THE GOVERNMENT AND ROTORUA LANDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 5478, 7 June 1879, Page 6

THE GOVERNMENT AND ROTORUA LANDS.

THE NEW LAW. TO TUB EDITOR OT THE NEWSPAPER, AUCKLAND. FIUEXD,— Greeting. Heurkon, O Maori peoples, and European peoples, to our «entcnoo, for we lmvo beon pierced by the works of the l\w, and in consequence we are trembling as wounded birds,—made to feel thus by the pakelia side in conneotiou with our lands at Kotorua. The Government was conscious of its wrong-doing wheu il paid money to Maoris who were mere strangers, at Ohiwa, at Wairoa, and at Tarawera ; and the Commissioners of the GoTernment knew also that their proceedings were disapproved of by the whole of the Ngatiwhakaue people, at tho time that the Commissioners and those men [Ohiwa Maoris] heedlessly made arrangements to lease Te Koutou. Now,iu view of these iirejular doings, the Government made known its word to its Commissioners, C. O. Divris and others, and Mr. Davis made known tho same to the whole of the tribes in the yiar 187(5. This is the word in question,— "All matters relating to the purchase, or the lease of Tβ Koutou and all its places, Chvhiteura also and all its places, are now abandoned by the Government." In the face of tlnse clear understandings, on what grounds are we, the genuine owners of Te Koutou, prosecuted ? Mr. JKobort Graham has nothing to do with this Bubj«ct, lor he was placed by u» on ouj own lands. What, then, have we done amiss that the law should recklessly rash upon us to inflict punishment? It is perhaps on account of our loyalty to the Queen and to the Government of New Zealand during the times of war heretofore againat the NKtinoroo, the WhiUatohea, the Ngatiawa, the Ngttiterangi, the Waikatos, the Taranakis, the RongowbaWaata, TJrewera, and other Eauhau tribes of the Island. Now, O friends, the Europeans, do not speak in condemnation of Mr. Graham, for he is not to bla r ne, though the now law of confiscation enacted by the present Government has brought suffering on us. The chiefs and all the tribes of Rotorun. ininrited Mr. Graham to corns from Auckland to ltotorua, so that he might be a father to us, his exertions having been great at Maketu, in quieting the serious troubles ; for the present Government have done nothing to quiet our trouble! at Maketu or at Rotorua, or other places in tho Arawa, districts. Friend, tho editor of the newspaper, what shall we do to bring about our emancipation? as the Government have turned round upon us to do us harm —that is to say, they are heedlessly confiscating our lands. To whom should we and all the Atawas send petitions? Are we to petition tho Queen ? or the Governor ? or the ParUV rnent 1 or you ? or whom ?

Petera Pbkuatua. Eru Eba te Übejidtd. Wi Kepa Ncawhau. Nmi Pini, Nα Hqani Takurua, Tβ TinAKOA Te Waiatua, Auckland, June 4, 1879.

[Aβ our correspondents complain of the law and of the administration of it, they had better petition Parliament. —Ed.]