MAORI ADDRESS TO THE KING.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIII, Issue 149, 25 June 1902, Page 5

MAORI ADDRESS TO THE KING.

AN ELOQUENT MESSAGE OF

LOYALTY;

The address which is to be presented to the King on the occasion of his Coronation from the Maori people of New Zealand was despatched by mail to London some weeks ago, in order that Mr Seddon might present it to His Majesty at the proper time.

The address, which is a handsome work of ai*t, was prepared in the Auckland "Star" .Office. The text is in old English, and the pictorial decorations include a ti-palin, as emblematical of New Zealand flora, a hula* heather, and the Royal Standard. The wording is the work of the Hon. J. Carroll, Native Minister, who despatched it on behalf of the Maori people generally, at the desire of the leading chiefs. The signatures to the address are the names of the various Maori tribes, of the colony, numbering thirty-seven, the only name not appearing being that of Waikato, on whose behalf Mahuta lately despatched a separate address. The tribes whose names appear represent the native people from the North Cape to the Bluff, and include Tuhoe (of the Urewera country), , Ngatimaniapoto, Ngaiterangi, Whakatohea, Ngatituwharetoa, Te Atiawa, and others who fought against the British and colonial forces in the war days, but who are now as loyal as any pakeha. The address, which bears the impress of Mr Carroll's eloquence of language,, is worded as follows:— ,

"To His Most. Gracious Majesty Edward the Seventh, By the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and of the British Dominions Beyond the Seas, King, Defender of the Faith. "May it please Your Majesty: "On the occasion of Your Most Gracious Majesty's Coronation ' we, the Maori tribes of New Zealand herein named, beg to offer our greetings and respect to our King and Sovereign, and to tender to Your Majesty the assurance of our devotion to your person and throne, and of our loyalty to the Empire. We, among the youngest of your children, are moved to address you across the wide space which divides us from you by' the loVe we bore your illustrious mother, Her late Majesty Queen Victoria, and our attachment, to the throne which you now ascend in this year of our Lord.

"We have mourned the dead Queen, whom we regarded as a mother, while she lived. She has gone to rest with the mighty dead, adding to their long roll a name the most noble and revered. Now by virtue of your succession you are our King and our father.

"Hear, O Sire! This is our word and pledge: To the throne we wil ever be true, for did not your children discover long ago, in the reign of 'the Great Queen, that under her benign rule all her subjects had equal rights and protection? To the service of the Empire we dedicate ourselves. For would not our best, out of the few we are, now be fighting shoulder to shoulder with our white brothers against the nation's foes had Your Majesty permitted. Since, however, the policy of Your Majesty's Government prevented our proving by active service the depth of our loyalty, w.e ask Your Majesty to be. assured that, our hearts are true to our King, and that his foes are our foes.

"We cannot see you in person, as we so strongly desire; yet we have seen you in the person of our Prince, your Royal Son, whose passing through our midst will ever be treasured as the memorable event of our lives. From him we were pleased to hear of Your Majesty's message to us, 'your Maori children,' and to him we tendered our special regards for Your Majesty. The occasion which calls the world to do honour to Your Majesty inspires us to repeat those sentiments which your princely son has already borne to you, and mayhap in the universal acclaim of many voices that of your Maori people seems small and weak. Your Majesty will know that our hearts are big with love for you. To us it !s enough that we have spoken. It is enough that we have been permitted in. this way to approach Your Majesty's throne to' tender our earnest wishes that Your Majesty may enjoy a long and prosperous reign ovjer the Empire, the great heritage of .a great, people. "God save the King! "Signed —Ngapuhi, Te Aupouri, Ngatimaru, Ngatihineuru, Ngatiruanui, Whanau-a-Apanui, Ngatipahauwera, Te Arawa, Rarawa, Ngatimaniapo-to, Ngatiwhiti, Rangitane, Ngatiawa, Hauiti, Ngatikahungunu, Te Atiawa, Ngatiapa, Muaupoko, Tuhoe, Rongowhakaata, Te Whanua-a-Rua, Ngatitahu, Whanganui, Ngatiwhatua, Ngatituwharetoa, Ngatiraukawa, Te Whakatohe;i„ Aita-nag-a-Mahaki, Ngatimamoe, Ngatiporou, Ngatitipa, Ngatimanawa, Ngararau, Ngatitoa, Ngatitai, Waitaha, Ngaiterangi."