INTERVIEW WITH REWI.

Evening Post, Volume XVII, Issue 546, 26 June 1879, Page 2

INTERVIEW WITH REWI.

his opinion of the taranaki difficulty. his belief in te whiti. sympathy of the waikatos. Auckland, This Day. Rewi, in the course of an interview with the Star reporter, at his settlement at Punia, said that he had told Mr. Sheeban that there would be no fighting at Taranaki unless the Europeans commenced it ; that land there and at Hawera had been sold by persons who were not the owners, and he (Te Whiti) was taking this course (ploughing) to briug the case strongly before the Europeans. He told Mr. Sheehan that the soldiers would go there on " fool's errand." Formerly Rewi said he and Te Whiti were one, but they separated, he joined the Europeans and Te Whiti took his own course. Still he thought Te Whiti had right on his side. He said there were two evil classes, the European landbuyers, who would buy from any one, and the natives who sold land they had no title to. He bad asked the Government to have land within his boundaries surveyed and awarded to rightful persons, and made inalienable for the good of the native race. He expressed great pleasure at his visit to Auckland, and the kindness he had received, but observed that "the Governor's answer was not favorable, and' he might not go again. There seems to be a good deal of sympathy among the Waikato natives generally with Te Whiti, who, they say, ouly wants to urge his claims in a respectful manner. Rewi expressed hie belief in the prophetic claims of Te Whiti, and said he considered him a tru,e Tohunjffl. He also stated that he had urged Sbeehan to re-appoint Major Mair.