TAWHIAO'S MARCH MEETING.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1983, 24 March 1885, Page 3

TAWHIAO'S MARCH MEETING.

iFROM OUR OWN COUKKSPOXDKNT. | Ar.KXVNimv, March 21. Tawhiao's great March meeting concluded today. There were not less than one thousand natives present from various paits of the island. Of Europeans who generally attetid on mich occasions, with one exception, none wore pro-ent. Amongst the natives who were present iind represented their people were: — for the Ngapuhi tribe, Mivtui to Aiiiuui, Hon Wnnata, Te Atur.ina and P.ipaka ; Ngatiwhfttua, Paora Tuhaeri and others ; tho Ngatirango, Henare to Rnvvhiti, Te Hemara and Te Kar-wai ; the Ngati whakauere by Petere te Pukuatua, and others the Ngati pact by Pokai, Tui.u and others, tho Ngati taiuatcnv by H.ita, Tar.Tanni, Tukukino and others and the Njr.ititipa, by Ruka, To Kara and others. A number of other tribes wero also present whose n xmes lam not familiar with. There wore a few nf the Ngdtimaniapot') present, including R>wi and Hauauru. Hirini T.uwhanga, the agitator, of cuur.se was tiroientamJ conspicuous m coming forward, to speak at every opportunity. A good de.il of talk during tho meeting was privstte amongst themselves. But one of the pnncip<i] things bro\ight forward and di-tuicsi d m public, whs a report sent to Parliament referring to the King natives, in which it Was stated that Tawhiao ha 1 littl" <t no influence, if ''xtnnding t«> only .")00 nativi sat the most. Iv Tawhiao's opinione thi- report * is ne it to Ko^land to damap him and his con-panions while on thei. \\*\t to London to present their petition A letter wis read from Hoii Ropu saymg that largo meetings woro being held on the Ea^t Coast by those unable to attind at Whatiwhntihoe ; that at one rreeting .tt Taurancra I.tOO signatures hid bt en obtained and several hundreds at other places, all acknowledging Tawhiao'-. supremacy. At the close of tho meeting Te VVbeoro stated there were now upwards of l?, 000 names to add to the petition to the f^neen, asking for a full restitution of their lights under the treaty of Waiting, and the acknowledging of T.iwhiao as their king. — Hirini Taivyhanga read the report referred to in English, mteipreting it son tence by t-entencf to those present Hirini was particularly severe on the Government and all connected with it.— Major Te Wheoro, in speaking, said the Europeans are a great people, n people of great knowledge, of books, of laws, of every thing else ; they hnd in their hand* all tho laws and the best of lawyers to explain them, vet they could not answer their petition, which had b'jen so long delivered. They had been told by the Native Minister some timo ago the Government were considering it. Why, lip asked, were they so long in considering it ? In his own mind ho thought they were considering how to evade answering it. By thp treaty of Waitangi they were to live under equal laws, but there weio now two, one for the pakeha and one for the Maori. Tawhiao, both on Wednesday and today, appealed in his full dress regalia, .is a Good Templ.ir. and made a good speech in favour of teetot.ilism, in which heinno way refrained fi »in referring to his own former habits, and his determination to stick to the blue ribbon and the obligations connected will) it in future. Major To Wheoro who also appeared in regalia, spoke in favour of the blue rilibon, quoting himself as h<i\ing been a victim of intemperance Hn told how natives were induced to nign leases of thei i lands and even to sell outrisrlit to the pakeha who supplied them with dunk, without receiving any consideration whatever but the waipno which mt >\ic.itpd them, and made th<;m oblivious of having lik'ned away their biitlirigbt. Taiwlianjri of curse followed iv the tame strain, but much stronger, giving an example, and mentioning the names of two Euiopeans who h.id succeeded in obtaining lands from natives by obtaining their sigiiHturcs while dmnlc, but u lio, Imuevrr, thanks to him, Sydney, were forred to give them up again. S\dney, leferiin^' to the railway extension from Te Awamutii, told them, that telling Tawhuo that natives could obtain employment on conBtiucting the railway, w.is a deliberate insult, (spoken in English) The pakohas fitting there knew what tho word insult meant. If Tawluao liked he could stop the l ail way, by commencing an action in the Supreme Court against the Government. As usual at native meetings, the proceedings were \ery discursive and frequently interrupted by arrivals and also by denths, no lnss than five, two men, two women, and a child, having died and been buiied during the week. It w the intention of the native*, when all the signatures are returned to Whatiwhatihoe from the various tribes, to send them attached to a supplementary petition to the one presented by Tawhiao and his companion to the (government when in England 1 . Tawhiao hafl received a pressing invitation to visit the Ngapuhis at the Bny of Islands, which he has accepted, and will visit them in May next. During tho week some of tho natives engaged tho Public Hall for two nights, where they gave an entertainment of unngs and dancfe, and bad full houses, prices, Is and Is fid, ladies free, 1 was not present, but am informed the performances were well conducted and gave general satisfaction.

Rewabe of green fruit. The fruit cannot help l>eing green, but you can. Thk Swedish brig Nutai, which sailed from Boston for Brisbane, put into New York on Jan. 29. A terrible mutiny had occurred. The captain was attacked in his berth at night by the carpenter with a broad axe, but, aided by the mate, beat him off, and also tho steward, who joined the assailant. The captain, after stunchine his wounds, sailed out with the mate, and faced the steward and three sailors armed with axes, sheath knives, and capstan bars- A ferocious fight ensued, in which the captain and the mate tii umphed. The captain's eon and the second mtte had been murdered by the mutineers and thrown overboard. Finally, when the mutineers submitted, the captain having no leg-irons or handcufni to secure them, shot the steward and carpenter Jetd and threw the bodies overboard. Tho seamen then agreed to Qbey ordcra.