LATEST THAMES NEWS.

Auckland Star, Volume V, Issue 1502, 3 December 1874, Page 3

LATEST THAMES NEWS.

IMPORTANT NATIVE MEETING

.TE HIKA AND TE MOANANUI STILL OBDURATE.

MR. MACKAY DECLARES HE WILL

OP.cN OHINEMURI.

HELEA.VfS FOR AUCKLAND TO CON-

SULT MI >IST££S.

TE MOANANUI COMING TO AUCKLAND TO INTERVIEW IHE GuVERNOR.

GRAHAMSTOWN. (Prom our own Correspondent,) This day.

II A letter from his Honor the Supermtenpt to the secretary of the Thames annual W, intimates that should other engage**n s not p'event him he wi)l be present at "6 Thames during the races. Good progress is being made with, the wwf extension, which is now out 60 feet. The Golden Calf crushing of 12 tons yielded « ounces.

The Loyalty trial of 25 tons gave 5 ounces. A few specimens were not included in the "rushing. ■ The Dauuntless Tribute started crushing {Way, and have a good rich paddock of •tone.

The Queen of Beauty crushing is showing JP well, and will have another lich yield on "turday. The new reef in the Vanguard working Foyes to be in the Queen of Thames ground, !"« will pass through aSportion of the Van"fo the Bird in Hand. At the Police court to-day the case against flortou, for breach of the Friendly Society's m,was withdrawn., natiTes aesem'bled at Pukateawairaha .? Tuesday to discuss the Ohinemuri ques-

*c Moananui strongly advised the natives ,w to sp?ak. but to leave the matter in the "Jm of himself and Te Hira. A Jong discussion then took place between ■oeaha to Wharekoheie, Mataia, Moananui, *"} to'Mackay. J!j c Moanauui, in addressing Mr Mackay, .. '■ You have your guns, powder, caps, Vn' v ° not care for tßat* * bave given J°i those lands outside for your goods, and Wat is all. Mr Mackay replied " What is this about ttß. powder, etc. I thought our warfare Jr to be confined to a war of words, and «rtona Uea were to be the weapons ;if you JP* talking; about those things, I can 11 you »t once that I am not; afraid of you deaftr,lrasaid: Theraihana has given the been • wto every Place- That which has given up outside in the daylight ought footo* • P ayment- This is asked for. I 'C, • ffiy word ' 1 will not give it up. iftrn v Settlu Jt well if you can ;if not, *hei Q i J arises > lt will n»t be a new thing in 1l«ri e(lUeßtion as to tne opening of the OhineMi- M C°i aatry was then discussed generally. "lackay then called on Ngatikoi. UteLf^P a Baharnhi said that he never *2iw to ca3t his debts on anyother Place 14 wunemuri. He had no interest else-

where. (When Te Hira found how Te Kepa was shaping he got up and left the meeting attended by the "array of 1" Horopapera j Jhen le Moaranui tried to bounce the Itgatikoi, but Mr Mackay said that he need not try to dictate to him, and turning to Ngatikoi, he said,"Ngatikoi, you and yonr land are here. Fear not Te Moananui, but trust to me."

Hoare Te Mimiha then started to speak, but Te Moananui, Mere Titia, and Tareranui tried to put him down. Then addressing Mr Mackay, they said, "If you side with Ngatikoi, take them with you. Take them away." Then followed a general shindy. Hopihona sided with Ngatikoi, and things got pretty warm. Te Moananui was dancing mad, and gave vent to his feelings in no measured terms. When he had finished, Mr Mackay took no notice of what he had said, but simply called on the Whakatohea to speak.

Pineaha te Wharekohai said he took the responsibility on himself for what had been done by Te Whakatohea. If others gave up land here in payment of their debts he would do the same. The Whokatohea debt was not large. He called on others of the tribe to speak sensibly iv reference to the matter ia hand.

Paraone to Maupu said that formerly Ngatitamatera had not been willing to allow him to share with them outside. Now he did not want to do so. He had an ancestor there through whom he could claim. He now said that his land was here in Ohinemuri, and against that land would his debt be charged. He was fully determined on the point, and would say no more. Te Moananui again tried to change their determination, and then he and Mr Mackay went at it again. Tareranui and Mere Titia joined in, and after some discussion Mr Mackay told the natives that he would proclaim Ohinemun opened to the miners. He would withdraw his former prohibition, and call upon the miners to come and take possession Te Moananui's people and the Kiriwera then got up to go, and Mr Mackay told them that they had to thank themselves for what he had done. If they had met him fairly he would have gone into the matter quietly. Who cared for their displeasure ?

Wi Kolca then got up and said that he would now state openly that he gave up Ohinemuri. (He threw down a stick as a symbol, and Mr Mackay picked it up) Mataia followed suit, and exchanged his tewhatewha for Mr Mackay's whip. After the meeting, Mr Mitchell and several other Europeans waited on Mr. Mackay, and asked whether they were to consider Ohinemiiri opened ?— Mr. Mackay replied that they would have to wait until he proclaimed the fact; in English before taking action. Be would state, however, that if Te Moananui and others persisted in refusing to meet him fairly and settle their just debts he would have no further consideration for them, but would proceed to act on the strength of the dociiments in his possession. Afterwards, addressing the natives, he said he would claim to the eastward of a line running from the present boundary at Kurere, keeping along the base of the hills, and skirtiDg the Komata and Paeroa bocks, then passing the settlements and crossing the Ohinemuri River above them, then running by Rotokohu and crossing the end of the range to the Waihou River, excepting the Waihi and Mataora settlements on the East Coast.

The rest of the day was occupied by the natives in discussing minor matters.

Things have now reached a crisis

Te Moananui started for Auckland on horseback last night with the intention to see the Government.

Mr Mackay has also left for Auckland,

Most of the natives who are willing to open the country, wish to do so on the same terms as now existing on the Thames, miners rights &c.

The Thames: Advertiser this morning asks

—"Will the Government back Mr Mackay in the step he has taken, or carry the matter further than he appears to have done ? Mr Mackay says he will take for gold mining the land from Kurere, the present boundary of the goldneld beyond Hikutaia, along the base of the hills, leaving the natives in possession of the whole of the flat lands. We have very serious doubts whether Ohinemuri is worth having on these terms."