A SINGULAR PETITION.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume L, Issue 8909, 25 October 1905, Page 7

A SINGULAR PETITION.

I Native petitions are often very quaintly worded, but one of the quaintest was presented to Parliament the other day by Mr W. H. Herries, which read as follows ; — To the Hon. the Speaker and hon. members sitting in assembly in the Parliament of New Zealand, — Greetings to ?ou all under the mercy of our Lord the lost High, by Whom you have been strengthened to administer matters for the many people inhabiting New Zealand. Sufficient greetings. This is a word to you, asking that you will duly consider our sorrow and pain for the Teasons which folJow- below, viz : (1) All the provisions of the Maori Landi Council Act, 1900, down to^the present year have not been even slightly cold in their touch upon the person of the individual, and the land also. Therefore our writing hereunder a few words of explanation if they will be clear — (a) The jetters of the language of us, your Maori people, are fourteen only, viz., a, c, i, 6,7 v, h, k, m, n, t, t, p, w, z, g. The letters of the pakeha language are 26 (here quoted). Therefore do you carefully consider _the immensity of the difference between these two languages. Furthermore, the knowledge of the Maori people cannot be any different from the letters of- their language of ancient times. Apart from such Maoris as have learnt to pro•nouhce certain words of the pakeha language, such persons as that may be callI ed; half-caste, whereas our elders and ancestors' were absolutely limited to the fourteen letters The end of their days and the days of their customs are near at hand. Therefore, you arc hereby prayed that ■it he not given to you to drag away jour feet into the place of the meaning or surroundings of which we have no knowledge. Leave us to walk along .slow, and we shall probably reach that |tate of things which you people desire? Our prhhoipal desire is that a law be .made restricting the lands remaining to the Maoris for all future -time ; .that the power to sell he not open. (2)' ThatT the persons owning fche land or lands may have power to demise their jands by Jease under such conditions as may be completed between themselves ajid the lessees. Do you consider the petition of my tribe, Ngati Pikiao, which is a request for the removal of the Thermal Springs Act Restriction, so that it may be possible to demise by lease to the lessees. Sufficient from your humble seTvant (Signed) Te Tauhu Kinei."