Untitled

Grey River Argus, Volume LVII, Issue 10263, 20 April 1899, Page 2

Eves Mt\ Diithie now admits that he made h 'big mistake in dubbing the Maoris landlords" anc... speaks of the phrase as it regrettable use of a common '•• ■ and vulgar expression. " However this retraction has not been sufficient to prevent a flood of correspondence; in the.Piess.of the .colony Condemnatory of the member : f or Wellington, Evenin the heated argument tlr re was no excuse for such an expression. It is an admitted fact that the Maoris are tho most intelligent and finest dark skinned race under the sun as well as the possessors of a splendid physique.;. The British troops in the Maori Wars-could testify to their bravery and fighting cap abilities. As landlords the. Europeans are the most exacting. .Niggers are generally referred to slightingly. TLe term "niggers" has assumed a meaning the re verse of flattering when applied to whites or to colored people so highly civilised as thenatives of New Zealahd. Mr Inia Tuhata (a Maori as his name

explains) in a letter to the New Zealand Times on the subject has the following: "Mr DuthieV remarks at Westport branding us as f Nigger Landlords 'is most unwarranted^ and a deliberate insult to us Maori subjects of the Queen in this country. Without reason and without cause he has gone out of his way to sligmatize our race. What is Mr Duthie 1 What ia his breeding? Has he got • LordVso-and-So' branded on his forehead, of what that he should hold lip his head in that way? No pakeha of" rank would descend to such words. Governors, Admirals, Generals, Premiers, and other high men have not so condemned us, nor do I believe that our present Governor would injure Hj3 in that way. Why 1 Became they ate ragatiras— gentlemen born and bred. We are not slaves of the pakehay. and never were, Our land was never conquered, although man/ ignorant '■ pakehas stil 1 labor under this wrong iraI pression. You know full rwell : t|tat we, the Maori .. people, voluntarily ceded to Great Britain the ho vereignity over these inlands, agreeing" to become subjects under her flag ; England on her part undertaking to confer upon us all the rights in the land, and; from time to time sold to the Queen and. to private persons, up to the present day. There is no disgrace in this. Those old time negotiations were through high officials of the Queen—upright men— men of integrity ; not pen like Mr Duthie, who would collar a j bone from a dog. Now, .as to landlords, • I may.state that the total area of lands in New Zaaland is roughly estimated lat about seventy million acres. 'The j Maoris have parted with about sixty- ' seven millions ; you pakehas have, got > that. All that now remains to usis j a paltry \hree million acres. "Well, are you nofc satisfied, or do you thifst . Jor more ? Some people say that there • are still five miljions- left with t^e Maoris, but I have on the very best authority ascertained that my figures are correct. It was inconsequence of I the landlessness of us, the Maoris, I that we petitioned our gracious Quean, i on the occasion of her Diamond Jubi- ' ! lee, to do something to rescue our lands I 1 from total loss by reserving the same '• ! to us and' our heirs after "' us,, for ? all l J time; and we are, told.. that Six, Her ' \ Majesty learning, of this state of affairs *■- she was moved to tears and thereupon •;• sent a message to the Government [ , here, recdmmpnding ■■- the matter to i their favorable consideration. N6w, iV sir, Mr Duthie's Queen-^-his lord and ; his master— agrees with- what the 1 Premier is trying to do." ; \