NATIVE MEETING IN HAWKE'S BAY.

Waikato Times, Volume III, Issue 165, 29 May 1873, Page 2

NATIVE MEETING IN HAWKE'S BAY.

The following it a. list of the resolutions propoied by He~ nareMatua at a recent Waimarama meeting and pawed :—: — 1. itoligion. — All pay more attention- to. thi* than. they have lately. 2. That natives cease to fight against each, otlier,. whether, on European »ido or not. All. should cease to-shedsblooi. 3. That no>morc disputes about land should arise.. 4. The cbiefii in Crown Grants- should, cease, to. exercise unfair power over their haput. b. That all tribes, chiefs, and committee wish 70 or 8Q« Maoris to be members of Parliament, instead of the few who now attend. 6' .The chiefs and committee bring, the confiscated land* before Parliament for them to decide whether to return it or not. 7. All tribes, chief*, and committee objcot to million loan* which has to be paid for by both races. 8. That all the tribes, chiefs, and committee, commencing at Poverty Bay, extending to Taupo, here, indt Wairarapa, carefully see into these matters. 9. Chiefs and committee to- bear in mind tfie word* of ths lawyer cut stated above, and look after those tribes who arein distress. 10. That all chiefs, tribes, and committee write to ask. Parliament to appoint new Commission under Native [LandsAct, with power to decide coses when tried.. 1L All chiefs, tribes, and committee write to ask Parliar ment to pass- a new Native Lands Act. 12. All chiefs, &c, unite in one body to ask Parliamentsto loot into mortgages, of lands in this province and othor places. 13 All chieft, Sin., ask Parliament to acknowledge authority of Maori committee. 14: Ml ohiefs, <fee.,. request Parliament to enquire intocases where some grantees have sold their shares and others* I have nob. 15. That Parliament be requested to destroy NativeLands Act, Crown Grants, leases, «te 16. All chiefs, tribes, and committee join together to* carry on these. plans. 17. All be cautious what tribes join ttacommitteo Maori for- fear of trouble; 18. That all support; Committee Maori as a law for New Zealand. ' 19. All unite 1 in. overthrowing Government and their. ' servants- when -acting wrong. I 20. All carry these resolutions to Parliament. 21. All request Panliainent to ignore all disputed signatures.. 22. All tribes, &c, to>liare a say in remaining lands. 23. All New Zealand tribes, strictly to adhere to religion ;. let existing evils be decided by law. 24. Bishops and ministers to be allowed' to carry out religious matters so that, no blame be attached to them.— Perhaps tfie most significant observation made in reference to these resolutions was from Heta Matua, the younger brother and right hand man of Henare Matua. Ho said :— These resolutions hare oome from the sea and the clouds,, not from the valleys, hills,, and cliffs of this island. They, wen made by Europeans^ who, when, they wish, will find some means of putting them aside." At the close of the meeting a collection was mado for the lawyer ; about £130' was raised. Karaitiana and Renata having already sub* scribed £200 between them. Some difficulty was felt as to how the balance should be raised. Hence Henare Matua coolly suggested that the Government should join and subscribe £100. Another native interposed that perhaps the Government would' require all their mones to defend themselves in the cases to be brought against them. Old Harawira, and one or two other gentlemen were much exercised about "the million loan," as they called it, for whioh " Now Zealand had* been mortgaged," and without their consent. One of them, named Hori te Aunga, objected to it, Tery decidedly, " because," he said, " if it were not paid back, NewZealand would be taken as payment, and if that were not sufficient, then his horses and cattle would be taken as well.'" This is the sort of political instruction that the natives get from the precious European advisers to whom they have betaken themselves. The subject of paying more attention to religion thaa hitherto, though broached in. the first respiration, did not occupy much of tho attention, of the meeting. On* speaker, named Temeara, remarked, in regard to it, with pleasing candour, " Your talk respecting religion is pood. It is my own ftvilt if lam too idle to attend service. We all know that if a hafta was going on during service, thechurch would be left empty.— E. B. Eerald.

Wo clip the following from the Canterbury Press, 7thi instant: — "The motion of th» Provincial Secretory last" evening in the Provincial Council relative to> th» granting of a bonus of £2,000 to the individual company successfullyestablishing a woollen manufactory in Canterbury, evoked some discussion, tho general opinion of th» members taking port in it being that the bonus was not large enough. A Tory general expression of dissatisfaction at the conditions not being clearly stated in the notice, led the hon. member to withdraw it, and the Government have promised to bring: it down again in a more definite form." Not very long ago, aa a party of notables, including a portly, venerable member of the Legislature, wero doing the lions of Beechworth, it chanced that they paid a visit to tho lunatic asylum. After inspecting the dormitories and yards, in which th« male patients were taking their exercise, and having a general look through the building, they proceeded to where the women were taking their daily stroll, scarcely had they entered, when; one- of the patients, a gaunt female of uncertain age, made » sudden rush at the venerable M.P., exclaiming — "Ha! what do I behold; my long lost husbandj" and proceeded to overwhelm him -with (lie most demonstrative tokens of affection. Completely dismayed, the M.P., who is wot usually abashed, was powerless in the hands of the unfortunate creature, and thereseemed to bt a possibility of his being reduced to thn condition of poor old Uncle Ned, bo far as the covering for bin hend was concerned, had not the medical officer* and attendant* come to his rescue. The poor victim of a waodori»g inmginulion was led away to her cell protesting moot volieineiitly against being torn from one whom she loved, more than her life; Mie unfortunate object oi mutakoJ identity retired to urrange )m dishevelled locks, protc*lni£ that he had quite cmugh of lunatic a»ylum -uniting.