"HAEREMAI " AND "TAIHOA," OR THE OPENING OF THE KIHIKIHI MEETING.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1965, 10 February 1885, Page 4

"HAEREMAI " AND "TAIHOA," OR THE OPENING OF THE KIHIKIHI MEETING.

Thk following which, fioui pie-snie of business in tin 1 Kihikihi Telegraph Olhci\ could not be .sent through on Wednesday night, foims the opening pojtion of the mtetmg which Mr Rillanco held on the morning of that day : — The Native Minister met the natives .it eleven to day (Wednesday) in the Public Hall, which was tilled throughout. — Wai). mm was the hist to welcome him to tin ir mid-t to talk o\ei inatteis affecting their 1 inds. — Taonui followed in a, sunil u strain. Te Raugi welcomed Mr Uallance as the Queen 1-*1 -* representative. He said :— A* Native Minister \ou .ire the Queen's- leprehentative, and the Queen's power is p.uainount in the colony ; theiefore, I welcome you ;»s such. Hitere said wlien one person of note f.ilK another Uses m his place. He had a gie.it deal to say, and it was all embodied in the one word, — Love. Hote Thomson said the confiscation line was the houudaiy of tin 1 Kniopein-, and over that bound.uy he did not want to have .in) thing to do with them. Mr R ill.vice could not le>spn the tumbles that had passed away. Nor could he loosen the burden that remained on his(Hote's) back. Kewi addressed the m-vting, refening to the policy of Native Mini<teis since Su Donald McLean. He lemembered the policies of past Mini-ttM*, th it he might compare them wifh those nf Mi 15 ill.uuv. I s.iy the same now as T did to McLean. In the commencement of atfan s w e w ere alw ays taught to look to the Vlu.ighty by the nnnisteis of the <!o-pil, but now the Miimteis of the (Joveintnent had come along and taught n» to look to the law. Several othei chiefs also joined m Welcoming the Native Minister Mi ttall.incr said : I think you all for the veiv coi dial welcome you have given me heie to-day. It has given me gieat pleasure to meet the chiefs and people of the Waikato tillies. I recognise th.it though we may hold different opinions on Mihjects of policy, jet joti aie all agieed in wtlcomiiig the iepie-1 nt.itive <>f the (Jo v eminent. Your woids slum the feeling jim enteitam -imply tow aids nijself a> .», repiestnt.itive of the Qu-vn. I have hsteni <1 to your s(>utiiiients and they .lie .ill excellent. It ha» been well said by a chief who has spoken that the Queen is siipieine in this colony. It does not lequire u> to go out of the colony to hnd the power of the Queen. The Queen, represented by the <>oveinnient and by the Vaili intent, is heie as much as m Kugl md, and it is from that authority in the colony that will pio ceed all redress: of giievanees. It has Imm-ii -aid th it "in in in p is-es aw ay and auothei man ernes. Yes, that is so, but the (Joy eminent .md the l'.nli.inient remain, and w ill -in viv i> the lives of n- ill. The sun of William Thomson has said that v\e cannot unloose the trouble fastened on hi-> back. Why not ? He can unloose his ow n t.isk if he choose^, but if ho will persist in put suing false ideas and false hopes the tumble will remain on his back. Manga has lefeiicd to the hope that a policy will l>e given which will be clear to the native mind. I have only to say to this point that I <h.ill ti yto make my ideas cle uto all of you I wish to keep nothing back, but to take you into the cogfideuce of the ( Joveinnient, and state the policy they intend to puisne, w itlioiit am lex'i v.ition whetever. I have he.nd tint theic ale many subject which aie agit iting yoin mind .it the ]iie-cnt moment. Theie is the question of the i.ulwav, Lands C'oiut, and the land. 1 hope to lit ai the extension of -\oiii views on these and other difteient subject-, and T sliall tir to explain am thing that may Ik 1 ol>-ciiie, and make it then to y«iiu mind-. It is s.iiil that a promise has been given bv mv piedecessor th.it nothing would Ih> done Im'Voikl the survey to the i.iilwav until a lepresentative of the (Jovernnient again appealed amongst you. I looked t<> hnd this piomise among the records of the department, but failed to do so, foi 1 lecognised that it ■was mv duty to make good all piomises. When I he.ud fioin sevei.il of the chiefs th.it Mich pioiniHes h.ul l>een made, T lost no opportunity of announcing that I should appear among you, and I am herv to-daj to discuss all quer-tions you niiiy think of importance--to put plainly Id-fore \«u the jmlicy and intentions of the (tov ei nment with u-gaid to the land, the iailwa\ and the loads. If theie .utiothei subjects which mvi wi-h me to refeier to, 1 hope ym will not hesitate in bunging them foiwaid. ft is well theie should be a deal undei standing iKtwein the (lovi'innieiit and the nativi people. The piesint ( !ov einmeiit believe that then- should be n«> ditfeieuie lietween the two laces in theii v\oids, that the\ should be made one |>eople. It i^ oui smceiede-iie to ]iiomote in even pos-ibh v\aj the happiness and pio-peiity of tin M .mi i«. Theiefoie, whenevei then- is a diffeience in opinion, I hope we -lull dis cuss it, and sic whitlur it can be adju-tid. 1 again thank you for the yen cordial welcome jmi have given me as the iepesentative of the (iovemment. Wah.mui then suggestt d that the meeting -hotild be adjoin ned till after dinnei, t<i give the natives an op]xiitunity of talking theniatter ovei, anil airaan o '- ing the line of tli>»ii pmcei ding«.