TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Press, Volume XLVIII, Issue 7937, 10 August 1891, Page 4

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

The new Knight of the Garter, the Duke of Rutland, although to most people his identity will have become sunk under; his patrician title, was at one time a very familiar figure in English politics. He was known as Lord John Manners. He was the second son of the fifth Duke of Rutland, and was born in 1818: He entered Parliament in June, 1841, being with Mr Gladstone, returned in the Conservative interest for the Borough of Newark. Unlike Mr Gladstone, however, Lord John Manners remained true to his political first love. He was appointed First Commissioner of Works in Lord Derby's Administration in 1852, and hold a similar position in the same leader's second and third Administrations, 1853-59 and 1866-67. On the return of the Conservatives to power in 187- he was appointed Postmaster-General, and held that office until the downfall of the Ministry in 1860. He was again appointed to the same post by Lord Salisbury in 1885, and on the formation of that nobleman's second Ministry was Chancellor of the Duchy of

Lancaster, having in the meantime succeeded to the Dukedom on the death of his brother.

On» of the most voluminous papers presented to Parliament this session is the report of the Commission appointed to enquire into the subject of tho Native Land Laws. It consists of over a hundred foolscap pages of printed matter. We confess that we do not believe many members of Parliament even will take the trouble of reading it, and that we are not very hopeful of any return at all commensurate with the expenditure which mujt have been incurred on this costly work. In order that the money may not be entirely thrown away, we have glanced through it to see if it were possible to seize hold of a point or two likely to interest the public, but we have not been very succeasf ___.

One of the witnesses, Mr Robert Ward, an experienced Native Land Judge, gave some rather disheartening information regarding the Maori people. He had been Resident Magistrate, he said, for many years, and ie seemed to him that the Maoris are less affected by the administration of the oath than Europeans are. The European, he explained, will sometimes tell lies in the Court, and so will the Maori. The European is ashamed to be found out, while the Maori does not care. Mr Ward prefers, when he is taking the evidence of a Maori, to see his face, in order to judge whether he is telling the truth or uot, and he belives that he is rarely mistaken in the opinion he forms. He gives an instance in which he found a Maori making a number of conflicting statements which he was quite unable to explain. He then continues :—

" I said,' Is it not a fact that you are simply fabricating these statements ? He hesitated some time, and then looking up he said ' Yes, I have.' Then I said 'Nearly all these statements then are fabrications of your own? 'Yes,' he answered. I asked, 'Do you know tha difference between speaking the truth and lying!' He looked up, smiled, and said ' There is no difference until you are found out.' I think he meant that the Court should accept a statement mode by a Maori S3 true until it could find out that it was a lie. They think the Court fair game for receiving any statement in support of their case, though it may be utterly without foundation. When they are claiming a block of land they are trying to win the laud just as if they were attacking apa in the olden time; and just as in tho olden time any trick or device was ftiir in their warfare, so now they thin_ that in the Native Laud Court everything too is fair. Really respectable Maoris, or those who are looked on as such, will at times tell the most unblushing lies in this way, and they consider that there is no impropriety or shame to be attached to them in consequence."

' Aud yet it is possible under certain circumstances to rely on a Maori's word. An old chief at Turakina once threatened to cut down Mr Ward with an axe, and rushed across the Court over several forms to attack him. Mr Ward had him arrested, when he apologised, and promised to behave properly in future. Mr Ward- said " You are a chief. I will take -yoxx- wonL" _.___,_ was S-___-i_n_. -The loX_L .-T_ Tpif ___Ar—,__ £E & '* re 2—xxxx a_y x____r_> trouble.

J _Q3-K Wabd also gives a somewhat melancholy account of the results of educating tha --Coords nndnr tbe present system. Refer-in? to some of the Native boys, -_o attend __te aolroo-— _ __c aays =—— " They aro clever, they dress wen ; spea_ and read English welt; _hey can play -.LUiacdU. well; t_.e_r can sing a comic song well, and yet tbey wa np good for work. They are not comfortable in their pas. they are ont of their element. They- will not work, and the r__ul. ia that they do nothing. Ido not know one of thorn who has worked at a trade for any time. They are still Maoris, but with the veneer of civilisation. There must be another generation before yon can get them out of that condition. They have the savage mind Btill, and that is why I think they cannot settle down to any work. The young fellows are too ready to pick up the vices of tbe Europeans, and not their better qualities. Thab is speaking generally. So with the girls. There was a college at Wanganui, started for the purpose of educating Maori girls, but it has stopped, and I am inclined to think without any real harm. The girls were brought from the pas to be educated, and they really improved wonderfully. They had a polish put on them. But after their education was over they used to go back to Maori habits again, or they did worse. They did not meet with educated Maoris who would marry with them. Their home surroundings were not suitable to them; they were out of the sphere they had been in."

Coming from one who has not only i had long experience of the Maoris himself, but is the son of an old missionary, these views no doubt accurately j represent the case of a largenumberof the Maoris. Theyformsomewhat depressing reading to well-wishers of the Native race, who desire to see them improved by civilisation, and taking the position for which their high physical and mental qualities seem to mark them out.