THE NEW MAORI DIFFICULTY

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume VIII, Issue 1355, 10 July 1886, Page 2

THE NEW MAORI DIFFICULTY

(11Y OUH HIM.I'IAI. KKI'OKTKU.)

On KitUitiluy morning, liiHnootor I'uiily. with 11 foico of iiiuu <VMiMtul>loß, 101 l Unworn ut 7.150 11. in. for tlio tiro up of thp whiiru-lmil Imj; at Mr l-you^H's ftvun, Mokoui. Amvml tlitue, 11 whs found thnt lh<i Diid voh 111 1 ml (I. o uupoi), U'iivnif,' ht'lmnl Ilium tho pmUoti ul l!m liunpii, or lutuik wind, wlucih tlio v hint tuottexl, 11 kits oi potulooi, nml it loiul ol t'Utivvooil. A fire had heon hi on tho yt»HU>i\luy, nml lliuro witH ti ln>ii|) ot Mtonoi 101 oooUin^,'. lnH|>«otot' I'iuity pivo hi!) iiiuu oi'tlwia (o pull down tho poll h, which svuh ijiuoldy doiio, ami tilini il y 11 1'lf r lUn^ilmoaiii, Iho pnncipul aian at the Mvikutu pah, rotlt) tip (o tho Hueue ut uiHion. lib Wttn ti-ikod to give liih niunn, but wait hilent on that point. In HiißWtJi to huthec tjuontloiirs, hu Huul ihut Tiliikowiu v was to inuioh down to l'uit-11 ohorlly, nml ihtit tho niilivtb welt) KOllll4 to built) n hoiiao on Mr. Lyhft^'ht'ti Inml iov them. Ho whs oiiliri'd to lenvo lint iuul illd ho. lio'oro luuvtitf, 1 , ho wuh win nod tliftt if ho riuuiiiHil ho would bti uriudtoil. Ah he wrh lu»\in^, v Maori ilrny wntt Been nppronolniiKi but Kun^i. upoke to (ho diiver, and it lurueil lmok to winds the pith.

Up to Llits point Mr. Partly was of opinion that To Whiii had nothing to do with tlio liiovomoul, as To Whiti had told tlio nntivee ut the close of the lust Parilmka meeting that each one would have to bo ronpousiblo for his own actions. It was stated, however, that if they put their foot on the land, and a thistle pricked them, they wore to take it off ai>nin.

Mr. Lyeaght here rode on to the ground, and explained that it was on Friday afternoon, shortly after 1 o'clock, that ihe natives first put iv an appearance. They brought two drays with them, loaded with polep, and tents, and all requisites for camping. They had succeeded in erecting a portion of the breakwind, but Mr. Lysaght had obstructed them as possible. The land on which they bad commenced work is Mr. Lysaght's freehold. Some time during the night they must have received word that (he police

had arrived in Hawera, because at daylight in tbe morning they had .shifted their drays and tents away. They told Mr. Lysaght on Friday, that they were going to start the same thing at several placps. Tntaki was the leader of the Maoris, of whom there were 17, exclusive of women and children.

Leaving a few men ou the ground, Inspector Pardy, with Sergt. Anderson, and Coustables Franklin, Roche, Ryan, and Tapp, and accompanied by Mr. Lysaglit, went to the Maori village. Here they found 15 men nnd about 20 women. The native who had previously ridden on to the ground was standing up, and admitted that his name was Rangihaeata, aud that he was tbe chief of the pah. Being questioned as to what was the meaning of his behaviour, he said that he was going to build on Mr. Lysaght's land, nnd to plant it, under Te Whin's government. Te Whiti bad told him to do bo.

Tbe police told him that if he went there agiin be would be sent to gaol.

Rangi. said that Mr. Lysaght ought to go and talk to Te Whiti.

The police said they had nothing to do with Te Whiti. It was the Government of the country that all uicst obey. They ngnin warned him and all the natives.

Eangi. said that they should get the korero with Te Whiti, and was told in reply that if Te Whiti went on to Mr. Lysaght's land he would be arrested, to which Rangi replied : Very good.

The natives were quiet, but sullen, and seemed to care but little for what was paid to them.

The party then returned to the paddock, and Mr. Lysaght informed our reporter that the natives did not want to take money from Mr. Rennell ; nor did they eeem to wish that Mr. Lysaght should pay a second time to them the rent that he bad already paid to the Public Trustee. They said that Mr. Lysaght in former times had always paid his rent to them, and there bad been no trouble, and if things could go on again in that way, why, all right.

The place where this whare-building had been commenced, it should be explained, was in a paddock between the main road and the wool shed, and only separated jfrom the shed by a wire fence.

Everything being now apparently at an end, the party were prepanog to leave, when suddenly a party of 11 natives on horseback, with Ngnhitm at their head, appeared approaching the wool shed, through Mr. Lysaght's laud, from the direction of his dwelling-house. Instead of riding along the main road, and entering tbe paddock by a gate opening direct from the road, they had gone in at the front gate, up the avenue a short distance, and then turned ioto the wool-shed paddock by another gate.

Mr. Pardy promptly gave orders for these natives to be turned back, which was done without any resistance on their part, tbe police following them uotil they were out on tbe road. Ngahina was not, however, suffered to pass out with the others, but was detained and questioned. All he had to say was. that he was not angry witu Mr. Lysaght, and the latter miiflt not be angry with him.

Mr. Pardy warned him that if he or any other natives who were then there, were found on the land again, they would be arrested.

Ngahiua was then allowed to depart, and he aud his party rode oS to the Mokoia pah.

Coustable Ryan, previous co this, had beeu despatched to the pah, to tell the Datives that the kits of potatoes had been put out on tbe road, and that they could take them away. He reported that the only answer that the natives had made was, that tbe police could have them. He h id repeated that they had been put there for the natives ; and bad come away, according to instructions.

There being nothing more to do, the police then left.

Mr. Pardy is quite prepared to arrest the ringleaders at once, if he finds the natives committing any damage upon tbe land in European occupation.

Constable Franklin has been sent back to Manaia, to ascertain whether there is any mischief threatened in that neighborhood, aud to meet the main body of visitors expected from Parih».ka, as Inspector Pardy desires to speak to and warn them. Constdble Molvor has gone baok to Normanby for tbe same purpose.

It is reported that a number of young men left Tniporohenui on their way to Mokoia this morniug, since the police returned iioru thare. It is supposed they will roonter on the ground. Should they do so, the ringleaders will be ai rested, aud the others driven off.

The police interpreter, Mr. Carriugton. who is liked and respected by the Maoris, has airived; and Inspector Pardy considers his nssistanee will be very valuable to him.

From reliable sourcos we learn that tho new difficulty is part of a movement which has long been contemplated, but only partly carried out. It is now fully a year since Te Whiti gave orders to the natives on this coast to erect large meeting houses, either on European A-eehold, or land held by them. Several large mooting houses have since been erected, but nono have been built on white man's property. It appears that these buildings are now called teko-toko, which means, ancient or out of date — that, in fiet, as the specifications have not been adhorod to tlioy won't pass, and are either to be shifted or oihors to be built in their pluco. It is reported that tho one which was built on tho Kuputii is to bo shifted on to a piece of ground on tlio Main road, near Mamuit, probably also on or near the Kupniii stroiun. Another is shortly to bo •M-oetod at TaikiUu, near Otakoho, on whito man's l.uul.

In roforonco to tho projected trip to PtUnn, it ia reported that on Monday or Tuo^day they will open the now mt'otmg-honso nt Wereworo. A large lnulv of natives aro coming down from Pitnlidkii tluit <luy, and a great feast will be fc'Mon, but no spirits or beer will be nllowod. Intitead of that, some 80 gallons of nmlials and teetotal drinks have been jmu'iuvd After tho Werewere feast, the iitUivoM will go on to Taiporohenui for one night, and from ihoro direct to Patea: but wt tho latter place they will make no sttiy, nor will they this time stop on tlio rond as has lately been their practice. No rosi-d-inco to tho authorities seems to bo oontoinplatod.