IMPORTANT NATIVE INTELLIGENCE.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXI, Issue 2376, 2 March 1865, Page 4

IMPORTANT NATIVE INTELLIGENCE.

Wb weie apprised, some time ago, that a large native meeting was to be held ou the Thames, and gleaned some particulars legaiding the intention of the natives, but forbore publishing any lomaiks until the result of their deliberations was fully befoio us. We luve now full details of the pioceedings at that meeting, aud they ai c, oil the whole, gratifying. At this juncture, theiefoie, we deem it Advisable to lay the leading facts befoio our readers. The meeting was held at Kauaeranga, at the mouth of the Waiho (Thames), the former mission station of the Rev. Mr. Lanfear. About 1,200 natives attended ; all the Thames and Coromandel natives, and some fugitives of Ngatipoiou, being pi esent. The meeting commenced on the Bth. Febmary, and lasted until the 15th, during which time thcie was, as usual on all native gatherings, a great deal of feasting. The di&cussious went on at intervals after meals, the Maoris invariably piefening to hstemug to a korero >l with a full stomach," as tteh c Uiiohau chief MauaKau once expressed himself in the picsence of the Lite Colonial Secretaiy,Mr. Wm. Fox. Ihe n ative settlements adjoining the place of meeting conlubuted their poition of the supplies, but the Government gave nothing towards the feast. There was au accumulation of fines, court fees, and other legil spoil of the Maori courts of judicature in the district, which is usually expended in sooie way amongst the native community fiom whence it is taken, and by the sanction of the assessor, Mr. Jas Mackay, jun., civil commissioner for the district, expended a poition of it in flour, sugar, and other commodities, which were brought to the feast. In addition, many of the natives comiug fioma distance bionght supplies with them. During the entiie proceedings the natives conducted themselves in an orderly manner. The inllrential chiefs ICitahi te Tanewha, Patens Puhata. Mo.inauui, Raw hi te Ua, Taraia, Ngakapa. Whauaunga, Ilaira Tipa, Pita Taukaka, Tamati le Otatu, and several others were present. At the serious paifc of the business a line was drawn dividing those who weie for peace from those who were for war. All the natives, with the exception of four, remained ou the peace side ; the four who slopped aotosa the line qualified their declaration of war in tin's way : r I hey said that so long as W. Thompson remame 1 at peace they would remain quiet, but that as soon as Thompson left for the war they would follow him. The lcsolution of the natives was to this effect, that on no account would they leave thoir own district to join in. the war against the Europeans. If the troops carae into their district', and attacked them, they would fight ; bub not otherwise One point of some impoi lance gained was the open and abject submission of our old acquaintance Taraia, " the last of the cannibals," who has given more tiouble and nnxicty to the authorities during this ci isis than any other chief in the Thames districtTaiain laid himself at full length on the ground bofoie the Civil Commissioner, in token of submission. Tlie influential chief Ngakapa Whauaunga, who led the lebellions poition of the Thames natives, expressed his dctei initiation to abide by the law iv futiuc. l*fe handed ovor to Mr. Mackay the dogskin mat sent by Wi TaKo to "William Thompson, as a robe for the Maori king. This dogskin mat played a veiy important paitin the election of Potatau the First; and it is said, and we believe with truth, that it was fringed with foreign fur. supplied by a gentleman who has held the highest Executive office in the provinco of Wellington for years past The mat is now without the fur, having passed through seveial hands before being laid at the feet of the Civil Commissioner, in token of ibs possessor's submission to the Queen. Wm. Thompson presented the mat from Wi Takotothe King elect, who gave it to Wotiui Taipoimtu, who was killed during the fiist Taianaki war, we believe in the assanlb on No 4 redoubt, Wetini lea ling the Waikatos on that occasion. On the death of Wetini, the mat leveited to Ngakapti Whauaunga, who, on the breaking out of the war in Waikato, joined the rebels to avenge his kinsmau's death. Ngakapa was some time ago a decided war advocate, and openly expiessed himself that, as soou as war began in the country, he tk ould join in the fighting. He now says that ho has had quite enough of it; that he hss lost his laud in Waikato, and is content that this should be so ; but that he will not bring war iuto his own district. Ngakapa is for peace, therefore, because he finds war a losing game, and this is, perhaps, the be*t guarantee wo could have of his loyalty. About fifty of the P.vi Mariie professors were present, and seemed rather uncomfoitable at fiist. It diJ not appear clearly what they wanted, but Mr. Mackay told them that he had nothing whatever to do with their religion or their souls, so long as they conducted themselves propeily. He explained to them that theie were two laws, — the law of God and the law of man; and his duty was to see that they did not transgress the latter. They might hold what religious notion they prefened, so long as they did not break the law ; aud on matters of faith they would be talked to bj missionaries or other ministers of religion. After some di^euesion it wa* resolved by the fanatics that they would practise their paiirau kai'akia (wing leligion) in peace in their owu district, and that they would not leave for Wan gaum to join the fanatics m that locality. ,Mr. Mackay put it plainly to them, tint if any trans greised the law, he would h..ve the offender arrested, tried, and puuuhad.

the natives its;effe3t;<and l o(ipioned|them|»gMnsfc sfe 1 selling I^^^^ proved./ 1 This,", ho^ »|pwhra4ed/ [ miglifc;l^dito^on«|^ The.nativesJ'pas'sedj regulations Kstricting^we.sug^l of spirits, -and "with? regardlto- cWtl«,s^si^^d|.'|> l cattle-branding/^TMs^c^^ the Civil Commissioner ~has , neither -be^n^ijle^tfoif|l' unsuccessful invtbe Tfiames~;*jmt -it" isTnoWhi^offly^ '/;" proof which thVgreafc native nJeeting^affOTded^of 'tHer^ influence and tact of %. MackKyr^Our.readers will ~\ all recollect the statement* Inade sjome time ago t re« garding the "Thames gold-fields," and* the" regrets ' expressed that the natives would not permit' Euro -"; " peans to prospect the district. They have nowcdn- ' sented to permit a prospecting party of respectable men to go through the district, and thoroughly prospect it; and > then, should the prospector* be satisfied of there being a payable gold-field, they will „ make terms with the Government for working it. Nothing could be fairer than this ; and we agree with the natives, toiat it would be injudicious to have a rush of Europeans to the Thames for nothing. The consequences might be very unpleasant. Acting on tbis permission, we believe a. party has already - started for the Thames, with what result time will tell. Ou the whole, this native news is important and assuring. There were about one third of the entire of the Thames natives engaged in the Waikato apd Tauranga campaign ; and all of those, or nearly all, who survive, have sxirrendered. From the results stated wo should say that Mr. Mackay deserves the approbation of the authorities for his successful dealings with the natives.