HIS EXCELLENCY'S VISIT TO OTAKI. THE MEETING BETWEEN SIR GEORGE GREY AND WI TAKO.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 6, Issue 325, 14 October 1862, Page 3

HIS EXCELLENCY'S VISIT TO OTAKI. THE MEETING BETWEEN SIR GEORGE GREY AND WI TAKO.

[ From the New Zealand Advertiser. ] On the 16th inst., His Excellency the Governor (through W. H. Buller, Esq.,) seat the following message to the king natives assembled at Tainui, Otaki : — " Send me the Maori king flag, cut dowu the flagstaff, discontinue your present king work, and let all the king's people come into the town, that I may see you and talk to you, for I will not go to Tainui." Upon receipt of this message, Heremia te Tihi, addressing Mr. Buller, said : — " We refuse ;we will never give the Maori king flag to the Governor ; we will never cut down the flagstaff ; we will never discontinue our work ; and we will not go into the town to meet the Governor. If he (the Governor) will not come here, let him remain ; we are satisfied." Wiremu E Tako was then asked by Mr. Bnller for his reply, and he (E Tako), being urged to answer, said : — " Listen to me. friend Buller : it is now only that I understand and have found out the strength and importance of the king movement and the weakness of the Queen's Government. Let the Governor come here to Tainui, and let us discuss all my proceedings in this new work." Mr. Buller conveyed this to His Excellency, and on the 17th instant His Honor the Superintendent had an interview with Wi Tako, to induce him to accompany him to the town, but he (Tako) refused, and it was arranged that a meeting should be held midway (at the bridge), when His Excellency personally endeavoured to induce Wi Tako to attend a meeting then about to be held at the Otaki school-house, saying* " Come with me, and let us talk together ; 1 will give you good advice." Wi Tako replied, "If I eat the liver of the shark 1 shall die, but if I eat fern root I shall be strong and healthy. It is much better that you should come here, so that all my friends, the king's people, may hear what we say and nothing be hidden." This was agreed to, and at four o'clock (after the meeting of the loyal natives) about GOO king natives assembled at the bridge to witness the interview between His Excellency and Wi Tako. The Governor addressed Wi Tako, and asked him to speak his mind freely and without reserve. Wi Tako : Friend the Governor, salutations to you ! I will speak my mind freely to you. I will hide and disguise nothing. You shail know all my thoughts, and why I am strong, energetic, and earnest, in upholding the Maori king and this king movement. I did not originate this movement ; it was first proposed by" Matene te Whiwhi, about nine years since, when he visited Waikato, and on a subsequent occasion he desired to be made king, but the Waikato tribe having chosen Potatau, he (Matene) became disappointed and afterwards repudiated the Maori king. Not only he but the whole of the Ngntiraukawa tribe at Otaki deputed myself and other native chiefs to go to Waikato, take up their subscriptions, give in their adhesion, and bring down a king flag to be hoisted at Otaki. Moreover, a letter was received from the Cape of Good Hope, addressed to us, urging us to elect a king and make our own laws. This letter, we believe, was written with your knowledge. His Excellency here asked to see the letter, and upon its being handed to him, repudiated all knowledge of it. [N.B. — The letter was from a native who resided with Sir George Grey at the Cape, and who accompanied him from here.] Wi Tako continued : " I am earnest in upholding this movement for many reasons ; when you were fighting with Eangihaeta, you called upon me to assist you, and I did so, without waiting to consider whether he was my relation or countryman — you called upon me to assist you at Wanganui, and I did so without demur. After the termination of the war you went to England, and there was a new form of government for NewZealand — Superintendents and such like — numbers of them — and I was puzzled to know who was Governor : after this. Rawiri Waiaua a near, relation of mine, an Assessor, also was murdered at Taranaki, and I was much grieved about it. I went to the Superintendent of Wellington (Dr. Featherston), and asked him to go with me to Taranaki, to enquire into this matter ; he is standing near you and cannot deny it — more particularly as at ihe time of the murder, llawiri was doing the work of the Government. The Superintendent answered me by saj'ing, " lam not the captain of the ship. I am only one of the mates, I cannot interfere." Now, as 1 always understood that upon your departure for England the Superintendent was Governor here, ami he having refused to interfere in this matter, I then began to understand that it was not to protect the Maori race, but to acquire their land, was the great object of the Government, and for this reason I am earnest and energetic in the king movement. The Governor : Your work is foolish, it will not prosper, and no good will result from it. Discontinue your folly, and come back to your former work and position. Help me to carry out my new policy, and if, after three years, you are of .your present mind, and see that my new arrangements are not for the benefit of the Maori race, go back to your Maori king. Wi Tako : Why do you come here to cut off the branches? Why not go to Waikato and cut down the tree, or destroy it by digging up the roots ? You will find the tree strong and vigorous, and you will have great difficulty in rooting it up ; when the roots are destroyed, the tree and all its branches will perish. The Governor : Wherever Igo I find the Roman Catholic natives are at the bottom of all this work and disturbance. The meeting then broke up on account of the rain and the lateness of the evening.