REWI AND THE NATIVE AMNESTY ACT.

Waikato Times, Volume XX, Issue 1649, 30 January 1883, Page 2

REWI AND THE NATIVE AMNESTY ACT.

Somh few weeks ago wo published an account of a meeting of native chiefs of Ngatimaniapoto, held at Puniu, for the purpose of discussing the Amnesty Act. Rewi, it will be remembered, at the request of the meeting then wrote a letter to Mr Bryce, asking that a proclamation under the Amnesty Act should be issued. Mr Bryce's reply to this letter was to the effect that unless a person repented truly * •of his sins they could not be forgiven,, and that ho understood that one of the persons charged with having committed crime had threatened any European or half-caste who went near him. This beiug the ca«c the Government could riot see' their way to comply with Rewi's prayer. In leply to this communication on the 27th inst., Rewi replied as follows : — "Kihikihi, Waikato, January 27 tli, 1883. To Mr Bryco. Greetings to you. I have received your letter of the llth of the month. 'In' reply I would, say that I do hot 'quito understand the words you use — 'That a pet son must repent him truly before his sins can bo forgiven.' If you take these words of yours from scripture then they are somewhat clear to me, for scripture saith, 'by prayer a man's sins will be forgiven.' My letter Which I sent you was a prayer fi om the persons who have sinned. I was their mediator. From what I know, and have seen in the scriptures, I gather if a man prays sincerely for his sins to be forgiven that is repentance. In your opinion, what is repentance? Te Kooti, perhaps; is the person whom 'you say has not repented. If so, I now pray you to forgive the sins that Weterc te Rerenga and others are charged with ; for I think that it cannot be right because one man docs not repent , therefore the sins of those who nave repented should not be forgiven. lam desirous that some means be devised whereby the light will shine on the two races. Now, in my opinion, this is one of the ways whereby a means can be adopted which is that the sins of the people be first forgiven, so that the Maori side may know that the European side does not bear malice for works done during the days of error. If you agree to this lam sure the light will enter into the hearts of the Maori people, and through the rejoicing io£ hearts, on account of the ' love shown (by you, it will not be long before a mean's will be found whereby the two races will Jive on our island bearing love one to.wards the other. Another word of mine ' to you is this, in order 1 that you'iriay ;know that all' the ' persons who ' are said r to have committed "wrongs do not belong to the Ngatimaniapoto tribe. 1 ' All 1 those persons belong to tribes outside of Ngati-> maniapoto. There is only one man charged who belongs to Ngatimaniapoto, ; an*d that man is Wetere 'te RerengaA/ja .You should look at the behaviour * 4 oMf ■ Wetere te Rej r enga during the days and ' f years 'just' past.*- In everyone's opinion 'that man has repented truly, and as Parjliampnt has made a law, whereby, you can .forgive the si,ns of ,th,e, Mapri pe.ople, committed * in 'the days of darknesSj why Should you delay issuing the,,p'roclamajtion forgiving hisj/sms^thaj;- is ,#., he f is thought to have sinned. ' Friend, ' let ,not this be left as earth to rot the root of the tree you and I have planted, lest this 'should, become a grub a?d center into its i roots; the- result ot * which 4 the- tree will' falljdowji. , all irom Rewi Maniapoto." ' As regards the tree referred' to jby Rewi,ia,his-Jetter, it willf be 1 rememj bered that at a meeting with Mr Bryce at , his^em}lhfo£elitf Kiftikihi£ Mr'Bryce^ said "let us plant a tree of good which 1 will grow-up and bear ,gopd r fruit.,", ,and in replying to this.Rewi.'saia, vv ''YesV -we wm i>lWmtUree f 'and the two' 'of us toftethep,wiU v no^ishCife" r r 4 t t? >.j,,ii „ The natives'are somewhat bewildered The' parcersy»ten^iii:iewj^ ttj^ijhines I ~* sl , r !6 e M* ian "-)» £" u^tSingmsl&flmpraveii with :cb«eK suid-alljextras>j£s ssy'W6iitEBiia^P4 10« • fcckaiv^ys^am^Flif -% Y |