THE NATIVE MINISTER IN WAIKATO. A Review of the Week's Proceedings.

Waikato Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2081, 7 November 1885, Page 2

THE NATIVE MINISTER IN WAIKATO. A Review of the Week's Proceedings.

[IJ\ or u Si-M'ni I{Ki>oiirEn|. Mil Bm i. wok armed m Hamilton ye-ter-d.iv, after nearly a week's sojourn lit AlexjmdiA and Kilukihi. Though, it would seem, from the in irked absence <>f anything like a public demonstration th.i., no business had been done, the visit on the whole has been <>f .1 satisfactory chaiacter. It is a well known anil generally admitted fact tl)at little good ever lesults fiom the lartre public meetings such as those which lrv\e hitherto been held for the discussion of n itive affair-, and that the most hatisf.ictoiy am! expeditious means of coining to .in uiidei standing with the Maoris and arranging their affairs is by the private korero or inteiview with the chiefs 01 recognised le.ideis. Tho sentiments which these chiefs e\pie*.s in private are not at all consistent with their xiews as deliveied in public. Though Ido not for a moment infer that Mr IJallauce avoided a public meeting with the natives —on the contrary, I believe th.it that was his great object in coming t" fc ' ll> W.ukato — .it tho same tur.o 1 sincerely believe he has effected more bj lim private interviews with tho chiefs than lie could have been lod to anticipate. Tho natives are, certainly very much disappointed tlut tlin Native Minister did not g<> to Te Kuiti. They had upent a large sum of money in provisions, had ovon bought a napkin, a knife and fork, pannikin and plate for their dintinguished vinitor, and had also in.ido ninuigoments on an elaborate Bcalo for his housing. In fact Uarnum's immortal Jumbn could not hare been better provided for. A programme of ipeeclKs had nlso been dr.iwn I up with the order of precedence arranged. Hut Mr I3.iU.ince unfortunately could not ride, and there wai no road by which he could drive, and the .state *f the weather w<ii not favourable to a voyage in a canoe on the placid waters of the W.iip.i, nor, indeed, everything else permitting, had he the necessary time at his disposal. The natives cannot complain, for their request | th.it the mountain should go to Mohammed instead of Mohamniod going to the mountain could not be entertained. Mr Uallance has, however, promised to return shoitly, when he vv ill li.-vtc the pleasure of m etiii o ' them m a body.

I V W 111 VO \\l) PE Will OHO. Te Whonui having dioppi-d out of .til tin 1 good tilings <lf (ioMTIIIIICIIt, 111-" ln.Ulgll lated a. now uio\ uttiont l>v way i>f ie»tonng a* f.n as possible tho fallen m.ifi.i of the king. To prevent, then, people from taking advantage of the Luid (Joint, and thu.s woikmg distensions in the "empire," the\ have been holding up tho M inngat uitan c.ue as .1 sort of bogie. They are endeavouring to impress upon the natives tho corruption of tin-, modem tiibuual, which always gives the hind to the wiong patties, umi not to those \vhost> patrimony it is. Again, it is averted th.it it is only those who arc in f.iwuir of celling who tin secure tho land, .mil th it, therefore, nnle— » people ,\ra %n illtiiK to cl*.*.il with the land-<h.irk-> they c.vnnot expect tho coin t to adjudic.ite in theii f.ivom. Tho-iO lUpuncnt-i have ;\ \eiy {,'reat effect on tho niitne iiiind when n>ed by a gentleman of Mi Te Wlicom'-. e\perience and 'cutene», and it is not to be wondeied at that tho nj,'htful o\\nei> should be tumd in taking ad \.wtage of the Lind Court. Te Whconi :md T.iwhi.io lia\o also been starting tho piophet Te lveii to work in the king interest. Tbn genius has been making a tour of the settlements, hai.inguing tho multitude to come undei the burner of the coming power, and predicting .ill sorts of evil to those who piitsi-4 in their disloyal course. This prophet while at Taupo vint> prophesying about the eclipse of the sun, when some Miiall boy, to his gieat discomfiture, jrnt up and ptoduced the alunn.ic containing the piediction in full, which was tho mean-* nt inducing Te Ken to t.ike his imini'dt.Ate di'pirture fiom tin; district. It Ims seemed of lite as if Tawlnao's kingship and niHuence v\.is about to have ntiofhcr leasi- ; but, though he has been cieating a littl<'stir, theliovernnient.irenotlikclyagain to have to seiiomly considci his niilimnu 1 . A desire is gradu.illj' becoming in mife-<t on tho pait of tho big landowners to enjoy tho privilege-, of their wealth while they live, or eUc to secure it to then childien befoi e th-v die. Hopa to Rjngianiui, whom Te Wheio h.ul induced to sign his landovel to Tawhiao at tho iccent moeting, has already recanted, and has expressed his willingness to leave hii affairs in the hand of Wahaniu whose supenor wisdom lie defers to.

Tvwimo. A stranger to this distuct hearing the nettlor-i along tho border upeftk of tho

MISCKU. VVKOI x. With regard to the evnbitant charge* which thoiutivni h.uu been inflicting on tins contractor* for limber, also f<»r paddock*, Mr R-illanco li.im armugod with the iiiti\i: committee tli.it tho ordinary maikft lates '-hall be eh irgerl for all timber umml, and thnt tlio p.tddouks hIi.iII ho used at a ltMsonablo rcnt.il. As to the o.«rth ri>c|iiuud by the contiiitton to nil up tliu lint*, it h.is buen .irrdngcd to pay them m) much an acre tot tho earth taken, .s.iy o* to 101 an acte as the uiluo irny be. It has boon arranged tli.it in future these thing* are to >k> decided by aibitiation brtween the nntnu Cfintmttec unil tbo (toveiniuent. Mr Uall.inuo has found a dispoMittou on the ji.ii t of the u.itites when tho m.ittnr has been piopoily lepio^ented to thrin to be fair and reasonable in everything they lia\«dont. A^ 111 1 the stopping <;f the mail to IV Kuiti, tins h.ii only been an intertrib.il difference, each triVxs asmMting its light to c.irry tho mail o\er itx own tenitory. This \)M also been uiiiicibly au.ui^ed.

NiK r \.\r> <oi in. The time is not far distant when the Luid Com t, notwithstanding parent piejudiceh, will be c.dled into lt-quiMtiou to settle the title to the Kin-; cixintij. Though sewu.il of the chiefs have signed a pajtcr I), Hiding over theii lands to Taw hiao, .1 coimtei feeling is already netting in, mid befoie loir,' thin^t will be getting so mixed, and inti-icsts no conflicting, that the Land Court will ho uniw'i sally appealed to. .V feeling of suspicion h becomim.' piesalent among the leading men, who .ne licj,'inuin^ t«ir»e(s tli.it nnle^tliey look after them-»i'heM now they are not likely to lu\e a chance of doing v> Viy and-bye. When at Ale\.uidr.i, .Mi ISallance li.nl a lon^ discussion with W.ihninn on the mittci. W'.ihauui is stion^ly in f.uour of tho court, and thinks th.it the time i> non' at li.md when it might with .safety be tiled. He thinks that though the natives luw been Imdly truati'd in the p.ist they h.ue still an oppoitunity of doiny good foi themselves, and that after their land ih disided they will ha\e surtiuient to maintain tho whole nice comfortably. Tho ljatiteh, while they nit! anxious for the court, aroafiaidof it, lest by a corrupt court the rightful owner* may be displaced. Mi ILilUnco complain* that almost everywhere, ho poeß, among tho natnes c^iecially, when his businosa mm connection with the land couit, the Maungatautaii case is constantly laked \i)) or quoted as an example. Hop.i is also willing for the court to sit, and h.n agieed to lei\e his intarusts to the direction of Wiihnniii. Though ho Hignod the paper, gisiug the land to Tnwlnao, he now says he is kefping it for his children, and not foi T.iwln.io. It will not be long, I think, befoie the l.nnl of tho King country will be ad indicated on.

rilK I'lM>M'M'll\(. Wll-sI'IOV. This impoi taut matter ha- been en^a^ing the attention of the Native Minister dmiu^ In-, present vi-.it, aud it i- not too iimcli to ity tli.it lie has succeeded a-> tar a-> it was pos-ible under the circumstances. It is .1 niatfci which cannot well be settled until the title to the Jiuid is individualized, ;uid .is this cannot bo done out of hand, some tune is likely to elap>e befoie the prospector will be at hbetty to explore the country. Complaint* h:i\B been made by pro-pectois in this district th.it the Native Minister has not Riven hi- penniv.ion to tht* jno-pcctitif; of the King Countty fiotit tins end, but Li-< perini-tiou, it mii-f be evident, is merely one of the condition-. The -.diction of the landowners nm-t .d-o be obt lined ; and the question naturally arise,-, Who aro the real owners? The o-ten-ible owner- and the bitf chief- have not pit it all their own way now a-d.iy-. for theie are \ery few blocks for which there aie notcountei claimants awell a- claimants. Therefore, to niake the o^iictiou of a chiet \alul his title to the laud nm-t tir-b be individualized. The chief Hainaki met Mr Jidlnnce at Alevandra. lie 1- the ostensible owner of the Tuhua country, where a rich goldhold is said to e\i*t. He e\-jne-sed his willingness that his c nintry should be prospected, but only by peisons that he knew, and who received the s.mction of the Xathe \Jini-tei. A- fm Hop.i Te Kau^ianiiii, lie is ali<» beliexed to be agreeable to the pnH|iectins of Hangitoto, but even with hi- permi-sion pio-pectoi-could not hope to pmceed with then woik uninteiiuptedly. However, it will not be long before the Uan^itoto iilock will Ik; befoio the Court, and when the title is fixed no fiirthoi trouble .should be expenenced.

M:n'iikincr i.s very likely to be peiplexed as to tho correct orthugi.iphy of that dignitAryV name. During my trip through tlie country I must confess I have frequently been Mirpiised at the clx/ic 1 variety of pronunciations met with. T was able during my tiip to inako the veiy handsome/ collection of about i do/en different specimens. " Tavvfy " is iictlini»s the most frequently met with ; then we h.uo "Tafhe, andas a slight niipioveiiu-nt on this we have " Tafh \" winch aftei all is not far out. " Tuffaio " is another vanety, with " Tuffio," [teih.ips as an abbreviation ; and iiioio easy and convenient (-till we have the brief but cla-sic " Tuff)*." Some incline to oxpungo the " f '' alto^etbei, and speak of " Tahio" oi "Taw lio,'" or, betti'i still, "Tavvhio." It was from one of those Maoii quidnunc^, those geiitleineii fie(mently met with alon;,' the boidei or iu>ticatin^ about native suttleineuts .tud who aie always ready and willing on a minutes' notice to solve tlie native difhculty, that I cuight "Tahoho," and an inteiesting and valuable fneiid. who offered to lay me, lon^ odds that tho Native Minister belonged to the House of Im.iel, spoke of " my old and lotcred fiiend TutFli'-lio."