both by visitors as well as Tawhiao's own j . people, was to his acknowledgment and f glorification as Maori King, and some of the tribes banded over their lands into his -h keeping, which meant'that roads, railways, and surveys, also sales and leases ' were not to be allowed in connection with T' them. This action rather put the Hau- . raki delegates into the proverbial ''"corner," as neatly all their lands are :,. already sold. However, not to be out- "' done in generosity, they, or some of them, ,; handed over the Te Aroha, Mocha, and * Waikawau Blocks within the Hauralri district to Tawhiao, and thereby relieved - theif consciences of the fear.of being :, beuind-hand with their brother-visitors in : :.'.generosity and admiration for their soV called King. When I 'state that three ? blocks bad already been sold and con- : v*]red lo the' Crown, the richness of the ■'J*ke will;.l,think, be apparent, and it is r to;be hoped/.for the sake.of the givers, "Hltiit Tawhiao was.ignorant at the time as ' to who.'wai the real owners of these lands. .\X3furing the past year, a man named VHarati Ngata, belonging to a section of .i We Ngatipao tribe, called Wukoraka, j,. 'di^d.-. Although a young man, he was of -,; considerable rank. ■ I should not have -a?, mentioned" this occurrence only that .-; he - was known as King Tawhiao's " pou," or representative in this disfV'trict. ; This mantle has, I understand, upon a young Dative named Tawi, who, in so far as dogged obstruction s" -' to'pakeha progression is concerned is a very fitting successor. Albeit in other matters be is a law abiding and quiet j native, and is too sensible himself to run - any personal risks although he does not; hesitate to vindicate by argument those who do. The troublesome Ngatihako *:" tribe, to whom I referred at some length "in'my last report, are at present on their good behaviour. Although they have not by any means been idle during the past year.' In July last they shot' a bullock belonging to a settler living near Ohinenuri, the .only reason giv.en.for the act being that it was rurininji on their land, and they made the matter worse by threatening in a letter signed by Pakara Te Paoro to Bhoot all European'cattle and horses I hat they might find trespassing on land owned by the Maoris. They, however, did not carry out this threat, and I have reasons for knowing that they were, and are now, fearful of being punished r for. what they - had done. Since then the natives have not done anything for which they-could be blamed/and I- Uh'ink, from appearance at the present iiine-that-these people are beginning to see the error of (heir ways or at least are fearful that they_ may go too far. ]M.y reasons for thinking so are because qfjtbeir allowing the Bnßgs which are now being, taken out of the Waihou river (on ' '. the~Danks of which they reside) to be removed without opposition from them, which work ,they opposed four years ago, whe.ri .attempted by the County Council, oh- which occasion the workmen were turned off. "In October last trouble was occasioned at Waiheke within the Obinemnri Gx>ldfieWby some members of the Nga'tiakoe tribe (who have mostly sold their interests there.to the Crown)obstruct- : irig ■ the, Europeans from cutting kauri timber notwithstanding that they bad obtained the necessary authority from the Warden to do so. The cause of this action , by the natives was the question of reserves : for them within the Ohinemuri blocks not being-yet settled, and they claimed the block "where the Europeans were cutling . the timber as theirs by a promise from Mr JSs. Mackay some years ago. I went to see them about the matter, and explained the position to them, showing them that thfey ; were c m the wrong, but they would not give id, so, having the Sergeant of Police with me armed with the necessary summonses, they were served in the usual way, and the natives afterwards attended Court. The case was heard before the , R.M., and proved against them, but considering that they had some cause of complaint in. not having their reserves fixed, and that they had taken this action more for the saW of getting the Government to fix them than-with' the deliberate intention of breaking the law and committing a breach of the peace, the Magistrate only ' inflicted a nominal penalty, expressing his opinion from the Bench that it would be advisable in order to prevent further j disputes that the Reserves be defined as soon as possible. This, I hope, will soon be done, as a Native Land Court is to be opened at Paeroa on ; the Ist prox., in which, the Crown title to the Ohinemuri ! Goldfieldi will most likely be decided, '-. and aUjoative reserves fixed. During the Vf *past yew a difficulty occurred, by which {'the natives.obstructed the formation of ' the main County road-at places known as Te Tiki and Mar-aio. Acting under instructions from the Hon. Native Minister. I went tbere.to inquire into the cause of the trouble, snd found that it was brought abqofc mostly through a misunderstanding, wfnfifc-Jlpiß set right by the Chairman of th£s°j*ity Council (Mr Cadman) accom r psnying me >ith the natives on to the ground, and there discussing the matter. 'In Novemberlast a native named HorondoaMatioetati, belonging to the Ngatia- ■ maru tribe, but married to a Ngatiakoe woman, and living at Piako, obstructed the mirfthrf a^ block of land called Te - ManuknvPptUnß on the Thames River and extending towards Piako. His only reason for his action was that he, being a dtieiple, or expounder of Tawhiao's doer" trinee in the Piako district, could not allow the survey lo take place, as it had gone beyond the Ngatimatua (or Thames \ natives) boundary., As this was a case in which the police could act in the ordinary ■ way, a summons was issued and served on , the native. He obeyed the summons, and appeared at the R.M, Court, Thames, bat as there was no attempt to dispose of or appropriate.the goods to his own. use proved against Ijim, he was merely bound over in his own recognisances to keep the peace for six- months. At first, ; he re- ' fused to sign the. necessary bond papers, «»d it was only after he had been kept in g*ol - for' two. days that he elected to s&crifice his principles and accept the positionv-or rather change, for a better one, namely—that of freedom. Haying