A NATIVE POLICY.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3196, 24 May 1909, Page 5

A NATIVE POLICY.

By Telegraph—Press Association. AUCKLAND, May 22. ! The method of treating native matters which was adopted by the late Bishop Selwyn was referred to by Mr J. H. Upton, in the course of his remarks at the Selwyn commemmoration meeting. Mr Upton said that the people of New Zealand were at present looking for a Maori policy. "I nave one here," he continued, producing a slip of paper, "and I offer it in the name of Selwyn to the people of New Zealand." He then quoted the following remarks written by Bishop SeJ?;yn in 1855: "I desire to see each native landowners secured by a Crown grant for his own individual property and registered as 3 Vote* bii thVeame qualification a a an Englishman. Wh§n the native landowners ar§ thus-registered and represented, with full recognition of equal rights and privileges, I will not be backward in explaining to them, that they are liable to all taxes, penalties and other public burdens, in common with all other classes of Her Majesty's subjects; but. on the other hand, 1 shall resist by all lawful means every attempt to carry out any other interpretation of the Treaty of Waitangi than that in which it was explained to the natives by Governor Hobson and understood by them." The reading ot the quotation was received with applause by the audience. "I commend this policy," I said Mr Upton, "to the people of New Zealand at the present time." A further indication of Bishop Selwyn's feeling towards the Maoris was afforded in sorje remarks made on tne eve of his departure for England, which were also quoted by Mr Upton. "We, on our part, " Selwyn said, "have a duty to perform to'that race whom we induced to receive the British Government into this country. Our first duty is to take care that nothing in the nature of injustice should be done, and after doing so, to take care that nothing should be done that would be incompatible with our position as subjects of the Queen, as minister of a Christian church, and as fellow settlers of those who, like ourselves, cast their lot in this country." (Applause).