Hawke's Bay Herald. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 1879.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 5307, 14 February 1879, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Herald. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 1879.

We published the other day a telegram from Qisborne giving a very brief account of an address delivered by Mr W. L. Rees at a public meeting in that town, the subject matter being the arrangements made with the natives respecting the disposal of land. Fuller particulars of Mr Rees's speech appear inihe Poverty Bay Herald, some of which are not without interest, if only because of the new light which they seem to throw upon the character of the member for Auckland City East. Mr Reos is already known to fame as a learned counsel fighting tooth and nail in behalf of his clients; he has acquired notoriety as a Parliamentary speaker capable of speaking against time without wearying — himself; and, as the author of "Sir Gilbert Leigh," he has placed his name as a novel writer in no mean position. One would have thought that these would have been enough, but they do not appear to have sufficed, for, as his speech at Cftsborn,? discloses, he has

taken upon himself the role of a regenerator of the native race, and of a champion whose mission is to redress their wrongs. He told the meeting that much of the land had been obtained by fraud. The Europeans had traded upon the ignorance of the Maoris, buying enormous blocks of land for which they had given rum in exchange by way of purchase money. These Europeans had taken land from Maori girls who were minors, giving in exchange pieces of colored glass, worthless trinkets and beads, as wretched equivalents. These lands being tribal lands, and^ot the property of any single Maori, they were dishonestly alienated. Maoris had been induced to sign away blocks Avhich they had no power to do. Ohildren had been made to sign away their inheritance ; men had been deluded into putting their names to deeds when inebriated; in faot> the Maoris had been cheated first by one greedy speculator and then by another, until their best lands had been taken from them withoitt anything like a fair prico being paid. We fancy wo have heard of this before, or something, very much like it, and from Mr Rees too ) and probably much of it is true enough, though wo are inclined to suspect that Mr Reos la} r s on his colors somowhat thickly. However, Mr Roes himself seems to believe that the picture as ho draws it is a faithful one, and that the iniquitous dealings upon which he dilates have been tho moans by which much land has been obtained from tho natives. He has long considered that these dealings should bo inquired into ; that whore land has boon bought by bribing heads of tribes, or under misrepresentations made to the natives, restitution must bo made or compensation given. This is no doubt right enough, but wo can scarcely see what it has to do with tho plan for the disposal of native lands which Mr Reos unfolded to his auditors at Gisborne, unless it was meant to show how much he differed in his dealings from those whose medium of exchange was rum and trinkets and valueless beads. The plan, as reported in the Gisborne Herald, was this: — ".The Natives had proposed that all the lands belonging to them should be placed in trust with him (Mr Rees) and Wi Peri. There would be a committee formed, and the Native lands wonld bo so dealt with that no longer should any frauds be perpetrated. It should be made absolutely impossible. These lands would be catalogued, mapped, and correctly surveyed. They would be divided into sections, and sold upon the system of deferred payments. Only a small deposit would be required, while the balances would remain for a long period, paying a moderate interest of six or seven per cent. The money coming from such sales, with the interest as it accrued, would be expended for the benefit of tho Maori owners. Schools would be built, and the native children properly educated. They could have their churches and their ministers. Their condition would be ameliorated in all respects where ameliorations were called for." The plan has a taking sound about it, but we fear Mr Rees will not find it as practicable as he thinks. To us the difficulties seem very great ; but knowing as wo do how indomitable is Mr Rees in anything he undertakes, he may achieve success even whore failure seems most certain. At any rate, if Mr Rees is sincere in his professions, if his aim is to do justice to the natives, and to ameliorate their condition without inflicting injury upon Europeans, he has our bbestt t wishes for his success.

A meeting of merchants and others interested in the welfare of Napier was held at the Masonic Hotel last evening, for tho purpose of arranging preliminaries for the formation of a company to carry out the breakwater scheme at PortAhuriri Bluff. It was decided to collect all the information procurable, and to draw up a prospectus to be laid before the public as speedily as possible. We were shown last evening a phonograph constructed by Mr Hyde, who is employed at Mr Faulknor's coach factory. The instrument is constructed on Edison's principle, from the drawings of it which have appeared in the Srie7itific. American. Mr Hyde has been very successful, though laboring under the disadvantage of having been unable to procure tinfoil of sufficient thickness for the purpose. But even with the thin tin foil Mr Hyde has been obliged to use, we had the pleasure of hearing the instrument repeat everything that was spoken upon it through the mouth-piece. The repetitions were very amusing, more particularly as, in its apparent obstinate clinging to what had gone before, it gave us over again all that had been previously said before it would oblige us with the last sentence uttored. A meeting of the Hawke's Bay Rifle Association was held last evening at tho Albion Hotel, Major Routledge in tho chair. Tho following members were nominated to represent the association at the forthcoming prize firing meeting at Nelson : — Lieut. Pell, Sergeant Ross, Sergeant M'lntosh, Trumpeter Cropp, Gunner Scarfe, Sapper Burr, and Mr S. F. Anderson. It was proposed by Mr Hooper, that a subscription list should be opened to help to defray the travelling expenses of the representatives. The proposal was agreed to, and Mr Hooper and Mr Carnell consented to collect subscriptions. We hear that in Auckland between £75 and £80 has been collected to defray the expenses of the five representatives from that district. We regret to have to record the death of one of our earliest and most respected settlers, Mr William Coupor, who expired yesterday at Havelock after a painful illness. Mr Couper arrived in Wellington, we hear, about the year 1840, and after remaining there a number of years, came to Hawke's Bay when the district was in its infancy, and remained here up to the time of his death. The funeral takes place to-morrow at 2 p.m. We hear that Dr. Gibbes has received the appointment of surgeon to the whole of the friendly societies in New Plymouth. He leaves for Taranaki about the end of tho present month. Mr W. T. Limbrick having tendered to the Napier Fire Brigade his resignation as member, because his appointment within the post-office precluded his attending to tho duties attaching to a member of the brigade, it was resolved at a meeting of the brigade, "That Fireman W. T. Limbrick be elected a lifo member of tho brigade." Mr Limbrick was a member of the brigade from its first establishment, and he now has the honor of being the only elected life member of that highly useful body. The following extraordinary story is from the Bay of Plenty Times of a late date :— " Constable M. Marsh, of Whakatane, arrived at Opotiki on Friday last, having in charge a European boy named William Floyd, who has been living with the Maoris during the past three years. He is apparently about 10 years of ago, and seems quick and intelligent. According to tho account given by the natives, he was sold to them at Napier by his mother for 2s 6d and a kit of kumaras, and has since been living quite contentedly amongst them. He states that his father and mother are still living at- Napier, and that his father is employed as a carter there. Great credit is due to Constable Marsh for the capture of the boy, as he was carefully concealed by tho natives, who misled Marsh by every means in their power, and caused him many fruitless journeys. Eventually, however, hearing that tho boy was at Kokohinau, he proceeded thither, and was informed by the natives that ho had been sent to Whakatane to take tho news of the death of a chief. Marsh then started back, apparently to Whakatano, but managed to reach To Teno unobserved, where he remained until midnight, and then returned to Kakohinau, and having previously asoerj/amed the 1

wliare in which (lie boy usually slept, he entered it in the dark, and closing the door, struck a match, and found his prize sleeping under a blanket with some Maori boys. On being, awakened the lad made the most furious efforts to escape, and cried bitterly, declaring his wish to remain with the Maoris. He was examined before G. A. Precce, Esq., R.M., this morning, and committed to the Training School at Auckland." In our account of tho Oddfellows' district meeting at Clive in yesterday's Herald, it was stated that the new district rules embrace a now scale of initiation fees and a graduated scale of contributions for all new members joining the order, subsequent to the Ist July last. It has been pointed out to us that it was specially agreed that the rule would not affect members initiated before tho Ist of July next. Mr M. R. Miller reports' the sale of Mr Massey Etutchison's Wharerangi and Warepanga estate, containing 416 acres freehold and 512 acres leasehold, to G. Peacock; Esq.. for £5000. A correspondent writes to us respecting a paragraph about chloroform which appeared in yesterday's Herald. Ho states that hanging a patient by the heels, when suffering from eholoroform syncope, was first recommended by Dr Marshall Hall, not by M. Nekton ; and that it was the result of scientific thought, and not a fortuitous observation. Tho rational of it is, says our correspondent, that the blood gravitates from the lower extremities to tho heart, and from that organ to tho brain. The heart is thus stimulated to action, and tho nervous centres being supplied with blood keep up the supply of nerve force to tho heart, and by that means the sufferer may bo tided over the dangerous moment. It is almost invariably resorted to in such cases, but it has not proved infallible, though lives have certainly been saved by it. The danger of chloroform, he adds, has been much overrated, the statistics of deaths being one in two thousand four hundred applications, whilst it is impossible to osthnate the number of lives saved by this agent, as it greatly lessons the danger of surgical operations. Major Withers arrived in Napier yesterday by the s.s. Wanaka, for the purpose of inspecting the various volunteer corps in this district. The annual inspection will take place on Saturday afternoon, at 5 p.m. Members are reminded that, by absenting themselves from this inspection, they render themselves liable to a fine of £0. Divine service will bo. held on Sunday next by the Rev. Joseph Shearman, at St. Mary's, Waipukurau, at 11 a.m., and at Motuotaria at 7 p.m. ; by the Rev. J. C. Eccles, at St. Peter's Waipawa, at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m., and at the Kaikora school-room at 3 p.m. Messrs Routledge, Kennedy, and Co. will sell to-day, at 1 o'clock, on the promises of Mr M. Baldwin, Waitangi, a number of cattle, horses, pigs, etc. Messrs Bennett and Brooking will sell to-day, at their auction mart, at noon, furniture, tea, Australian wine, Hobart Town jams, fruit, etc.