THE NATIVE CRISIS.

Evening Post, Volume XXII, Issue 95, 20 October 1881, Page 2

THE NATIVE CRISIS.

? ACTION OF THE GOVERNMENT. ULTIMATUM TO TE WHITI. MR. BRYCE SWORN IN AS NATIVE MINISTER. PROCLAMATION BY HIS EXCELLENCY CONSTABULARY ORDERED TO PROTECT THE SETTLERS.

We have stated Several fcirnos lately that active preparations were being made by tho Government to enforce the law in tho disturbed district on the We-t Coast of this Island, and thatdeoisiva steps would shortly be taken against Te Whiti. Matters wero perhaps somewhat accelerated by the now departure taken by the natives yesterday. We mentioned in our yesterday's ibsuo that the Maoris had interfered with some European settlers near Capo Eginont, and had destroyed their fencing ; al-o that tho jtovernment had telegraphed for full information. In reply, tho following telegram was received last ovening: —"A man named Fleming aud his mate wero working on their Bection this morning, cutting and carrying posts; About 50 Maoris oama rffad ordered Xti&vei to leavd off work, *t*tho'saiilo tiino taking back tho posts which Floming had brought out from the bußh. Thoy tftld them in Maori and English to stop working. Above 200 small posts, which had been on tho land, were taken off and thrown away— some in the flax, eotno in the fern, and somo in a swamp. Posts which wore too heavy for carrying away wero ohop^ed in two. Other fencing work was also interfered wih. After the Maoris had stopped the mjn working, they went away." * ' This affair was carefully considered in Cabinet last night, and we understand the result was that the Government gave prompt orders that the settlers should be protected in their work by the Constabulary. It was also finally decided to send a distinct ultimatum to Te Whiti in the form of a Koyal Proclamation, and a special mooting of the Executive Council having been convened at Government Houbo late last evening, the proposod Proclamation was submitted to his Excellency Sir James Prendergast, Administrator of the Government, was signed by him, and was published in a " Gazette Extraordinary" issued dnring the tright. Tho Proclamation after rcoiting tho efforts made, by the Government for nearly two years " to brintf about a satisfactjry conclusion of difficulties on tho West: Coast of the North Island, and -tn effeot such a Bettlemont of the Und as would on able Europeans and Maoris to livo together in peace," sets forth the various acts of Te Whiti, and h's rejection of aU.ndvfcncte, and proceeds -to Bum up as follows the'results of his actions :—: — . , ( "Lastly, he refused to listen to proposals made in person by a Minister of the, Crown, and did so in a manner which could leave no doubt as to his intention to resist tho law. His aotion has done great wrong to his own people, as well as to, the colony generally. Through his words, numbers of natives aro kept bfcok from obtaining lands whioh would otherwise be given to tham ; and niinribevg of strangers, who never had any iriter&t in the lands at Parihaka, aro being brought to Parihaka, to the detriment of the people of that place. Month after month natives aro assembled from a distance. Thoy aro making themselves ,poor by contributing to useless expenditure upou feuta,, which take them away from their own( homes ; and thoy are led to nogloot the cultivation of their own , lands. At these meetings, To Whiti has apofceriin such a way as to turn aside the people from listening to the proposals of the Government,", and tho sound of his voice has unsettlod tho minds of the people. Recently his words wore such aa to promote angry feelings and incito open resistance to tho law. This was followed, in defiance of- the law and in-spito-of warnings by offiocrs of tho Government, by the erection of fences on land not Bot apart for natives ; and by To Whiti' s orders his followors assembled in bucli nnmbora and under such circumstances as plainly to show thoir deterinitiation to resist tho law whon the fences Bhould bo removed by ordor of tho Govornniont. . Thus a great wrongiis bo&ig done to natives as well as Europeans, and th<J confusion which the Governor said roust cease is still prevailing." * * After alluding to .the expense and troublo entailed on tho colony by To Wlriti^s oonduot, and to the reports.of the Royal Commission, the proclamation concludes. thus:—. , " The Commissioners rightly eaid ( '-A tiino must come when v tho offers and promises of tho Crown must either bo accepted on refused once for all. No one would pretend that To Whiti may on his part keep „tb.9'->vholo countryside in turmoil and danger "W long as he liken,, and that, the^o.ver'Qlnent ' on its side must be ready to redeem its promises whenever he ohooscs. If tho native pooplo are to have the promises fulfilled, the English settlers must have some guarantee that they too shall have done with this long buspenso, and may livo on their land in security and peace.' Those wero tho words of tho Commissioners j and the titno has oomo for their fulfilment. .- / " Te v\ hiti and his adherents ,must now accept the proposals of tho Government, or all that they might now .have under these proposals will be beyond thoir reaoh. ; "In the Parihaka Blook, 25,000 acros on tho mountain side of the road are, a* rocotnmended by the Commissioners, offered as an ample provision for the Parihaka people, besides other reserves on the seaward Bido of the road. About the latter, the Govern* ment has said that it was willing to osnsidor the wishes the natives might lay before it. The Government now states - plainly that these offers will, after 14 days, be withdrawn, unless, within that time, To Whiti and hiß adherents signify their acceptance of them, and their willingness to. submit to the law of the Queen and to bring their claims before the Commission. If they do so,' the recommendations of tho Commissioners and the promises made will be liber* ally interpreted and fnlfllled. Should tho natives be so infatuated as to' disregard this warning, the Government will proceed to make roads throughout the Parihaka Block, and to lay off lands for European occupation inland of the main road. " 1 he claims of such natives, under previous promises, will then have passed away, and none of them will be allowed to occupy lands in defiance of the lair. " The Queen and the law must be supreme at Parihaka as well as elsewhere. Te Whiti and his people are now called upon to accept the proposals made to them, whioh would give large and ample reserves to the pooplo. If thoy do not do this, thoy alone will be responsible for the passing away fAm them for ever of tho lands which aro stilt proffered by the Government, and for the -gtfeat evil which must fall on them. " Iq conclusion, the Maoris residing on tho West Coast who wish to live at peace with the Europeans aro earnestly requested to listen to a word of great import to them :— "Te Whiti and those who atifiore to him have hitherto refused torliaten to .the proposals whioh have been made by the' Government, and, at To Whiti's ifastaiJo^' numbers of natives are keeping alobf ftdmMdo work of peace. The word of the Government now is, that those who wish' to* acebpt tire offers whioh have been made, should leave To Whiti, if he negleoba the final opportunity now offered to him. They Bhould go to those lands which have been set aside for them. All- visitors should return to their homes, in . order that they may not be involved with ,tbiose *ho 'are working confusion, and may not Buffer with them. If chia warning is neglected, who 'Cah : distinguish between those who desire peace and those whose work leads to disaster ? The innocent and tho guilty may suffer togother, and this is not the desire of the Government. . It will be observed that thi* allows To Whiti fourteen' days to give in bfif submission before severe measures bf repression will be adqpt&l against him, and the offered reser, ves withdrawn. It ne»d hardly be oxplained that wore Te Whifi a potentate with whom belligerent relations could be maintained, this proclamation would bo tantamount to a declaration of war. As-it is, ifc embodies a distinct warning to an>itujiter of riot and rebellion that the la# Will bo enforced against him with full, .severity, unless he take advantage of the interval mercifully allowed him for sending in his, submission. Its issue is tharcfore an event"' of grave moment in our colonial history. There is another important feature, however, in connection with it-. The Proclamation is countersigned by Mr. Rolleston as Native Minister, and that signature was the closing act of his Native Ministry. His next act was to resign the Native and Defence portfolios in favour of Mr. John Brrca, whose impending accession to the Ministry we mentioned in our yesterday's isßue. It waa known to be the desire of the Government that Mr. Bryce should rejo.n them, and as the other Ministers, including Mr. Rolleston, were agreed that the time had now come for the adoption of ntrenuous measures, although they had deemed aggressive aotion premature and inexpedient when proposed ten months ago by Mr. Brjce, there was no valid reason why that gentleman should not resume tho position he had previously filled so ably. It was decided, we believe, some time back, that Mr. Bryoe should bo invited to rejoin hia old colleagues, and he arrived ia town a day or two ago. Since then he has been engaged in long and frequent conference with Ministers, and last evening he consented to accept office a^ain in tho Ministry. The appointment of thfe Administrator of the Government was obfevned, and late last night Mr. Bryce was sworn in as Native and Defence Minister . before his Excellency Sir James Prendergast It was further arranged that Mr. Bryce should leave by coach at 4 o'clock -this morning for the Weat toast, taking with him the Roral Proclamation and armed with' all -needful powers.

Mr. Bryco accordingly started early this morning on his way to Pungarehu. There is no fresh intelligence to-day from the dieturbed district.