THE NATIVE MEETING AT THE UPPER THAMES. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) Upper Thames, Ootober 8.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXIV, Issue 3510, 15 October 1868, Page 4

THE NATIVE MEETING AT THE UPPER THAMES. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) Upper Thames, Ootober 8.

Mb. MACK4.Y and several boats with diggers and others in them arrived on the 3rd. The, talk commenced on the stb at Robert's settlement. ' Te Panra told Mr. Mackay that the boundary of the goldfield was to remain at Omaho — the present boundary.' Mr. Mackay told him that the dam was broken, , aacTthat hs could not keep the flood from risiDg and, in'shing in ; and that, therefore, he thought, they , (the natives) had bet-er open their, grounds u whjlst 'the way was clear, aufl they cou,ld then settle, nil they. wanted in a proper manner, which they could not ao if they kept their grounds closed, and the digger* rushed it. The Haubau* told him he was to prevent the, .digger* , from ru»hing it. W*ituruturu told the natives at the meeting that , non-landholders had no right, to apeak about the land and, gold, alluding to, '.TcWikeriwhi (Wickhffe) ; who then said, "To «ho,w that I am not a non-landowner, I hand over to 'Mr. .Mackay the Komaia|and another piece of land near, Obinemuri. 1 ' Hunia te Webu, Tukukino'a ■oa, and Tiuipoaka; both opposed his claims to the ! ; !Kx>m»t», and said they would not agree to him handing, their lands over to Mr. Mackay. " JPereniki te Kokako got up and spoke for opening the gold to the pakebaH, and cut the matter short by throwing down his stick in front of Mr. Mackay and ■aid, "There is my ground; 1 haud it all over intoi Mr. Mackay'sTJandi." ' Tinif»>aka stepped forward to pick the! stick up, but before he did *o Mr. Mackay picked it up and said, ." Permiki's lands are' now in my hands, and I will hold them there till I ■jee a ripe time for action." Tinipoaka said, "We will not allow you to hand ,pver your lands, that are in the midst of us, to Mr. Q Mackay.' You must leave here and go down the, .boast." ' .Pereniki answered. "I will not leave my lands in your hand*. Why should Tdoso ? I can do what' I like with my own. I will leave my lands in Mr. j iMackay's hands." After which the Sing party retired from the meet- j iag indignant, and the meeting broke up. With jWet'iki's lands that were handed over to Mr. Mackay, are included the majority of the landowners ■ of the auriferous laud*. Thr Queemtes bad got bold of a^ report that Tinipoaka said that if Pereniki and Wikeriwhi did not gi down with Mr. Maokay, when ■ ( he rt-turne<l to Shortland on the 6th mutant, ' .they (the Hauhaus) were to shoot. , On the 7th, a meeting whs held in the new meetinojliouse, at which 200 uatives attended. Pereniki and Wikeriwhi'spaity were armed, and theKingites, finding that they could not make any headway againat the Queenite speakers, and that Pereniki ngt agree t> ; take his lands out of Mr M,ackay'J hand (i, said, " Let the nutter stand as it is." I'pjieit then jSaid, "You appear foolish on this jubject. Do you think that when we have given our la'ida;orer to Mr. Mackay we, want them returned? "No, they are gone out of our hands." Merekuru an 1 Te Hira were,v>-ry dark with Paura and Takerei tor being armed against them ; Merekuru almost rent her garments with ra^e, and said, " I never thought my children would act againut us."