Page 3 Advertisements Column 1

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 8, Issue 696, 31 October 1865, Page 3

SIE, — We are continually hearing of the poverty - of this country, and yet we can afford to vote the sum. of £300 per annum for seven years, with a guarantee of a bonus at the end of that period, for the compiling of a Maori-English Lexicon — : for; such. l, take to be the meaning of the following resolution by Mr. Mantell in the House of Representativesjipublished in the Wellington Adver- \ tiger of -October 2isth :-r ■- 'i&r; Mantell moved— "That in the opinion of tin ' -.-• House it is highly desirable that the Maori-English , Lexicon (as proposed and affirmed by this House on 13th : Augußt,ilß(!(l,'and subsequently agreed to by the Governmenton 20th August,: 1862)* be forthwith commenced." He made some remarks in support of his motion, referring to the present varied - interpretations of Maori letters, tor different interpreters. ■.-.<• ;■ After some discussion,— . Mr. Colenso rose and entered into the' history of propositions for the preparing of vocabularys and books in the Maori language of English words. He read a letter the last of which he had written some three or'fonr months ago to the then Native Minister. The letter concluded a full statement of the mode and expense required to prepare a polyglot of the Maori language. Ho reckoned it would take seven years to complete tlio work, at an annual expense of £300, £200 of which would be for the editor of tho work. ,A short discussion took place, and, the motion being put, the House divided. Ayes:— 2o. Noes;— 7; and the motion was carried. The Chairman then reported the resolution, which was ordered to be taken into consideration to-morrow. And this is ; rumoured to be considered as a retiring pension for our representative, for services rendered to Auckland members against the . interests- of this province. And more, I hear that our tribune has already bjen paid for a voc&bulary— or something of *Hat kind— which he has com piled. y This is to bo a Lexicon! And this is the patriot— the idol of the people! If Bucli things' are to continue, then I say with the poet; Moore:— While parliament, no more those sacred things Which jnake and rule the destiny of kings, : Like loaded dice by ministers are thrown, And each new set of sharpers cog their own. : /Hence the rich oil, that from the Treasury steals, , And drips o'er all the Constitution's wheels ; ■■'.. .Giy.jng the old machine such pliant play, . i That Court and Commons jog one jol fcless way ; .. While Wisdom^trembles for the cfrazy car, ' '■■.; So eilt, so Totten, carrying fools so far; . And the duped people, hourly doomed to pay ' ■-/ She fßums that bribe l their liberties away. ■■■^^.\Snr6]ly--sf : ;'J|s.:cplQny can afford to throw away - V- three|;or four 'thousand pounds in such a manner, ■ x ;^.||TO=,nptX.BO badly off as we are represented to ■Mt^rlc^tbirs is little ; doubt, if ;such a. work be fe ; *|p|i^d f ;t6j record ja^JanguageN \vhich in a few i:ci'yorß;/wili:be. extinct, the: work-might be quite as ;: (better :?^jjerfbrme(i fora tenth part of the merely by inducing one of the ! wJ^adifi^ such as to -;- S)wS*Wpi 10 ;tn e jWof is j j the <3p y^rn m cn fc at the same & connected assistance.