APPEAL TO THE KING.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 148, 17 March 1908, Page 8

APPEAL TO THE KING.

A MAORI PETITION. "TRAMPLING UPON COVENANTS AND CONTRACTS." ' V' Tlie Natives in various parlS of-Now Zealand have from time to time protested at the manner their alleged rights under, the Treaty of Waitahgi. havo been abrogated or ' set asido by Acts passed from time, tb timo by the Parliament of Nov,- Zealand. The voicing of their grievances has not ; had tile desired effect, and tho Maoris-of; tho'King Country decided some time ago to petition the Throne."' This petition,. which has been numerously signed, has boon presented'to-His. Excellency tho. Governor, by.whoih 'it . will later on bo forwarded, to His'.Majcsty.'-King- E&waid-YII. Tho movement has a patron in tho. Hon. Mah.uta P. T. To Whejofrhcro,; M.L.C. (tho Maori King), with - Mr. Henaro Kaihau, M.P. Tho chief executive oiheer, hov.-ov'er, is Mr. Tupii Taingakawa to naharoa, a descendent of- tho great' Wiremu lamihana fee Waharoa, His is Mr. Rev.'i Mok'ena. - - ■'•

' His. Excellency • tlicS Governor. left Wellington, yesterday morning for the purpose of attending a. meeting at Waharoa during tho weok, when the.contents.of tho petition Will bo discussed.. ' ". TEXT OF THE PETITION. ' , The following, js the text of the petition :— To. His Most Gracious"" Edwardvt-lip Sevontii. by the Grace of God, of the' United King--Great Britain, and, Ireland, and of the British Dominions beyond tho ; seas, King, Defender of tlio Faith." ' Alay it .plejiso your Majesty. _ Thisv petition' from us, Maoris of'; Now Zealand, whoso names are signed hereunder, - ■ • - ' That we .yo Maoris of Now Zealand, living undei- the joint sovereignty of yourself and your mother, Queon Victoria;-who;during her ilifctims mado a sacred:.treaty between 'hersolf. and . the Maori chiefs who assembled at \\a;tangi in the year 18-10. That:you now stand in/her place;- to. sit Pn tlio throne of; your mother, and to abide by tbo coycnajits and coutraets permanently granted-by vour. mother tb the Maori -people hving m Now' Zealand' under 'tho provisionsof the Treaty of .Waitangrand under tho proVjsions. of the Constitution.-Actvof tho'-coKhy : of N«w Zealand of the-year 1852, - wherebr wo becamo possessed of all tho rights and privisiffngln Engf 6 EuroiJeans re-; That: for more than : sixt-y', years wo have 1 .been-.living, under the-' laws, ; made by..the larliamont3 of New' Zealand, and 1 we : clearly the Jaws made by - the. Gdvwnment of New Zealand are' trampling 'upon 'the covenants: and;, contracts granted to your' Maori-pcoplo by . tho Treaty of Waitangi and the. Constitution. Act of the* colony of Now Zealand of the. year 1852. . : ' , . That, in 'consequenpo of the laws for Maori lands ■■ now m force, we, tho Maori ; - people, havo boon deprived of the , rights'and privilegos iyhich are enjoyed 'by Europoans' ros:dmg in lingland, -aiid havo suffered l great loss, and aro becoming destitute' because of the' said laws. \ .. " . ; ■ 0 pre-emptivo right agreed 'to in ,-the Treaty of .Waitangi,'namoly; - that' " : t];e Crown alone .was to buy' Maori lands,' .was. absolutely abrogated :(pr'surrender<jd) by Governor. Fitzroy, and' was' subsequently furtherabrogated by' the; many,.laws, of :th'eL Pailiamentej' aiid therefore it .would hover bo' julst, for the Crown -to' resume ■ said-'pre-emptive : right. without the consent of 'the Maori side' (or party to tho'treaty) ; ■: That- the following, are .somfc' of-the'laws, which we are quit'e' iSure 'arc trampling' absolutely on the articles: ofi the- Treaty. .of Waitangi, and also of the Constitution Act of the colony-.of Zealand-, of ,1852:—: (a)(The; I'aws-confiscating the lands b'ecaiiso ■ of> the conquest of -Waikato, Tai-aa'aki, ,; , T.Mranga, and parts of tlio East Coast.' (0) Tho Thermal ; Springs Act, 1881:' ' ; ' (1) Tho. lai¥3. settling people on' ; -the'lands of *no West Coast,.of tho , y'Sa.'rs'' : lßß2; ISSI, and; 1892, .. . ',^r,; rir . /. (o)'Th6 "Mining-Act's!' -'-vAfi- 4 (u) VTIIO -Maori. Townships Act, ,1895, - and its -.-amendments. - (h) ■ Tl)6 Native -Land, Court : Act;'lß94,: and ' its. amendments,'.. (k) Tho Maori. Lands Administration-' Act, 1900,- and -its amendments. -. (m) Tho'Land Titles Protection Act, 1902.', (n) Tho -Maori Land Settlement- Act, -190?, and its amendments.- .. .

' The Acts';above set, out-should be in form as- (shown) ;in tho paragraphs' following; then they.'would be just to'us:— (a) An inquiry should,-be set up so that : t " ; may bo ascertained what' tho" guilt -of / thp.Maori!was.;, and why it was right to confiscate tho under-the said law>(b) Tho benefits (revenue derivable) from . thermal springs owned by Maoris should bo justly 'disbursed. v-:/. .: (c) The..: lands, which ;. V e ro 'taken/itinder the , •■' jsaid ..Inits .'should, be.restored' to the* persons: who have been.! ascertained or" who ; may -bp ascortained ; ,to tho .owners of tho samo. 7.' I 'V ; ;' (d). The' "mana' 1 , (authority),over, tlio ■'lands , ..'which. were taken by the said laws'shoul.i . ' be restored to the Maori people, so that they may onjoy the ■ benefits 'accruing " from the-said-lands'under ; just taxation." (o)-Tho benefits (income or revenue) collected under, tlio Ma<iri Townships' Act. are not paid to the-'Maori persons ;who.'own tho laiid_-(towiiships),; ; an'd ; our "wish., is tliat .-■ sifElv _ benefits should ' ,be' ; paid to 'the -Maori--people' whoso lands were taken ■ ■ tho', townships)'.; .. - ' ; ( ' '• The above paragraphs,,wo . ask ;for x «ndsr tho ..second a.rticlp of. tho Treaty of. .Wai tangi. (f) Tho Native Land Court Act of tho year . ' 1894 and-' jts amendments.- .' 1 ' '\ ' (h) The.j Land '•Titles -Protection' Act, 1902: .(i) -The' Maori. ./Land Settlement Act. of the " year 1905.'.and'-its- amendments. .-'

. All t-lioso lajvs should.bel amended: to accord' -with-the Constitution Act of the.-Colony 'of ,Npiy Zealand,,; 1852, ;_so,that'the rights, of tho .. Maori ppoplo, which' are. being .trampled upon by- tho 'said laws; ;to manage' their own land-may, be firmly maintained;';.' . '• • Thoreforo we declare this is a mcaiis.w.hcre•by 'good- may exist botwoon -the ; t\yo -races, the Maori'and the pakeha,-in unity with England. ' . ' ; ' . Let tho administration of. all tho laws set out in the first -~phrt' of this ' "petition ' be stopped, includin'g'also the laws passed afterwards .'by the Government/of ■ New 'Zealand, until such .'time -as good ■be arrived 'at between- the- .two; races,. ..thb Maori : and ;the'pakeha.".':

•The Government" of .the .Dominion of New Zealand. ■ ■ : v The Maori people of the; Dominion; of' New •' .Zealand. ; - . . One of tho clauses iiCtho'.rcferen,co filed Jit the nnisterbrs'. arid' shepherds'' dispute; is, !to the effect'.that.' the 'employers-: shall supply good; food,. including lib of butter 'per weolc per ;man. , '"\Ylioii .this :casp was, previously before,'the Court (says the^'Oamaru,Mail");' Miv Scot.t, the. employefs^-retirdsentatiyb,' 1 remarked that the employers aid not- object, to, granting bu,tter—inl fact,- ; butter was : always supplied; .but what' they 1 did object to : was 'having it embodied in an''-Arbitration'"'Court award.'' If . butter was, lie -said, specified in the,award,'the the.matter'cam'e before tho Court .the' Union would bo asking ' for "jam,, .pickles, tomato sauce, and plum- pudding." The woi-kers laughed at tho idea, and Mr. , Soott .was , Subjected to ridicule. ; Mr.. Scott, .however,".'.turned ;tho tables at this morning's 'sitting .by, producing the - demands ■ oftho' workers i'li* conncction with tho Canterbury " shearers'., dispute—one of which; is to the effect that, tho employer shall provido, frep of : cost to, tho'shearers'"oatmeal; tea, sugar,', flour, rice, sago, currants, raisins,' fino - salt, ."pepper,' mustard vinegar,. -butter, (npt less .than ono-pound weight per mail), jam,' milk, vegetables (to ' include 'cabbage, potatoes, and; bilious)', mutton . or beef, 'baiting powder, '.cream, of tar-' tar, carbonato" of soda, hops, dried apples' and curry powder, th'o same to be cooked in a wholesome' mariner and served in 'sufficient quantity." Mr. Boreham : *'And why not; our tastes aro tho ' samo 'as'-'.yours.'' 1 It will bo noticed that the list specified; ■ includes all the ingredients of a plum pudding, which, in addition,-.. must bo'properly mixed, cooked, and semkl.-..."Th0. incident closod.by Mr: Scott-drawing attentiou to tho fact that if an oniploycr happened to run out of any one of tho item's specified he could bo hailod before tho . Arbitration Court, for breach of award and fined £5.