DEATH OF MAJOR KEMP.

Jubilee : Te Tiupiri, Volume 1, Issue 17, 26 April 1898, Page 7

DEATH OF MAJOR KEMP.

(Wanganui Chronicle.)

All old New Zealanders will learn with regret of the death of the grand old Maori chief Major Kemp (Meiha Keepa te Rangihiwinui). which accurred at his residence, Putiki, yesterday forenoon. The ! deceased, who had attained the age of 75 years, had been during the past few weeks suffering from bronchitis and rheumatism, his medical attendants being Drs. Hatherly and Saunders. He was the son of the chief aud chieftainess Rere-o-Maki and Tangnrii, his rather being a high-born native of Muaupoki and Rangitane tribes. On his mother's side he was related to the Ngatiapa, Ngarauru and Wanganui tribes, and was a nephew of the late Hori Kingi-te-Anana, who is well remembered as a consisteiit Iriend of the pakeha and a man who did nittci} tuwards the peaceful settlement of this district. ,■ Thos. Wayth Gudgeon, in his work, "The Heroes of New Zealand," states that Keepa first distinguished himself as a young chief at the battle of Ohoutahi, on the Wanganui River, about 1847, but owing to a dispute with his uncle, he entered the Maori police service, and subsequently accepted the post of mailman between Wellington and Wanganui. Shortly after Kemp and his uncle were reconciled. | the war broke out in the Wanganui district, " and Kemp with other chiefs succeeded in raising a native contingent amonst their own tribes, of which i the Government made him captain, and he faithfully served his Queen and country during the war, distinguishing himself on so many occasions that he I was recommended for and received the New Zealand Cross of Honour, for devoted and chivalrous conduct at Moturoa, when at the head of a very small portion of his tribe, with which he covered the flank of the retreat, and assisted the removal of the wounded, although exposed to a very heavy fire at close range;

and for the gallantry and constancy shown by him in conducting the pursuit of Titokowaru's followers after their defeat at Otauto on 13th March, 1869. His force on this occasion was composed entirely of volunteers, several officers of the Armed Constabulary having volunteered to follow this distinguished chief, besides the members of his own tribe. At the termination of hostilities he was made a Government Land Purchase officer of the colony, and did good service but an unfortunate quarrel with another land purchaser, led to his dismissal from office, it is said, without an inquiry as to the cause of the dispute, although Kemp had demanded one. This-circumstance afterwards resulted in a sort of civil warfare between Kemp and the Government, which completely shut up for a time the native trade on the Wancanui River, much to the disgust of the settlers." Dr. Buller, C.M.G., in the course of his speech on the occasion of the presentation of New Zealand war medals to certain loyal natives, said that, possessing as he did natural gifts of a very high order, " Major Kemp had better opportunities than most men of establishing a name for himself among the tribes, and making his mana felt in the district. Nor have these opportunities been neglected. In times of peace always to be found on the side of law and order—in times of war always in the foremost ranks of fighting—artive as a Native Magistrate, and taking an intelligent part in the politics of the country. Major Kemp has succeeded in acquiring a larger measure of personal influence among the tribes than prouablv any other chief on the West Coast of this island." Speaking of Major Kemp's services in the field, Sir Walter Buller said " that when he first came to the district in 1864, Kemp had just received a commission as ensign or lieutenant in the native contingent under Captain (now Colonel) McDonnell. After performing good service at Pipiriki Kemp was ordered, with the rest of the contingent, to Opotiki, for the purpose of breaking up a hau hau combination there and avenging the murder of the Rev. Mr Volkner. On his return from that expedition he served with McDonnell under General Cameron, and subsequently under Major General Chute, throughout the campaigns on the West Coast. He assisted Sir George Grey at the taking of the Wereroa Pah, and he fought under Colonels McDonnell and Whitmore, distinguishing himself on all occasions by his daring courge. He is also said to have been present at the taking of every pa, and to have on more than one.occasion been instrumental in saving our native allies from defeat. Sir Walter Buller mentions a single instance where " at the capture of Moturoa, when the friendlids had met with a temporary repulse, Kemp sprang to his feet and

running along the parapet, shouted a challenge to chiefs of the enemy to meet him in single combat, thus by his daring example, stimulating the wavercourage of our native allies and ensuring us the victory." In recognition of his services he was first promoted to the rank of captain, and afterwards to that of Major: when the rebellion had been crushed ou the West Coast, Kemp was instructed by the Government to organise an expedition into the interior for the pursuit of Te Kooti and his band of murderous fanatics. Of this force he took the chief command himself, and became known among the natives as " General Kemp." Starting from the head waters of the Wanganui he pursued the enemy accross the Murimotu Plains to the East Coast, and thence back to the Opiwa mountains, where, after a great deal of hard fighting, he succeeded in quelling and dispersing Te Kooti's band, Hakaraia, one c f the murderers of Volkner, and several other leadirg chiefs being killed, and te Kooti himself barely escaping with his life. Major Kemp returned to Wanganui from this victory covered with military honour, and received the congratulations of his Pakeha and Maori friends inthis district. He afterwards received in public, at Wellington' the handsome sword, presented to him by her Majesty the Queen, in recognition of his loyalty and bravery, Mrs Fox, when handing over the sword, expressed on that occasion an earnest hope that it might always remain in its sheath, a hope that has, we are pleased to say, been fully realised. Of late years his principal aim had been to make peace with all the hau-haus, and with this object in view he visited the Waikato district on more than one occasion, and endeavoured to bring the leading chiefs to reason. It was through Kemp's instrumentality that Tawhio, the Maori King, was induced to visit England some few years ago. On the King's return Major Kemp again visited the Waikato, and requested the old chief to allow all matters in dispute between the disaffeded tribes to be submitted to the Government for settlement, to which the Waikatos did not agree. Then Kemp set to work in an endeavour to induce the whole of the tribes, in both islands, to unite their interests, in order that out of chaos might come order, the predominating desire being to bring the Maoris into a united commonwealth, so that the- Government could be the better and the more reasonably approached on all matters affe&ing the natives, instead of petitions and counter petitions being presented in endless number. As a result several important meetings were held, and all the tribes with the exception of the Te Whitis and Topus agreed. Thus it is that the Maori Parliment, which has just completed its sittings at Huntly came into existence. When Major Kemp returned from the big meeting recently held at Napier—-

at which the Premier read the Bill proposed to be introduced next session, giving the Maoris power to lease their lands only instead of to sell as hitherto—he told his people that he had 'objefted to the provisions of that Bill, and that he had informed the Premier that in his (Kemp's) opinion the best thing that could be done for the natives was to vest their lands in the Public Trustee. Major Kemp was married to Makere and by his wife had one child—Wiki (Mrs Loo Davis)—who still survives him. He had no other children! He will be succeeded by his nephew, Rangi Hakaraia, his sister Hora's son, who is now 23 years of age. For some months Major Kemp has been involved in litigation concerning the Horowhenua Block, and strangely enough it was only on Thursday that the Native Appellate Court at Wellington held that the Native Land Court in 1886, in making the order in favour of Major Kemp, fully intended to vest Block 14 in him as sole beneficial owner, untrammelled by any trust. Captain J. P. Watt received the following message from the Colonel commanding the New Zealand forces : —" Please express to the relatives of the late Major Kemp my sympathy with them in the loss of so gallant an officer. (Signed)—A. P. Penton, Colonel Commanding N.Z. Forces." The members of the Wanganui branch of the New Zealand Veterans' Association attended the funeral as a last tribute to a gallant soldier and an old comrade in arms. The Hon. tlie Premier was notified of the death of Major Kemp by Mr W. F. Goffe, the local Native Land Purchase Officer. The deceased was buried at Putiki, near the grave of his uncle.