MAORI MEMORIES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 July 1938, Page 4

MAORI MEMORIES

MAORI LORE AND PAKEHA LAW. (Recorded by J.H.S. for “Times-Age.”) As an outcome of Wairau, solitary settlers feared evil. “The period of moral influence is ended, and physical force is at hand. In the past the Maoris were always the defendants: Now they are forced to be the aggressors. The cause is, that your land dealers profess Christian principles, and act like the Devil’s followers.” That was the opinion of a Maori peacemaker. They complained that to put a Maori in gaol for theft was like degrading an English Knight for drinking his friend’s champagne to excess. Payment injuries—Utu— was the Maori principle, so none were poor and none rich. A Maori was sentenced to three months in gaol for stealing a cap valued at 1/6. Kawau, a Christian chief, with his followers rescued him and carried him to Orakei. Shortly after this the chief and the thief voluntarily came before the sheriff, acknowledged the theft and tendered payment at double the value, urging that this was strictly according to Maori Law and the Holy Scripture. The Governor agreed with Kawau, and an Order-in-Council was enacted providing that on payment of a fourfold value of the goods stolen no Maori should be imprisoned. One wonders whether this strange law has ever been revoked. Another concession was that after 1840, the Government had the sole right to purchase Maori land. As the Treasury was empty, the Maoris were without money, the value of which they had just begun to realise. The Governor then permitted the settlers to buy land provided they paid 10s an acre to the Treasury in addition to the price. The settlers thought this was too high, so Captain Fitzroy reduced it to a penny per acre, and 90,000 acres were at once purchased, but the price was not disclosed.