THE PUKEHANGA OUTRAGE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 267, 17 September 1879, Page 2

THE PUKEHANGA OUTRAGE.

JUDGMENT OF TEE COUNCIL OF TRIBES. $ THE OFFENDERS TO BE GIVEN UP. . « (PER I'KESS AGENT,) Gkaiiamstown, Monday, The judgment of the tribes of Hauraki was a most elaborate one, justifying the crime from a Maori point of view, but showing that the peace of Hamcki would be at stake if the offenders did not surrender to be tried by European law, A formal demand was made for the offenders and refused, The tribes then separated ; but yesterday two of the leading chiefs, Tukukino and Pineha, talked the matter over and arrived at a, conclusion to see that, the men were given up to European law, ' A pigeon mes'age received late last night says;—" With the exception of Pineha, the Ngatihako left for their homes at seven o'clock on Saturday ni»ht " Later advices state that wise counsels have prevailed, It will be four or five days before the matter is finally settled. Waata Tipaau, a young chief at the Mii\nda, and Tukukino will bring the culprits to justice,

The following pigeon message appears in this morning's Advertiser from the meeting of the Hauraki tribes at Ohineni uri : Paeroa, Saturday. The opinion I expressed a few days ago that the Hauraki chiefs in conclave assembled would, as the. result of their deliberations, demand the immediate and unconditional surrender of the perpetrators of the outrage, has proved correct, All day yesterday the two committees appointed by the runanga to go through the evidence, were engaged in carrying out their instructions. The younger committee appointed Tapari, ser.ior, chairman, and sat in the Court-house. Hohepa Brown was chosen chairman of the other body, which was called the old committee, and which did its work in the public hall. After each committee had gone through the evidence, they met together and reexamined it. Alter which they discussed the whole matter, and arrived at their decision. To-day the runanga met the Ngatihako haou at the meeting place on the river bank. Two noticeable features in regard to them were, that they were more than usually quiet, and that only one man was decked in fighting costume, all the rest being dressed in the ordinary fashion, although ever since they arrived here they have had their war paint on. Hoani Nalie, of Kirikiri, opened the days proceedings, by reading the following judgment, which is as follows:—" The Ngatihako's action : It has been proved that Timiha was wrong in connection with the ownership of the land—l. He wa» wrong in not stating to Mr Wilkinson

that Tangitehua and Kirikiri was included in the block the Ngatihakos proposed to sell to the Government. He stated that Pukehanga was all the land he was selling. 2. His keeping hidden, or misrepresented the boundary known as " Owahakatina," and stating that the kahiketea was the boundary, was wrong, many witnesses having stated during the inquiry that the boundary was Owhakatina. 3. At one time he stated that the boundary of the line of his ancestors ran in a zig-zag direction, and another time he said it ran in a straight line. That is false. 4. the land is at the southern' boundary of lrys block, and which ho calls native land, i,j not so, ,■ as that is the Papa block. The' Government's action, on advancing i\ioi | e'T\on land not yet through the Coutaj|£& Pukehanga, Tangieuha, and no Crown grants had been ordered for these blocks), is wrong. The Ngatihakos action.—They have done wrong, as blood had been shed. This Commtttee is clear that the survey in which the European , was shot, was the Ngatihako's survey. i, that is proved by Mr Wilkinson, who ' says nearly all the Ngatihako tribe took money on the land winch they sMcl under the namo of Pukehanga. Mr Wilkinson says "Those Ngatihakos who were able to do so gave the boundaries of their land, and those who could not give the boundaries listened whilo others of their people did so for them, and none objected. The name they gave their block was Pukehanga. Mr Wilkinson gave the names of all ••vho had advances upon the block, and they turned out to be all Ngatihako people. Therefore, the Commmittee is satisfied that the Ngatihakos were tho cause of the survey, and that the survey was for the Pukehanga block, The Committee see that the survey was made by Ngatihako and the Government conjointly, consequent on the Government buying land before it had passed the Court, and it was on account of this system of land purchase that trouble has arisen, and through this the chief surveyor authorises his surveyors to make surveys of land on which the Government advanced money. Had not Government made advances on land, which was not passed through the Court this trouble would not have arisen, and had they not paid money to Timiha, and the rest of the Ngatihako, and authorised the survey, Timiha would not have had money to have the survey of his land made, nor would the chief surveyor have authorised his men to survey it. Therefore the Committee consider that both the Ngatihakos and the Government also are to blame, and that they also cenconaider that the Ngatihakos should give up 200 acres of the Pukehanga block for the European that was shot as an atonement for their doing wrong in surveying the lands in Tangiueha and Kirituna (adjoining Pukehanga), which are owned by the Ngatihako. The Committee consider that the shooting of the Pakeha was wrong according to the English law, or according to the law or the word of Hauraki, which provides that no blood should be shed within the Hauraki district, but the Committee on looking at the matter, consider that there was a reason for shooting the European, which was the surveying by the Ngatihako and the Government of a portion of the Ngatihako's land without their consent. Many survey parties had been turned off previously by the Ngatihakos, without their continuing to survey; but they at last got tired of turning them off, and although they used to take the surveyor's instruments, they persisted in surveying the land, and the \ reason why they shot persons in this case V was in order to stop the system of surveying. The Committee considered that the act would have been justifiable had the persons shot been Maoris, but as they were pakehas, the Committee considered the act was wrong, Reference was made ! to the case of McCaskill who shot Hoani Paha at Hikutaia. His ca3e was carried before the Supreme Court, so that he might be tried by law, and it was proved . that he had not any crime. Therefore the Committee decided that the persons who shot the Europeans should give themselves up to be tried by such Court, and in such a manner as McCaskill was tried. The judgment was read clearly and deliberately, and was listened to by the belligerents with the greateit attention.

A long rambling discussion then ensued, Hatapaka, on behalf of the council, asked the owners of thePukehanga block (Ngatikoes) whether it was their intention to carry out that portion of the judgment which had reference to themselves, Thniha replied that his tribe were contented to let the law take its course. A demand for the surrender of the culprits was tlipn made by the assembled chiefs, • which was, as expected, refused, although not in the European manner. The only speakers on the Ngatihakos side were the chief Pineha, and a young intelligent *- Hauhau priest named Tiwai. He strongly deprecated land buying and selling, as it had, and always would he, the cause' of trouble between the two races, and asked that surveys, roads, railways, telegraphs, and Land Couits should be handed over to them (meaning, it is thought, that they should he abolished.) • Mr Wilkinson informed them that it was impossible to discuss those matters until Paliara and Epiha were handed over to justice, Finding that the Ngatihakos would not yield, old Hotereni Taipari rose, and m a brief speech, said that the runanga had carried out to the best of their ability the purpose for which they had been called together, but had failed to achieve that success which they hoped they would have attained, and they now handed back to Mr Puckey, who had represented Mr Sheehan, the whole matter. Mr Puckey, in a few remarks, regretted that the Ngatihako had not agreed with the decision that had that day been given, and warned all outside that hapu not to interfere in any future course the Government might decide upon, in order that they might not get themselves into trouble. He was followed by Pineha, who maintained that his people had not transgressed the law under the circumstances. He said they would now return to their settlements onJJKk, banks of the Waihou, and if the jfirafc peans wanted them they could go them by force. He advised Ml|s||B not only Pakara arid Epiha, tribe of men, women, and children; affin make away with them, thereby blottißß out the name of Ngatihako. He warneffl them that if the two men were lodged in goal, the whole tribe, when released, would take up arms, and devastate the „ country. The meeting then broke up. The Thames chiefs left for the Thames this evening, in the Te Aroha. With the exception ff Pihena, the Ngatihakos left for their home at seven o'clock, The latest news states that Tukokino is going to bring the culprits to justice. Sunday, 5 p.m. The people of the Thames will be pleased to hear that wise counsels have prevailed since yesterday, and within a week, the Police Court will be graced with the presence of Messrs Buckley and Webster. Through the exertions of the Government officials Tukokino induced . Pineha to remain behind for a day or two, for the purpose of talking the matter privately. They were engaged all to-day in

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