ACTS OF THE APOSTLES CONTINUED.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume III, Issue 170, 15 April 1864, Page 2

ACTS OF THE APOSTLES CONTINUED.

(ahurxri version.) Now the people were always of one mind regarding the land they dwelt in,—that it was wrongfully and illegally monopolized by the twelve apostles, to the exclusion of all but them; and they perceived, moreover, that the twelve had shewn great sagacity and foresight in banding themselves together in such an indissoluble manner, for it was evident they had great confidence iu each other, great faith in the Maories, and totally ignored and disregarded the General Government. And owing to the sagacity of John the Shrewd they had completely baffled the General Assembly and thrown such a cloud of dust in its eyes as to blind it to their real motives until it was too late ; and in this Donald the Ruler of the Council ably assisted. Nor had Thomas, the Great Mogul, who is also called Purvis, been less successful iu leading the people to think, that so far as he was concerned he regarded the occupation of the plains by Thomas the Dapper and William the Rich as a temporary expedient. Thus did the profound Mogul and wary apostle beguile the people and lull them into a state of fancied security. But the great disappointment experienced by the people was, not in the fickleness of this Apostle, who came from a part where greed for wool and land vie with each other for the mastery, but in the conduct of two of their representatives, men who went into the Council pledged to study the interests of the town more particularly, and who, in acting as they did, were more instrumental in alienating the affections of the people from them than if they had never made pledges of any kind. Disappointment, surprise, and anger, by turns took possession of their minds, and the only and best method proposed to remedy the evil was by getting rid of them altogether, and procuring two abler, truer, and honester men, who would not say only they would stand by the people, but who would do it, men, too, who not only had consciences, but would not pocket them at the sight of a pecuniary benefit. The people now, however, began to see matters in their real light. Donald, the Council Ruler, had sold them, that was clear. Now, why had the Ruler of the Council lent himself to this ? And the people reasoned among themselves and said—So long as Donald occupied Maori land in the same manner as pthers of the people, and did not aid and abet the illegal occupation of the plains, we suffered him to do the business of the people. Now, however, it is different. If the plains are to be parcelled out among his supporters, dependents, and hangers on, —why did he turn off and reader homeless our old and hard-working settlers who earned their bread by the sweat of their brow, as hewers of wood at Pakiaka ? If the introduction of a thiiving population ou the plains is to be a myth—the creation of smiling homesteads on lands intended by nature for them an idle dream, —if nothing is to be seen but a shepherd’s hut, and nothing heard but the lowing of the kine and the bleating of the sheep, where should resound the merry voice of youth and the busy hum of men, —if, verily, the welfare of the many is to be sacrificed to the selfish grasping of a few, and all this because the Ruler of the Council and the twelve apostles have identical Maori interests—interests so large that the Ruler has now quite ceased to regard the welfare of the people —then he shall be no longer our Ruler. Does he think us insane that we should uphold one who tram-

pies on and ignores us ? What can we think of a man wholuses language in the Council he does not support, and cannot believe in ? When the Council solemnly resolved that all the land from the sea to the hills, and from one river to the other river should be reserved for agricultural purposes, and it was carried against Donald the Ruler by that Council, did the Council mean to be more lenient to the twelve apostles than to two of them ? or do the Blessed Twelve presume on their tact, their strength, and their unanimity to gain for them what justice has denied them, and what the Council has expressly declared they shall not have ? for it pledged itself to use all means to obtain this land for the people for agricultural purposes ! Great were the wrath and indignation of the people ! They now saw plainly how John the Shrewd might well tell the General Assembly, as he did in his speech, how he “ wished the Ruler of Napier could have been in a position to tell the Maories on his return that if they would now entirely abandon connection with the present rebellion, they would be safe, and their rights respected.” John the Shrewd might well be pardoned for wishing to be safe himself, and have his flocks and herds safe, and that is why, using a little of his usual foresight, he wished to pave the way by making it safe for the Maories. Yerily, as he said again in bis speech, “ large.interests were involved in that question and John might truthfully have added, “ and more to be involved, if they would be safe.” John the Shrewd further said in his speech “ lie trusted the Government would give an assurance that some measures would be taken that would tend to check rebellion where it bad not already commenced.” That there was a shrewd suspicion in John’s mind that it had commenced it is rignt to assume, in order to account for his wishing to have it checked. To the mind of a working man of Napier, John would have more faithfully represented what he really meant had he spoken openly and said “ he trusted the Government would give an assurance that some measures would be taken that would condone acts of rebellion up to date, in order that they might not occur again.” In which case, John the Shrewd and Donald the Ruler would be prepared to know how to act. and they and the Blessed Twelve* with their flocks and herds, would he safe.

John the Shrewd lias been heard to regret latterly that he did not possess sufficient boldness to secure the whole of the people’s lands when he had the chance. This is what he had secretly resolved upon when getting the Safety Bill passed under false pretences in the General xlssembly. To atone for his great error, John has quiterecentlyendeavored so far as his poor abilities go, to redeem such a foul blot on his character as want of shrewdness. About a Sabbath day’s journey from Napier, a beautiful plain opens up, extending to the foot of the hills, and to Donald the Ruler’s boundary, and thence along the big river to the Pakipabi: this plain is completely bounded by water. Any one of the Twelve, then, is eminently fitted to rent such a run, as it literally fulfils the first article of their creed, which enjoins belief in a good and well-bounded run, well-grassed, and near to 1 fapier.

John the Shrewd, in adding this to his accumulating runs, has thus shown himself to be a true and sincere apostle.

So have Donald the Ruler and John the Shrewd divided that part of the land between them. They and the rest of the blessed T welve are very anxious to get the little remnant of the plains leased to the people, but, and this distinction is worthy of serious notice, this must be done ivith the consent of the Government, and, indeed, through it! It is possible that their apparent regard for the people’s welfare is dictated by a desire to get their own larger schemes countenanced and ratified in the same way just a little after, when they imagined the people’s attention would be diverted from them to the new toy.

It is not very difficult to foresee that the General Assembly will NOT see the matter in the light that the Blessed Twelve profess to do. It is quite clear the multitude of the people do not view it in that light, and moreover that they are exasperated beyond measure at the course the twelve Apostles have taken, especially those who ought to have known better, and their advice to them is this : You can order your wire from Christian England if you think fit; you can ignore the Spit if you think proper ; wire is obtainable cheaper in a lai'ge quantity and it is well you should buy cheap and have the pleasure of looking at it when it arrives, but— don't put it up. You may graze your sheep on these plains for a little while, but the plains are ours, by Nature and by Right, and we will move Heaven and Earth and the 1 welve

Apostles into the bargain to get them ; We have something to tell the General Assembly as well as our brethren John and Donald that shall soon be told them in a straight-forward, manly way, about which there shall be no mistake. Make up your minds and take your choice. Now the rest of the Acts of the Apostles, and all that they did, are they not written in the chronicles of the people and treasured in their hearts. — Communicated.