NATIVE MEETING NEAR ALEXANDR. [BY TELEGRAPH, OWN REPORTER.]

Waikato Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1536, 9 May 1882, Page 3

NATIVE MEETING NEAR ALEXANDR. [BY TELEGRAPH, OWN REPORTER.]

AiiKXANURA, Last Ni fa hfc. * A Denial. A, chief of the Ngatimaniapotos denies tho statements which have been circulated respecting tribal difference between the Ngatiniauiapotos and the Waikatos, and which were said to have been caused through the former residing on the lands of the latter, the Waikatos having -been deprived of their landed' inheritance by the Europeans through the r war, The drinking habits of sWnie'of ' the Waikato rangitirasis the, main source of?;discomfort .with the - Ngatimaniapotos,. who^ generally speaking, 1 are r noiraddidtcd to 'drink/ , , , '.';,' ?•" t " ,;' ' ; The Maori newspaper^' . - -' MrOiO. Dayishadan-iA^ryiew^V^iJih

he and WahanuitVcre determined op having the Kingite organ re-started. He said that' about £80 'had * already been cojlectod among the .people, aud^that every exertion would be made to carry the matter forward. The old plant, as I ! said before, is as present lying at Kopua, in an almost, if not quite useless condition, and it is very probable if the paper is started a new plant will have to be purchased. If these chiefs wish to proceed to work in 1 a really earnest manner, let them exert their influence over 1 their people, and endeavour to retrieve them from the state of drunken depravity into which thoy have recently fallen. They will thus acquire the sympathy of their followers in the task upon which they are about to enter, and unless they do so they can never expect sure support of any kind, whether material or moral;

The Continue^ Adjournment , of the meeting is, I hear, caused by the non-arrival of the chief Matualm, with the Ngateraukawa, of Kapiti (Cook Strait), ami the Ngatikahupanu, of Hawke's Bay. These tribes haye been delayed on their journey through the flooded state of the rivers and continued wet 'weather. They have sent several messengers to Tawhiao, .asking him to delay the meeting until they arrive. This, I believe, Tawhiao intends dping, *& spite of all remonstrances to the contrary.

A Row. A little excitement was caused here yesterday evening, through' natives rescuing «a prisoner who had been arrested for creating a disturbance at the hotel. It appears that a young man named Maniapoto, son of the chief Tupoti, applied at the bar of Finch's hotel for drink, and on being refused became excited, and spoke in rather uncomplimentary terms of a constable who was near by. Tlie constable arrested him, and a rough and tumble row ensued. A large number of natives gathered round, and proceeded to rescue the prisoner, who by this time was being carried off 'by two constables. The police seeing that they were overpowered were compelled to abandon their prisoner, who cleared up into the country when rescued. A native named Wiare and a half-caste are said to be the instigators of the rescue, and the police here will proceed against both immediately. Constable i Charlton, during the scrimmage, had hia f tunic torn. Te Ngakau came to De- \ tective Doolan to-day, and offered to settle the matter by paying the costs of a new tunic, but he refused to make such a settlement, as he is desirous that the case shall be brought before the Court, and the natives taught to respect the law.

Taw Mao's Movements. Tawhiao had breakfast at Finch's Hotel this morning, and has been knock-, ing about town all , day in company with the queen and ArekateraTe Wheio, ofWaotu. He says the meeting will come off on Wednesday without fail, weather permitting. Notwithstanding the many questions put to His Majesty relative to the line of policy he is likely to jmrsne in future, or what is to be brought forward at the meeting, nothing whatever has been elicited as to what he intends doing. He is very reticient, and I am beginning to think from the every - day manner in which the king and his counsel are knocking about, never (as far as any of us can learn) devoting an occasional hour to discussing their mode of pi'ocedme, that they haA r e no prepared policy whatever to bring forward, and that allthey will have to say, particulanly the King himself, -will be impromptu and in accordance with the state of his mind at the time.

Wasteful Habits. Notwithstanding t;he scarcity of food, at Wliafciwhafcihoe, the Maoris heoin to be very destructive as regard their stores. Good potatoes tare sttewn all over the settlement, a& well as other articles of native subsistence, and I would not be surprised if they wanted for such before the meeting terminates. An order was issued to-day by Tawhiao to the local bakei-s, for 2000 loaves, and several boxes of biscuits have been purchased from the local storekeepers.

Arrival of Europeans. Mes&ip. Kennedy Hill, Sarnies and Mouniur, aiul Captain McPherson arrived here yesterday, visited the settlement and interviewed Tiwliiao at his wluuc. Not having an interpreter they fared badly. They left for Hamilton today. Mr. 1?. A. Wiiitaker, M.H.R., with Messis.. "YV. A. Graham and T. G. •Sarnies arrived here to-day j but left again in the afternoon without crossing the liver.

The Liquor Traffic. A native who came from Cambridge was standing on Finch's verandah to-day, treating a number of his friends out of a gigantic flask. When confronted by the constable as to whore he got it, lie replied that it was none of his business, but if ho particularly wanted to know he said he got it at Cambridge.

The Weather still remains wretched, and the roads are anything but pleasant.