THE NATIVE MINISTER IN THE KING COUNTRY.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXIV, Issue 9662, 31 October 1882, Page 3

THE NATIVE MINISTER IN THE KING COUNTRY.

{V.ify'fPXJTXD PBBBS _ASSOciATIOIf .)'; , ■'' ,V>K! •i,;f'AIiBXAHDEA, Oct. '3o. ..' Theimeetingtwas resumed this afternoon at' '"Whati whatihbe. The- atten--dance jof "natives 1 was ' in ' all ; Tespepts similap'-to^'tha't'of 'the previous- day. Bewi WaVjare'sen t' on '-this occasion, like ; wise & : Vajr sprinkling of Europeans: , The wefijbh^r'-was fine.'and the gathering strikingly' 'picturesque. : After .a brief parley la. winch" the' usual oracular demonstrations .jvvere , made, in w.hich Mr. ijryce'susijained, his .'.part to tolerable "good advantage, the latter proceeded to say tha^nq'w;, ,we , had shown, them it would ) be. impossible 10, go back upon the offers made by McLean and Grey to which allusion had been made, he would proceed to tell : them what Government was prepared to do.. He would speak' — to them in'a general' way; as when they' came to consider details these would have to he adjusted with the chiefs, and not in public meeting. , He, stood there _as a Minister.of Lthe, Queen, and as such' he had , to. tell them the. land , was , not , largo enough for the exercise of separate independent authorities. - Their chiefs might ,haye authority, in' their tribes, and still remain great chiefs, but the • overeignity'df the Queen would have to . prevail. ['from end to end -of the colony.By that, he, included the Queen's laws. As a rule these laws were- good, but here and there they might happen to be bad..- • In the latter case what had to be done was to ■ get them amended, and. in no case could they be resisted. Referring to. their land . ihe would, say. to them as had been said &io the^aories in other parts of .New Zealand,,. one, tribe after another was dispossessing itself: of. their land. In some cases that might be right enough, but in others it was very wrong. That latter was the evil be wished to assist them to avoid.' ' To achieve that object certain* lands should be set. aside as a. permanent inheritance for their children.' As regards the remainder of the land it should t be. dealt with; for the benefit'of the present ■ .. owners.- ; . If should be brought' iinto ■■useful: occupation, whioh would .b'e-b'eneficial to both Maortcatid European;-' If leased' for occupation the rents would' remain ' for their use as long as neccessary.' If' sold, as no doubt apportion ofit would be, a considerable proportion of the proceeds might be invested as an income for . the native •• owners, j All that might be' done in,a'right'or ina;wrong way, and lie. invited them io co-operate' with the aimin gettiigit 'done properly. - Government had no particular desire to enter upon -land furchases, and they would merely enter upon 'such 'purchases as coiild.be .shown i^bVjto' the benefit of both. Maori and European. These, matters, however, . could he more effectually dealt with. in private .negotiation with the chiefs themselves, .jit ,was, : vain-for them;to talk about all the ,land., transactions, sales, leases, &c, being stopped. If -McLean could be or Grey was present they would no doubt liare^told them* the same thing. - As regards Tawhaio himself, Government was prepared-to deal' with him as a.great chief. Government; did not' forget •he be§n elected by many tribes to be iheir leader.-, "What he said to him now was, letoiis all' be reasonable and settle r this matter. Se would' ask the'Ngatamanipotos to remember that the Wa&atos had' been asked by. them, to join" in" the ', disputes • which •• had brougbt'",'such ; great difficulty . upon the WaiKatqs, and, that therefore these people had .claims upon them. He would leave thein'to reflect u'pdn ; what he had said. After a while lie would return and renew the -discussion with them. In conclusion hie proposed his strong attachment for them | and assured them he was a man of bis word, and as such he meant' what be- said.- ■ : .