A.—No. 19.

10

CORRESPONDENCE RELATIVE TO OHINEMURI,

of the people of this place came over to our side since that Avas done. I ask your party and the other one to speak." Reihana Te Tahua : " Pineaha, you belong to that party ; speak to me who differ in ways of thinking from you both. Smite me who differ from you. Smite only me." Tauaru : " That boundary is the Hauhaus' and King's boundary, ' Hie hie hoero c hold kite koura ote whenua —hie hie aratakina o tamariki ki to wheo.ua,' Leave this land for me ' nga taniwi' —the ' taniwi' have no land at Hauraki." Te Hira: " Welcome, Mr. McLean, to see us, that is if you have come to see the land and the people —to my mind that is the larger portion, this the less. This is mine. The large portion is there, and is in your hands being dealt with ; leave mine to me. The boundary is Omahu. ' Ngawhakahaere' are here, and the good resulting therefrom. Leave it to the eye to see ;if in its observation it be clear, its clearness will extend to all parts of the Island. We speak to you in order that you may hear —for this little Ohinemuri is mine. If it is clear to you cause these diggers to go back in token of your having come here, so that I may dwell here in quietude. Send them away, because the talk is all over. The Hon. the Native Minister : " It is well that you should speak, Te Hira ; a part of your talk is clear. It is said that you also have called Pakehas into this place in order to exclude the Government, and so I have thought my friend, Te Hira, it is right for me to tell you that if you go into that canoe, that is a canoe which will upset. My advice to you is that you adhere to your old friend. I have seen the heads of your party at Tokangamutu ; perhaps you have received letters from them telling you not to act too hastily. You wish to bo quite alone in this place, yet you call Pakehas to come up to this land. I have heard even the terms on Avhich they are to occupy. You tell me to take the Pakehas away, yet you act in a different Avay yourself. All I want is for Te Pai o Hauraki to be Avell managed. The land is not yours only ; others share it as well as you. They should be allowed to deal with their own share as they think best. Let the whole tribe beware of the deceit of other people. To my mind matters should be conducted as they used to be in former days —if the advice of most of you had been followed in times gone by, there would have been but little trouble. Look at your friends sitting there, one party is biting me on one side, the other party is biting me on the other side. Act in such a manner as that good may result to you all, and that each party may carry out its desire Avith regard to its own. I have seen the evils of Avar; do not bring blood on to this place. I am not urging you, but advising you as to the future. Let the wind blow upon our Avords, and let the sun shine upon them. Think calmly over Avhat Aye have been talking of. I have put a stop to some of the troubles in different parts of this Island, and Avant to prevent them from arising here. What good do you derive from the gold under ground, which neither you nor your ancesters ever dreamed of? Let your relatives derive benefit from the treasures which lie hid in their land. I have come back again after the lapse of some years to see you." Te Hira Te Tuiri: " There is evil in Hauraki; if it had been I who brought trouble on to this Island, it would have been right to tell me of it. Hauraki is gone into the hands of the Government of the word is sweet —half bitter. I will not consent. When shall I get life? If you give me life, I shall know. If you give me what is not life, I shall know. Of what is the use of the land after it is broken. When the land is broken, the owner perishes. There is no reason why the land should be broken. My word in respect to this place is correct. This is my place, Avhy do you seek after it ? It is only a little piece. Let it remain to me. [Hauhau pikers.] Reihana Te Tahua: " That which you say in respect to Te Hira inviting some person else to the exclusion of yourself to come to Ohinemuri is entirely without foundation. He Avill not make any difference between them and you. Such a person will get no land on this side of Omahu. To my mind the cause of evil is gold. What you say is correct: I did not know there was any gold under the ground until the Pakahas told me. I make no secret of this. You wish us to live in peace ; that would be good. O'Connor will get no land here. The Hon. D. McLean: " Listen, To Hira. lam going to ask these other people to speak now, as I have not yet heard their words. You and we have been speaking all day." Bopata Te Arakai (Te Pokiha): " You do right to ask us to speak, because before you are the two disputants ; you are the judge ;it is for you to hear and decide. My word to you you already know. You have heard the proposal I made with reference to this place. I have no other. All my friends feel the same as I do. You have already said the most of what I Avould myself have said. A man cultivates his own plot of ground. Each should be allowed to do as he likes with his own. I am weary Avith carrying out the measures of Te Whakahaere o Hauraki, but persevere in them : the plans, however, of the other party end in death. lam the more anxious to have this matter arranged as it is impossible to prevent what will most surely follow. Let it therefore be done not in accordance with the desire of myself alone, but in accordance with the desire of these others, who are interested together with myself." Te Hemara Tiramohine : " You already know AA'hat Aye would say, yet you ask us to speak. My word is the same as Ropata's." Pereneki: "We have nothing else to say beyond what you already have heard. We await your plans in reference to our wishes. These Hauhaus have no right to say anything with reference to our land. We are in the position of a fish Avhich has swallowed a hook and cannot get it out of its throat." Koroneho spoke in somewhat similar terms. Ngatai: " Welcome to Euawcha. There is nothing else to be said to you. Any one else getting up to speak can only say what has already been said. I consented long ago, when Mr. Mackay Avas here, to cede my land. Ido so now the second time." Hocra: "My crime is clear, and is being committed in open day. You are the judge. lam guilty, but this is not an act of actual theft. All the chiefs of Hauraki arc in one canoe. Te Hira is in another. lam a hair from the leg of Te Hira ; but I wish to cultivate my own piece of ground.