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in the House than have the pakehas. It is to that Parliament you must look to redress your grievances. You must trust to that Parliament doing you and your race justice. You must see that I and my colleagues lead that House and those members aright. It is our desire to help them on the right path—the path that will lead to prosperity We wish to see the Native race and hear what they desire. Therefore, you have now an opportunity to speak out your minds. Do not let your minds disguise your thought, but speak as men. If your tongues are forked they disguise the thoughts that are within your minds, then you yourselves will be to blame. The chief of the Ngatimanawa said he looked upon my colleague, Mr Carroll, as a son, that he had sent him to Parliament, and hoped he would do him justice. All I can say is he deserves credit for sending so substantial and promising a son to Parliament. My colleague is a very old son from so young a father There would be very great difficulty, if we put the two together, in saying which was the father and which was the son. But there is no doubt whatever that my taking this son of the Ngatimanawa with me on this my trip to the Native race in the different parts of the colony has been a great advantage to me, and will greatly benefit the Natives. I feel sure from that fact alone that you may look forward to good results. One of the chief speakers here to-day said that no doubt I was here to listen, and that you would not expect replies to the matters brought before me, but that I would reply when I got back to the Big House in Wellington. Up to the present I have heard nothing but your good and kind welcome. Your songs of welcome are still ringing pleasantly in my ears. I shall ever remember with pleasure our pleasant social meeting last night, but I still desire to listen to you and to know what your wants, requirements, wishes, and aspirations are. I must apologize for not being able to give you timely notice of my visit, because if I had done so your numbers here to-day would have been ten times as great as I see before me now but, as the pakehas say, it is not always from the numbers that you get the greatest wisdom, and there are quite sufficient representatives of the Native race and of the different tribes to lay plainly before the Government, to let me know, your desires, how you are situated, and to let me help you. Once more I thank you for your kind welcome. lam your friend , speak, and I will listen. Mehaka said, —Welcome, Timi Kara! lam glad to see you here to-day with our parent. A truce to greetings. Now to business. My first word is this We cannot finish our business today You will have to give me until to-morrow. This is no small event, the fact of your presence here, considering the great office you hold in the colony It is a marvel to us that you have exercised such fortitude and overcome so many difficulties to get here. Even your journey from Euatoki to this place was no small task, and we can only congratulate ourselves that you have undertaken it to see us who live in these parts. I speak now on behalf of Patuheuheu. I have a grievance I have land under cultivation, but I have no means by which I can convey the produce I reap from it to the European centres. I have now to make a request to you that a road be opened up from this side along the track you came yesterday so as to open up communication with Botorua and Whakatane. It is time this place was connected with Ohinemutu by a good road. We should also be connected with Whakatane. The only outlets for my produce are Ohinemutu and Eotorua, and I should like to have an outlet by way of Whakatane, because it may so happen that I may get a better price for my produce at Whakatane than at Eotorua. Why should I be shut out from such a market ? Another subject I will touch upon is the establishment of a school at Tahohi. I make this request to you to-day to establish a school there, and I want the Government to take for school purposes the two acres that I selected for a site. Enough on that subject. The third subject is a matter respecting Waiohau. This is a matter we took to Parliament when you, Mr Carroll, also represented us in the House. If the Government can take this matter—that is to say, the dispute that existed and still exists between Mr Piper and myself—into their hands, I would like it very much. When the survey of a certain road was going on the Government did not let the Natives know These Natives might be excused for taking up a hostile attitude. I mention this because I think it is my duty to do so, and to save any misunderstanding, so that when the Government want to survey ample notice should be given to us. We hope the Government will not think it was open hostility when we took up the attitude we did. You might also consider this that my people had for a long time remained in obscurity in the recesses of their country, not going into the light, and that now on their first coming out they are eager to join with the new administration. They hear this would benefit them and offer facilities, and by doing this they should be encouraged. We are told the law will relieve the people. When the law confers benefits upon the people it should receive every encouragement. There is another matter I want to bring before you. There was a block of land investigated and sold to the Government. Now some of my children were included in the titles as owners, and their interests were seized upon by the Government and transferred to the Public Trustee. I would like to have the administration of my own children's property I should like their interests handed back to them, so that if they like to keep their property they can, and if they want to sell, I will sell for them. I now want to speak on behalf of the Patuheuheu people. They have always been a loyal tribe. Many took up arms on the side of the Government. Some of them are now tottering on the brink of eternity Their time is brief in this world, and I think they should receive some consideration for their services in the past, which should not be forgotten. In conclusion, after pointing out the various matters to you, I would say I should like you, before this meeting is at an end, to show us how we can put all this to you. The Premier : I will deal at once with the matters which have been brought under my notice by the last speaker The first matter was the question of making a road through from here to Euatoki so as to open up the country, give the people facilities for travelling and taking their produce to the best market. Now the Government is favourable to opening up the country so as to let the light of day in amongst the Natives, and give the Native settlers the best means of communication. But at Euatoki the Natives had a meeting lasting from the end of February to the 4th of March, the result of which was that they decided that they did not want any roads at all, they would not have them. I was pained when I heard that, because they are standing in their own