ADDRESS BY MR. BRYCE TO THE NATIVES AT ROTORUA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIX, Issue 6565, 1 December 1882, Page 6

ADDRESS BY MR. BRYCE TO THE NATIVES AT ROTORUA.

A WARNING TO EUROPEAN SPECULATORS. [from our own correspondent.] Oiiinemutu, Monday. The Hon. Mr. Bryec, Native Minister, met the natives of Kotorua in the carved house, Tamatekapua, at Ohinemutu, to-day. The principal chiefs of the district were present. Whiti Te Ra read an address, welcoming Mr. Bryce to Rotorua. He then said the natives wished to see Mr. Bryce about Pukeroa, which they alleged they never agreed to being included in the township of Ohinemutu ; he also asked that Dr. Lewis, medical officer at Rotorua, should be removed, because the natives did not care for him, and request-'d the appointment of a medical man who could speak Maori; also that the 10th clause of the Thermal Springs Act should be amended, in order that the owners of the land should select the Board of Management of the township ; also that Mr. H. T. Clarke should be sent to complete matters in connection with the township. Rotohiko Haupapa and others then asked for a third hearing of Paengaroa block, and rehearing of Maraeroa-o-turoa. Paoka te Amoilau said that he and his people were suffering from.a scarcity of food, which had all been consumed at the last sitting of the Land Court at Rotorua, and asked for an advance of £200 on rccount of Rotorua township. Mr. Bryce replied : I greet yo. all. I am travelling around the country t, make myself acquainted with the Maoris am. "iheir lauds. lam glad to see Rotorua, and the people of Rotorua. Now, however, I want to correct an error you have fallen into regarding my position. It is uot the business of the Native Minister to attend to everything, as it was formerly. Now, if a road is to lie constructed, Mr. Johnston, Minister for Public Works, does it. An instance of that may be seen in the road from here to Cambridge. Again, the administration of lauds belongs to Mr. Rolleston. The Thermal Springs Act is administered by Mr. Rolleston as Minister for Lands. And again, an enquiry into title to laud is not my business. That is the business of the Native Land Court. If I were Judge, I would sit and hoar evidence and decide ; but that Court is the machinery that the Government have to ascertain title to land, and it would be an act of impropriety for the Government to interfere. 1 am willing to hear anything you have to say on these matters, because it is widl that I should be acquainted with them. Mostof your troubles arc connected with laud, and it may seem natural to you to blame other tribes, or the Government, or the Court. But my belief is that the trouble is deeper than that : it is the difficulty of ascertaining title to native lands. One of you said he did not claim 100 acres of the Maracroa-o-turoa block, but the whole block. Others may say the same. It then bceomes the duty of the Court to decide. Mr. Bryce then stated that it was the duty of the Chief Judge of the Native Lands Court to decide questions of rehearing, and that the Thermal Springs Act was administered by Mr. Rolleston. .As to Dr. Lewis, Mr. Bryce said he v. ;is a very skilful doctor, and that his certificates from schools of medicine were very good indeed. With reference to Te Koutu block, Mr. Bryce said : I do not know the position o: that land. You tell me that ic was sold without authority. Perhaps so. But what Ido hear is this : There arc a good many unauthorised land transactions going on here now. If that is true I predict that trouble will arise, if not to Maoris to Europeans engaged in them. They perhaps go into these transactions iu the hope that some change may enable them to carry them out, but I warn them that when they go into transactions contrary to law this Government will sliow tliem no consideration at all, nor will future Governments dare to ; and even this warning which 1 have given to-day will be placed on record. That word is addressed partly to Maor , but principally to Europeans. Mr. Bryce then said that the law did not provide lor a third hearing of Paengaroa, but if they would send him all particulars he i would, if lie considered it right, apply to Parliament for authority. With reference to the application for .C'JOO, Mr. Bryce said : 1 do not know whether it would be right to pay money from accrued rents, but 1 will i point out how Maoris can earn money to i obtain food with. '[ here is the road at the 1 other side of the lake now being constructed. They can obtain employment on that. They can also supply the Europeans of the township with tire wood and foncini», and save the . money that they now spend in drink, and purchase flour with it, and then there will be ; no waut of food. ' The meeting then dispersed. ;