THE NATIVE MINISTER AND THE MAORI KING.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 5476, 6 February 1885, Page 3

THE NATIVE MINISTER AND THE MAORI KING.

Speeches at tho Whatiwahtihoe Jleeting.

Alexandßa, this day, Hon. Mr Ballance met Tawhiao at Whatiwhatihoe to-day, when about 500 were' present. -After the usual greetings were exchanged, Tawhiao said he agreed to the railway going through on condition that he was allowed the management of native affairs generally withiu tho King country. He was tho person with whom ajl authority lay bo far as the granting of permission was concerned. Ho aeked that the Government should:be careful in dealing-with matters in connection with Kawhia. ,He,;wanted to: Jcnow what reply tho Government had Bent Win inianßw#r ;( io.the.=great sMoori'petition. He a«ked the Government to understand

that lie desired to bd" consulted on all mattors connected with tho Maori race. Major Ti; VThkoro asked that tho Maoris ,be allowed lo govern themsolves. Ho - thought the Eurupoans and Maoris should ■ act independently, with the Queen as j the common head. Every Act passed by , Parliament concerning the native people i should first bo submitted to the nativo J people, and then laid before Parliament in . the form suggested by them. I Te Noakau referred to the fact that in 1 the native courts there were sometimes '. three or four judges to a session. This was not fair; the number should bo equnl. Ho also thought that there should bo equal representation in Parliament. He asked that though Government might be allowed the managomonr. of the railway itself, Tawhiao, and the natives should have tho management of tho country on cither side of tho lino. Pataiia tk Toui asked for the use of tho H inotnoa to convey Maoriee from all parts of tho ieland to Knwhia to attend a big nativo mooting at Whatiwhatihoo on 12th March. Mr Bauasjce repliod that there could bo only ono Govornment in Now Zoaland for Europeans and Maoriea; that in that Government the natives woro represented nnd no distinttion ma.de between tho races ; there waa only ono law for both. l?y tho appointment of nativo committees the Government woro giving tho natives tho manasjomont of their own nffairs, In all laws connected with tho nativo race, ho would say tho natives wero fully consulted before tiioy woro brought boforo Parliament. Ho would see in future that in the Land Courts there would only bo ono judge for ono assessor. Ho agreed with To Ngakau that tho Maori representation should be increased in Parliament. Ho had advocated such an increase. In respect to the Hinemoa, ho would consult the Governmout on the matter, and givo them an answer In a few days. Respecting the potition, and Tawhiao's mission to England, Mr Ballance said Lord Derby would not spook a word against the Government of the colony. Ho recognises as fully as any man in the colony that the Parliament and Government of this colony are supremo within the colony. Lord Derby nover told Tawhiao anything contrary to that, though other pooplo may have said so for their own selfish ends. Lord Dorby knows that the Queen thromgh hor Governor and Parliament Acts in this colony just the same as she does at Home. The Queen is here as well as at Home. The law officers of tho Crown were sending a reply to tho petition. The question that has been raised in England as to tho treaty of Waitangi having been carefully considered by thorn. The treaty of Waitangi did not provide that two Governments should bo sot up in Now Zealand. In tbat treaty the natives bound themselves t« accept the law* of the Queen, in exchange for which she guaranteed to them their lives and property and liberty. No foreign power would bo allowed to interfere in the internal affuire of the colony. Mr Ballanoo, beforo leaving, invited Tawhiao and To Wheoro to Wellington next session to talk over matters conoorning tho native raco. So far, Mr Ballnnoe's mission has boon universally considered eminently successful.