NATIVE MEETING.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 8, Issue 607, 6 May 1865, Page 4

NATIVE MEETING.

A meeting of chiefs took place May 1, in the Council Chamber, Napier. The number ot natives present Was large, including, with the expTion of Hapuku, Tareha, Kopu and other Wairoa chiefs, all the principal men of the district. Mr. M'Lean opened the proceedings, (which had reference chiefly to the late doings of oftheHauHau at Turanga) by calling upon the chiefs present to express their opinions. Hirini Te Kani-a-Takirau, Anaru Matete, and Tamihana Ruatapu — all Poverty Bay chiefs-^-then spoke to the folio whig effect : — They admitted that a portion of the Aitangi-a-Mahaki — four pahs — had joined the Hau Hau ; and that, consequently, the place and people had got a bad name. They had heard that, consequent on the proceedings of the Hau Hau, the Government intended to remove the Euro- . pean settlers and send soldiers to the district. The Bishop (their father) had gone, but they had asked him, as well as the white settlers, to remain, and they (the chiefs) would have protected them to the utmost of their power. They were sorry on account of the Bishop and of some of the other settlers having gone away, and they hoped they would all return. v They (the chiefs) deprecated any intention of sending soldiers to Turanga, and hoped the Governor would leave them to deal with the Hau Hau for the future. They wished it to be under-, stood that all the Turanga people had not joined the Hau Hau, and that, if the latter had gone to extremity in their proceedings, a very large party would have been found staunch to the Government, and ready for the protection of the European settlers. When they (thechiefs) heard of the intention to send soldiers to the district, they feared that all would have to pay the penalty of the fault of some of their number ; and they said, — Let the soldiers be sent to Opotiki, where they were wanted -to punish those who had participated in' the murder of Mr. Volkner. In reply to a question by Mr. M'Lean, — they admitted that, in the event of fighting at Opotiki, some of their number who were Hau Haus, might go there, to assist in fighting against the government. They (the chiefs) would endeavor to prevent this, but they might not be listened to. In such a case, the persons so going would have to put up with the consequences. They (the chiefs) declared that, in the event of any Hau Hau (whether strangers or their own people) again interfering with the white men of their district, they would deliver them up for the law to deal with them ; and -if it came to the worst, — that the white- men should fall, they themselves would fall with them. Wi Tako repeated the arguments he made use of, when at Turanga, to stop the spread of the Hau Hau superstition. It had commenced in his own district — among his own people. Its originator was a relative of his own. He was therefore a good judge of what it was ; and he declared it to be all false and delusive &c. &c. His own opinion he added, was that the' Bishop might have remained with safety, as, in any case, the great body of the natives would have stood by him. Ihaka Whanga said, that persons who had troubles in other parts of the Island should keep those troubles to themselves ; but in the event of any strangers coming with thoughts inimical to the white settlers, it was the duty of the chiefs of the district to see that those settlers should not be molested. The Europeans were a good race of men. They had kindly intentions, and loved to see justice between all parties. He considered that the chiefs of Turanga should stand or fall with the pakehas of their district, as he intended to do by his. Wirihana Toatoa also told what he had done and what arguments he had used at Turanga to stop the spread of the Hau Hau. The meeting, which commenced at three, lasted till near six o'clock ; and of course we have been able to give no more than a very meagre outline of the proceedings. The tenor of all the speeches was considered highly satisfactory. . At the close, Mr. M'Lean intimated that, as so many chiefs were assembled together, he thought the opportunity a good one to meet together for the purpose of considering the position of the Province generally. Another meeting would therefore take place in a day or two — so soon as Kopu, Paora te Apatu, and the other Wairoa chiefs could be present.