MR TOMOANA AND MR HALL.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 5523, 28 October 1879, Page 3

MR TOMOANA AND MR HALL.

The following letter from Mr Tomoana, M.H.R., appears in the New Zealander : —

This is to the two races inhabiting this colony. . r Greetings. This is a word of mine., of Henare Tomoana, a Maori mtem'ber in Parliament for the East Coast district.

This is testimony of mine as to my action in Parliament during this session. On my getting to Parliament before the division of the no-confidence motion in the Grey Government took place, the Hon. Mr Hall and myself had an inview. The reason of our interview Avas with respect to' important matters" affecting the Maori people< And tho Hon. Mr Hnll consented to the demands made by me. After that interview of out's I stood up in the House in the presence of all the members. Mr Hall Avas there too. I proclaimed that all there might hear of tho interview between us, myself and Mr Hr Hall. t made known my thoughts to them. I said that owing to the acquiescence of the Hon. Mr Half in my requests respecting the Maori people, I Avould vote with his party. - At that time I thought that good to the Maori people would come of the arrangement arrived at between us. I continued waiting that those things (agreed on) might be finally settled ;' and also until the Hon. the Native Minister, in his statement, Avould refer to those! thinflf-ff agreeel upon by Hall Avith me. When I heard the speech of the Hon. Mr Bryce, the Minister for Native Affairs, then it was that sorrow came upon me. Then it was I thought that the things that the Hon. Mr Hall had consented to with me would not be authorised.

It Avas on the Tuesday, the 21st day of October, 1879, I stood up in the House. I said but a very feAV words. I said that 1 had hearel the Ministerial statement of the Hon. tho Native Minister ; that I did not see in his speech any good that would accrue to the Maori people. And then I said, in sorrow for my Maori people — for some of them are in the prison-house, anel tho Avomen and children at their ehvelliug places are dying off— there is nothing that I can sdo in tlie speech of the Native Minister indicating salvation for the Maori race. Thereupon I said to that Government — the Government of the Hon. Mr Hall and his party — for myself I go forth from you. I will cease to sit on your Ministerial benches 1 . And T Avent out from among them, and sat on the oilier side.

Sufficient. I am* not condemning theni the Ministry personally. By no means do I condemn (personally) the Hon/ Mr Bryce. In nry opinion ho is just, but 1 do not approve of the things spoken of by him concerning the Maori side. Perhaps the thought of the Government will be evil with regard to these words of mine ; but the whole of my Maori people they will justify by action. —From

lle_ta"re Tomoana