THE LATE HONIANA TE PUNI.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 16, Issue 905, 30 December 1870, Page 2

THE LATE HONIANA TE PUNI.

Recently we extracted from the Evening Post a brief account of the funeral of the late Honiana Te Puni, and we now give from the same journal the remarks made after luncheon by the hon, the Native Minister and the lion. Mr Fitzberbert, The Post says: —" As the party were about leaving the room—many to return to town —the hon. Mr M'Lean rose, and said that before they parted, and on the occasion of the death of the oldest and most respected chief of this part of New Zealand, of whom so many entertained the kindliest recollections, he thought it would be a pity that some word should not be said, and was glad, therefore, to state that Mr Fitzherbert, who vyas acquainted with Epuni from the earliest days, had consented to make a few remarks on the event, which had caused the assembling of so many of the old settlers of Wellington. Mr Fitzherbert, who was visibly affected during the delivery of his speech, said that lie had been called upon in an unexpected manner by Mr M'Lean to say a few words on the melancholy occasion of their being assembled together. He wished that some one than himself had been asked, but he assured them that no one felt more deeply than he did the value of old Epuni's character, and was proud of the honor at being requested to say a few brief words on the occasion. It was one that did not call for any eloquence of words, but it was one that ought not to be passed over in silence. Ail knew that a word of sympathy—a look even —if omitted at certain times in our lives, caused pain. Thirty years ago the spot they were now at partaking of refreshments was covered by a dense forest—except a few patches cleared here and there by our deceased friend and his followers. In 20 or 30 years hence it would become a very flourishing town, in a district destined to hold aa important place in these glorious islands, which would play a great part and exercise vast influence in the colon,zation of the South Pacilic. (Hear, hear.) The mere fact of such being the case was due in some measure to the conduct of Honiana te Puni, who was a gentlemen —a bom gentleman —one of nature's noblemen. (Cheers). He saw around him many of the old settlers who knew this more than any others, and felt that they had lost a friend. Had he (Epuni) ever listened to suggestions less than that of gentleness and nobleness, or to men of lower minds than his own, now different would have been the early history of Wellington; and the colonization of New Zealand might have been indefinitely postponed, if not abandoned for years. fHear, hear.) This was not an unbefitting occasion to refer to such a matter, for had it not ; been for pur friend and other chiefs who had in other parts of the island acted in an equally noble manner, neither we nor our children could have remained in the land.

Times have been when the question arose when the settlers were weak and few h* number, and the natives were powerful, if the old race should not rise as one man, and expel the white ineu ; but it was due to our deceased friend to say that it was owing to him aud other chieftains that such ideas were strangled in their first conception. Whatever may have been our confidence in our strength, it might not be gratifying to acknowledge it, but nevertheless it was simply the record of an historical fact to state that it was due to the forbearance of the natives, and the firm friendship of Honiana te Puni, that such a thing was never attempted. If years afterwards it took 10,000 British soldiers to make an impression on the native tribes, how was it to be accounted for that a few hardy and noble settlers remained! at amity with the natives, although surrounded and outnumbered by them on all sides, but for the friendly influence of him who has left us ? It was natural that we should pay a tribute to the remains of that chief who had just been appropriately laid on the sands of that sea beach where the pioneers of this: settlement first landed. How much an 4 how deeply do we lament the Joss of such a friend. He died, having lived to an extreme old age; nature was utterly exhausted, and the lamp of life had fairly burnt out. He passed from amongst us with as little of the pain of dissolution as it was possible to conceive, surrounded by many of the comforts of life. It would ever be a subject of pleasant memory to us that when it became oiir turn to be the dominant and powerful race, we had doae all in our power to repay the deceased chief in some measure the debt we owed, We had thrown around him the asgis of our protection. We had not forgotten in the day of our power to requite the good he conferred on us. His small wants, and complaints were always attended to and promptly redressed. The history of the last ten years possessed much significance, We have in this Colony been trying to solve the greatest problem ever given to men in modern times, viz., the co-existence in the same country of native and civilized races. He contended that, notwithstanding what the ignorant of this. and other Colonies may have urged us to. do, we have treated the natives with strict justice, and had only punished them for offences, the justice of which were admitted by themselves. When land had been confiscated, it had been in perfect accordance with their own practice as welj as ours. We had endeavored to nourish and cherish the race, and we had done with them as if they had been of the same race as ourselves. Whether in ordinary life, in the Courts of Justice, or on the field of battle, they had ever received greater consideration than men of our race. He could say no more than that we had lived amongst them, and had faithfully tried to discharge our duty. No, page of our future history would be read with greater pride than our conduct with respect to the native race generally, an 4 he was sure that the last closing scene, or pageant, it might be called, by which we have endeavored to show respect to the memory of the deceased chief, would be long and gratefully remembered by all those of both races who were present; we had done all in our power to comfort the life and show honor at the death ol our departed friend. —The honorable gentler man sat down amidst loud and continue 4 cheering. The hon, Mr M'Lean, on behalf of tin? Government, thanked the public for having so readily responded to their wishes, by attending the ceremony, and said this was the first public funeral accorded to a native chief since the establishment of the Colony; and felt certain that its influence would be most beneficially felt throughout this island among ihe native tribes; and hoped that the motives of the sealers, would be appreciated elsewhere. (Loud cheers.)