GREAT NATIVE MEETING AT MANAWATU.

Daily Southern Cross, 7 November 1868, Page 6

GREAT NATIVE MEETING AT MANAWATU.

A long-projected Di6etiog f the natives interested in ihid block ot laud wa* heid at M^nawatu on the 25. h uitimi>. The 21ac was the date originally fixed, but, as a number of those who ha-1 bo be present were dut<*ioed by ba>l weather and heavy Moods, it was postponed till the day mentioned. The ext erne setting party wer~ represented by Ihakara and Tapa; tue uon seller by the gazetted claimants; the Haubaus, by Wi Hapi and Ht-renui ; while of the treneral run of seller* an 1 nun-sellers there wis a very good attendance. What follows ii a iG.unie of the resolutions arrived at : — Ist. It was unanimously determined to leave the fiaal aestltmeut of the Manawatn question to the Court. 2nd. The Court was to be ptti ioned not to make an arbitrary division of the Und, bub to axcertutn aud separate the land of Hellers and nou-seilers. 3rd. H auhau cl.umants were to attend the Court or forfeit their claim. That being se^Wd, Wi FJapi stated that some mis•pi'reben^iun »j>penred to exwt as to the position aud mteution of the Hauhaua of the di-tLiict. It appeared t > be thought, he said, that on an order from ihe King the Haubaus would rise and create disturbance*. But the King woul 1 give no sucb omer, as it would be iv coulravtntiou of the oath which was taken wbeu the King's fl.^g was tirat raised ac Otaki, v.z., that this was a wnenua ran^atira or " peaceful land," a refuge for all who did not desire war, and for the womeu and children of all parties That oath was still in full force and would noc be disturbed unless by the pakeha. The King, however, might, he s*id, call for .nan to make war oa any if the open roads, i.e., Taraoaki, Waikato, aud the East Coast. If such a call were roade it would pi obibJy be very generally obeyed by those who loved the Kmg, i.e., the tvuuha>». tie (Wi Ha^i) bad, however, no reason t > think that the Kiug was anout to make any such call. Ihakara replied ihat he wa? glad to hear Wi Hapi make these statements , and after any amount of t*)k, which was not imp irtaut, the inevting terminated. — Whanganui Chronicle, October 29.