THE NATIVE MINISTER AT ALEXANDRA. [FROM OUR OWN REPORTER.] The Government Proposals. Speculations on the Result. [BY TELEGRAPH. — OWN REPORTER.]

Waikato Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1613, 4 November 1882, Page 2

THE N ATI VE MINISTER AT ALEXANDRA. [FROM OUR OWN REPORTER.] The Government Proposals.

Speculations on the Result. [BY TELEGRAPH. — OWN REPORTER.]

Important Meeting, Alkxvxukv, Thursday Night. Thk following is the translation of a memoraiuliun sent by Mr Bryce 'to Tawhiao through Major Te Wheoro on Tuesday last. It is a copy of the proposals of the Government : — "As to land :" Government will return ,the bulk' of Crown confiscated land west, of .Waipa and Waikato to Tawhiao and his* people. They will give him the section of land he wants ' fit Kaipara.' They ' \vill , press Ngatinianiapoto to give Tawhiao and his p ople a piece of their country ; (2.) As to special provision, the Government will give Tawhiao a pension of £400 a year. They will build him a house and furnish it'; (3.) As to mioiaov authority, Government will make him an Assessor of t the, Resident Magistrate's .Court ; an Assessor of the Native Lands Cotut; a Justice of the Pe.ice for the Colony, and a member of the Legislative Council." I learli that the land which the Government have offered ,to give, back to the Waikatos is in extent about 20,000 acres, which will have to be divided , between about 300 people, making an average of about 70 acres for each. Tawhiao having considered Air Bryce's proposals, a meeting was arranged for today. Precisely at 2 o'clock in the afternoon Mr Bryce, in company with Mr Butler, Private Secretary, Mr Wilkinson, Native Agent, and Mr Lewis, Undersecretary Native Department, drove into Whatiwhatihoe. The natives were arranged in their usual way, out there M r ere not so many present as on Monday. Tawhiao was the first speaker.' Standing in front of Mr Bryce he said : I ask you all to listen (addressing his people). This is my word about the Queen. We are still living here together , (her authority is xiQt ignored). The chiefs of the peddle and myself are still living here to.gefcher (amenable to the law). 'What' l have said r«fers to the Queen; I do not want to have my 'words clothed .in coat and trousers; li>would.ratherI i> would. rather that they were naked.' My occupying, this 'place (WhaHwhatihoe) was, my first .approach to the Government aud the leading European chiefs,; but I did not ;heai] any* word. Then I . thouglvt i. 1,,1(ad better travel.; ■ ,-I was wdepmed, by, the, chiefs of the pppple, and listened as I .travelled L (thioiigh Waikato.) I did not attempt to travel the whole distance in one day. The ashes of, ,my tires, accumulated at Nganiawahia, . .Gainbiidge and' other places.* Uutil I reached Mercer and, returned 'I ' was* welcbmed 1 iby" the' leading* people in the difterervb' towns. * *■ I uppre" ! ciated their action. Then I returned and" decided 'to qo f "to -AucUlauct/ Wauauai*was' my companion- Snail -my' jourhiyings. ! ' ! " I reached 1 * Auckland 1 ' and ' was vrelboirierl by s ' the' leading people,' which I was pleased 'at.- v '■'"But' 1 did' not' hear anything üboittitheseiprtfposals, so I returned? <JiSMben;rrcaehe4 jher^l asked Major'Mair/;to give nje^^g^f %if>WY i m6 5 ,for,my lands.'but.hedidinat'agreeto pay

trl^ii^^^^fetbe people. I urgeallrim tn?si!nmMwl» this, bat he did I t(ie2|Bn,ok«ikto"^)i % Pollen in, the same way, jfjf&ne Interred ( me to' Air jßoltesion. Youri!|is thjimSst proposal. I ''•ppi'p^e of pa/rt fira the -{proposals. I ap;pro\'^3 off then©i|thejip|SposalB) in the %st,j~i3n the ' secojjjjL^ffcl in the third Spararglaphs jsf*^h«^-memoranda. [The "proposals Tawhiao here refers to as those which he approevs of are, the return of confiscated lands, the gift of land at Kaipara, and the promise to urge the Ngatimaniapotos to give up a block of land to his people] 1 look upon these as being mine. The decision about this [referring to sovereignty] is with the tribes, and must be considered by them. My heart's desire is to see it; finished to-day, that the old women and children-; may. be witnesses. I accept that part of- the proposals, but let the rest remain in abeyance to be considered. Ido not want to prolong fine discussion.^ 'Let this" be* 'the' end to-day. 'Mi^Bryce, referring' to Tawhiao's remarks, said that some of the things •which "he-had said were clear,*-and some 1 were the reverse of clear. By this he meant to convey that he did not quite understand all Tawhiao had said. He first understood Tawhiao to make reference to the Queen, [and then to .explain that for some time past he has been drawing nearer and nearer. That when he came down ; here (Whatiwhatihoe)'it was his first step ; that when he went to Waikato it was his second step ; and that when he went' to' Auckland it was his third step. He believed him to have &aid that matters were not explained to? him at that time. He (Mr Bryce) had had a talk with his 'colleagues t upon that very subject at the time of Tawhiao's visit to Auckland. He then said to his colleagues that he had better go to Auckland and tell Tawhiao exactly what they meant. , They, -however,, thought it was a mere friendly visit to the white people after being a long time absent, and that,*consequently, it would not be proper to talk upon business matters on an occasion of that sort. He had been ready at that time as well as he was then, 'to ' tell Tawhiao exactly what the Government intended doing. He could have told him then as he harl told him a few days ago, that a divided sovereignty in this land was not p issible. Tawhiao had seen during his visits to the European settlements that he was treated as a great Maori chief, and.} ib was in this way he (Mr Bryce), desired to treat him now. He was ready that day to go further into details as to the intentions of the Government in respect to Tawhiao and his tribe. He thought, however, Tawhiao should' make his views somewhat more clear than he had done, particularly as to what lie meant on the question of sovereignty. Tawhiao in reply, said : This is good. What harm is there in this. This is your word to me standing in my own' land. Do not get angry- with" me, but 'listen carefully. Let it remain at my acceptance of all the proposals. I refer to, and let the others remain in obeyance until they have been considered. You go in your path, and I will go in mine, and if I decide I will go over to your side. ' It is enough, I have seen you. Therefore, I aay, let the matter now romain as I have requested. Mr Bryce, in replying, said that Tawhiao had said the other day that he intended to talk plain so that lie might not be misunderstood. He did not consider, however, Ije had kept to his^ promise on this occasion when he saidt that he intended taking some things, and keeping something back. It was right that he should tell the assembled natives there what he was going to do for Tawhiao, in order that they might see that they were liberal proposals. He made these proposals because he recognised in Tawhiao a chief who has been looked up to by the Maori people as their leader. That was one reason. Another reason was that these proposals were to finally settle the trouble between both races ; and not to leave some questions of trouble outstanding for another, day. Whatever he offered must be accepted or declined as a whole, for nothing must be left to produce trouble at some future time. Tawhiao had said '•Who makes a present and then takes it back J" He had made no present. He was, however, goiut; to make a proposal ; but let it be distinctly understood that the proposals which lie was about to make were his, and would not remain for another day after he had left Alexandra. When he left Alexandia he took his proposals with him, and hethoughtthey would ne\ er be repeated. Tlieiefoie lie would &ny, never let Tawhiao or any other Maori piesent say m the future that they thought these proposals were still in existence, but know that they wont away with him if they were not accepted These proposals wore made with a view to their settling everything, including the question of sovereignty. Mr Bryce then repeated the offers enumerated at the head of this letter. He considered tliebe proposals, of great liberality, and it would be \\ ell-becoming Tawhiao, a-s a Vlaoii chief, to frankly accept them at once. "Ho must not, however, pick out some and leave the others unsettled, but either accept all or reject all ; and if lie did not accept them, all he could say wa-. that the mm was setting, and the same offer nny never be made again. Hu thought now he. had set him (Tawhiao) an example of plain speaking, and he heliet cd they all thoroughly understood what he had said. If his offers were deolined now, a heavy lebponsibility rested, on Tawhiao, and lie (Mr Bryce) would hays to take his own couisc. Tawhiao again spoke. He said : The proposals I before referred to are good. Directly I saw them I was pleased with them ; but the latter ones I leave for the chiefs and the people 'to 'decide, and I will join with thorn in considering them. The first proposals I receive conditionally. Do not say ii I reject- some of the' proposals and accept the others you will withdraw ,them all Luave mo to consider them. I cannot decide upon them in a day, for I have only just .seen them. Let them be carefully' considered. Do not treat me like a European, as if I were clever and discerning. I want you to speak plainly, and then I will be satisfied. This is a day for you and me to contend. Do not say that if I accept some of your proposals and reject others you will carry them all away with you. Do not do * that, ja3 I have only, now seen the 'Government conduct, shatters satisfactorily. Mr Bryce said he had. just another word to say in reply to Tawhiao. What he proposed to do in keeping out one thing and leaving others was still leaving the cause of dissatisfaction between the two races in existence. What /he had come there for was to try to remove the dissatisfaction which had existed. "Trouble was always certain to arise where there was divided authority. Therefore, if these causes were to disappear his ( proposals ' must be frankly accepted. He , would ask Tawhiao how long he wanted to consider the question of sovereignty. As for leaving any one of the questions for an indefinite period, that was altogether beyond consideration just now. Tawhiao having again addressed a few remarks to the meeting, it was* agreed that he. should give his answer on Saturday.'Another meeting, which is expected to be the final one, will therefore be held on Saturday, and I have not the slightest doubt ,tliat ( Tawliiaojs .answer will be fa vdtVrablej ' ami 'thai" due ' iii'i'pdr fcaiYfc' part' of, the native question will be satisfactorily ?and fiually settled. ;i ;' .? , / ;' f * i Alter* the meeting Tawhiao drove into town witb Mr, Bryce. nM / o '"• -, :'

' < i v^M'i Alexandra, Last.Nighti , Nothing;tiie\v*-4uJ regards to* aiative matters, l>as transpired ':since yestertlayi 1The jyeathpr-Jbeing rattheiv niifavoumble, 1 Mr Br^jßfhas not fief 14tli6^i6ettrdin.eiit I tpr^ I'day. > 'nieetiijg*i|k!-, arranged If or, ?%re liwcl*»4mwHw*#w|li«W af rejJly? ft

~t6'dkyi>'*Tawhiao told*jiini he was quite, ready to hear Mr \viil not be favp.urajble, .and of course, in the event of his , refusal fo his Hl nn S s J^ #* th ? $W>iP S ??% J riX it he withdrawn* * j ' 7 * S f ** Tlie Ngatn»a.niapokL. fjwL a meeting to-day, and,' t learn £o uphold Tawhiao as Maori Km^. This also tends to slio>r that, the repjy will t not be ,as favorable as anticipated. ' " Mr_Bryce and party leave for Auckland by special train at 3 o'clock to-tfiorrftW.' '