Wanganui Chonicle AND PATEA-RANGITIKEI ADVERTISER. "NULLA DISE SINE LINEA." SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1882.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXIV, Issue 9662, 4 November 1882, Page 2

Wanganui Chonicle AND PATEA-RANGITIKEI ADVERTISER. "NULLA DISE SINE LINEA." SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1882.

To-day has been fixed upon as the date on which Tawhiao is to give the Native Minister an answer — yes or no — to the Government proposals, an outline of which was published in yesterday's Cheonicle. It is rather hazardous to give an opinion as to what the answer will bo, but we will venture to say this "much, that if Tawhiao allows his own judgment to have sway he will accept the terms. He could havo got far more at one time from Sir George Grey and Mr Sheehan ; but he will certainly get no more from the present Ministry, and, if he do not accept without unreasonable deliy, he will by and by have to to bo content with much leas, no matter what Ministry may be in office. If the Maoris are not growing positivley weaker in point of numbers, they are sorelatively to the Europeans. In a very few years the native race will be absolutely insignificant as a part of the population of the colony and the North Island. We are well assured that even then, when the game will be entirely in their own hands, the colonists will not disregard the just claims of the natives. But there will be no necessity for the exercise of very large liberality for the sake of avoiding trouble. In bur opinion the terms offered by the Government as the price of the abandonment >.of Kingism are very liberal; and we notice that the Native Minister has distinctly stated that he does not intend to keep the matter open.- The offer must be accepted before he leaves Alexandria or it falls through entirely, and if there are further negotiations they will be on another basis. If Tawhiao closes with the Government he will be, a great deal better off than he has ever been before, or is at all likely' to be under any other arrangement, or by re-adbpting a pol cy of sullen isolation, if indeed the lastnamed course were possible, which in fact it is not. Tawhiao's kingship is not worth very ' much a year to him, and its importance is gradually but surely decreasing. The Government offer him, in exchange for it,. a life' pension of £400 a year, and a furnished house, the offices of a Justice of the Peace and Native Assessor under the Resident Magistrates Act, . a seat in the Legislative Council, a section of land at Kaipara (which he appears to have been anxious to obtain) and, we presume, a share in such lands as may be given to the Waikatos, the tribe to which he belongs. There must be somo . mistake with regard to the assessorship, as the Press Association's telegram states that the office has hitherto been only given to Europeans, which, of course, is not tho case. Whatever waa intended to be conveyed by that part of the message, the public now have before them all the main features of the Government's proposition with regard to Tawhiao personally. What that potentate is asked to give up is in reality nothing substantial — nothing worfh £400 a year, and leaving out of calculation the house and brand new furniture, and tho dignioffleea of M.L.C., J.P., and the asuessoiship. Again we say that if Ta- f whiao follows his own judgment lie 1 will become a snug pensioner of tho l Government and a member of tho !1 Colonial Legislature. But his choico ', may bo hampered by tribal complica- n tions. Tho information with regard i

to what the Government offer to do ', for the Waikatos is necessarily rather vague. Mr Bryce is reported to have said that the bulk of the unsold confiscated land on the western side of Waipa should he returned to Tawhiao and his tribe, and he estimates that. there- are about 20,000 acres available; and that at leost 300 Waikatoa have to be provided for. With regard to the acreage we can say nothing, though we have heard an opinion expressed that it is very much under the estimate formed by the Native Minister. The number of the Waikatos who would have to be provided for is much larger than Mr Bryce is alleged to have stated. Probably there are 600 instead of 300, and the mistake may have been made by the agent of the Press Association, or it may have occurred in transmission. But this proposed concession of confiscated territory does not get over the whole difficulty, and the Native Minister said that he would appeal to the Ngaiimaniapoto chiefs to aid the Waikatos with land. It would be a very generous thing to do, but the Waikatos have no claim whatever on the land, after the war the Waikatos suffered and the Ngatimaniapotos with allowed to go ecob free, although they had been even more forward in rebellion than their unfortunate allies. But the Government were responsible for the blundering injustice which caused the whole weight of punishment to fall on the Waikatos. It remains to be seen whether the Ngatimaniapotos are prepared to act with a noble generosity which might be found wanting in the more civilised pakeha if placed in a like situation. It is evident, however, that a complete reconciliation between the Government and the King natives may ' be the outcome of the present negotiations, without, any such self-sacri-fice on the part of the Ngatimanipotos, and in any case the particulars of the land arrangements cannot be definitely settled at the meeting which is to be held to-day. We are under the impression that the Native Minister expected that Tawhiao would, at the meeting on Thursday last, have givon a decided answer to the general proposals of the Govornment. A memorandum of the terms had been previously supplied to him in order that his reply might be ready. But Tawhiao said nothing to the purpose, and he gave utterance to such metaphorical jargon that it was necessary to ask Major Te Wheoro what it all meant. This is not very encouraging, and 6eems to point to some hidden difficulty, which, however, it is to be hoped will be disposed of in the course of to-day's proceedings.