THE POROTI AFFAIR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9120, 31 July 1888, Page 6

THE POROTI AFFAIR.

THE ORIGIN OF THE TROUBLE.

STATEMENT OF THE CASE.

The following version of the late troubles between the natives at Poroti was given to a Herald reporter yesterday, by a gentleman from the district who is personally conversant with the facts : —

I don't desire to be drawn into the matter at all, as it is not my affair, although I have known of the trouble since it may be said to have began. The quarrel may ho said to be of long standing between the two parties, and is all due to a block of land up there, containing something like fifteen or sixteen hundred acres, which is claimed to belong, more or less, to some five hapus. They "are all mixed up with it, and interrelated in one way or another, although you can divide the two opposing factions to be represented by Taurau, Tito Papa, Hiri Tetaka, and Tepuka on the one side, and Era Hiri, Matuarama, Manuera, Hourewi, and the woman Teru on the other. The present trouble entered its acute stage about seven months ago, although ] there had been bickerings before that. About seven months ago Taurau leased the block of land to a man up there called Rawnsley, for £300 for the year, giving him j the right to the gum on the block. Some j eight natives signed this lease or agreement or whatever it: is, or was, which by the way disappeared in some way ; at least, it was not forthcoming at one time when wanted. The money was paid to Taurau, who is one of the head chiefs ; I believe he claims to be the head. Taurau called the chiefs together to • decide as to how the money should be divided between the different hapus. If they took equal shares it would have come to some £60 to each hapu. Taurau then, as is the Maori custom, placed the money on the ground and called to one of the chiefs to divide it. Now, according to their custom, the chief called on should in his turn have said to another one, "You divide it," and that one in his turn should have asked a fourth to divide it, and so on till it went all round, and in, short came back to Taurau. But instead of following this custom Matuarama, who was present, picked up the £300, and then put back £100, taking £200 for himself. His reason for doing this, he said, was this : There had been leased a piece of land previously to Rawnsley for gumdigging. When no money had passed from Rawnsley to the natives, the land being leased to pay off pa*t debts. Matuarama said as he had no debts by that arrangement he lost his interest, and he retained the extra hundred to make this up, and had a right to. When Taurau saw this he was disgusted, and would not take the £100, but got into his buggy and drove away. So the other side got the £300. Taurau's side got nothing. Then I'omare Kingi challenged the other side, saying as Manuera had challenged him before, but he (Kingi) had taken no notice of it, they would now go on with the challenge and fight for the money. This was so much agreed to that they then parted, and went to get their arms, and to meet at Tito Papa's place. They were to have fought next day, but the Resident Magistrate, Mr. Clendon, hearing of this went to them and stopped the fight coming off. He arranged that the two principal hapus (Taurau's and Eru Hiri's) should call a committee or council of natives to decide the matter. Both sides agreed to this, and agreed to submit to the council or committee's decision. The committee met, and after having discussed the dispute made an award that Matuarama's people should pay Taurau's people £200, and retain £100. They asked to see the lease I spoke of, but it was not to be had. This lease was the cause of the whole trouble. Another thing Taurau's people wanted. They accused Eru Hiri of being the cause of all the trouble by prompting the others to what they had done, and said he should go back to Hokinnga, where he belonged. This decision Matuarama's people did not comply with, and Eru Hiri refused to agree to this. The next feature of the affair was that Taurau's people were advised to take legal proceedings to recover the £'200, which the committee had decided in their favour. Summonses were duly issued from the R.M. Court, and the case came on for hearing before Mr. Clendon. But Eru Hiri and those with him did not attend, and judgment was given against them by default, and in favour of Taurau and his people. There were also lawyers and other costs to the amount of £31. Well, Eru Hiri's people were ordered to pay in fourteen days. During those fourteen days Eru Hiri consulted his lawyer—Mr. Dufaur, I believe— he said the decision was illegal, and he stopped the case. At least, there were no further proceedings, and the case fell through. The natives said theu the only way the matter could be settled was by having' the block surveyed and put through the Land Court. Both parties agreed to this, but notwithstanding this agreement a number of them wrote, I believe, to Mr. Mitchelson, about the land being surveyed. Taurau said it must be surveyed, and Era Hiri and his people objected, and this sort of thing went on up to the day of the fight.

However, the Government or the Sur-veyor-General instructed Mr.' Wilson to survey the land—two blocks, but told him he must look to the natives for his pay. Then there was trouble about raising the money to pay Mr. Wilson, and Mr. Mitchelson referred the matter to Mr. Clendon. However, Taurau made the arrangements that the money should be paid, and told Mr. Wilson to come out. He got there, I believe, on Thursday, the l!)th. Mr. Wilsou had meanwhile asked Taurau to place the poles and flags as to the boundaries or something. Taurau did this. Then Manuera and his people took the poles out of the ground, and Muera, their prophet, stuck his pole in, and told Taurau's people to fire. This, of course, they did not do, but went on sticking their flags down. When they had done this Taurau';! people returned to their camp. After they had done so, Manuera's people pulled them up, and also said they would shoot either white man or Maori if they went on with that survey. This was on Thursday night. On the same night Manuera's people built a pah where the flags were placed. At daylight on Friday, when Taurau's people went to the place, they found Manuera's people armed in the pah, and ready to shoot. Taurau's side had their guns, and, I believe, actually began the fight by firing the first shot. This was returned, and the fight opened. Taurau's side charged the pah and drove Manuera's people out of the pah. When driven out they ran away and got behind a hill, down the side of which there was a sort of cut or sudden declivity, behind which Manuera's people got. Taurau's people were therefore above them, but they had to approach down the hillside, and look over the declivity to see Manuera's people. They continued the fighting till sunset, so they were lighting the whole day. Then one of Taurau's people, Pomare Kingi, put up a whito flag Ma flag of truce, and called to Manuera's people and asked them which they wished to do—to continue fighting all night, or to give up for the night to bury their dead and carry away their wounded, saying Taurau's people were willing to do either. Manuera's people, in answer to this, also raised a flag, and they said they would finish for the night and care for the wounded. They then held a sort, of talk, and agreed to resume the light on the following Monday. Then they shook hands and parted good friends for ! the night.

I should also tell you that, pending the Resident Magistrate's Court trouble being j settled, Rawnsley made overtures for a lease | and paid Heratetaka £100 for this new | tease of a portion of the gurafield. Herai tetaka went to some of the other natives and told them of this, but they did not take I any notice of it, and when the Europeans went to dig gum two sons of the woman Teru and other natives drove the Euro- ! peans off. The Europeans told them that j 1 Tii-u and Taurau had leased that land to I Rawnsley, and they had paid their 10s to ; dig gum on his lease. To this one of the i sons of the woman Teru told the Europeans ! that Hiratetaka had no right to the land, J and gave as their reason that Hira's fore- ; fathers had brought Hira's mother as a i slave from the Waikato, presumably to eat, | but Hira's father had saved her and taken : her to be his wife ; and for this reason, | that lie was the son of this slave, | (lira had no right to the land. The ! sons of Teru said, alluding to Ilira'a ! mother, " She was brought for beef, and wo i are only fattening Hira for beef." ; <Jetting back to the survey, and during 1 it,Tauiau's people told Mr. Wilson '< • ■

with their block, and he sent his men to put up the sticks, and one of them had four shots fired at him while he was doing so. I presume it was done to frighten him and not to hurt him, but Mr. Wilson would not go on with the survey, but called in Mr. Clendon. Mr. Clendon, a constable, the doctor, and Mr. Symons came out and went to both parties, and they both agreed nob to fight. Manuera's people said, "If Taurau's people do not come down to our place to fight ua we won't fight," Taurau said to Mr. Clendon, "I have placed the affair in the hands of the Government ; this is the fourth time for them to decide this disturbance. I agreed to the survey. The Government agreed to the survey, and I want the survey to be made. I shall protect the surveyor until this survey is completed, and it must go on now." Taurau got a telegram from Mr. Mitchelson, and in reply said, "I agree to your terms not to fight, but expect you to agree that the survey shall go on." On the Saturday they buried their dead. On Taurau's side there were two killed, and one killed and three wounded on the other side. I cannot give you their names. One day after this Manuera's people came to the old battle-field, and fired loaded guns with bullets in them over the camp of some of Taurau's people, where there were some women living. The women heard the bullets whistling overhead. Taurau then built a new pa, and when the pa was completed they went on the hill, and fired bullets in the air to tell the other side they were ready, or, as thoy said, _to give it strength. Manuera's side said, in explanation of their firing, that they were only firing over their dead, but Taurau's people took it as a challenge. Mr. Clendon went to Manuera's people to get them to agree to a survey, but they said they would not do so. Taurau will not agree to any other terms, unless the survey is completed, and also demands that Eru Hiri be sent away. And that is how the matter stands now, I believe. MR. DUFAUR'S STATEMENT. A Herald reporter waited upon Mr. E. T. Dufaur, solicitor, and asked him to tell how he stopped the Resident Magistrate's Court case, and give his version of the matter.

Mr. Dufaur said"Eru Hiri party's contention was this, that Taurau had received large sums of money which he did not spend amongst the tribe as he should do, and those who were kept out of their shares insisted on the next money that was got as belonging to them, to make up for what they had lost. The gum money was received, and Taurau gave it over to Eru Hiri, to return any portion he thought fit. Eru said ' No ; they claimed this as their money. The gum came from the land, and the land was theirs.' Then they had a committee, and the committee decided that Eru should pay a certain amount of the money, but Eru said ' No, he would not pay until the land was put throuuh the Court.' A summons was issued, the case decided against rEu, and execution was threatened. Eru consulted me. I told him the question involved a title to land, and that the Resident Magistrate had no jurisdiction, and if he attempted to enforce it I should get out a prohibition order from the Supreme Court forbidding him doing so. I then prepared the necessary notices, and also applications to the Native Land Court to enable the natives to get their rightful lands. These notices Eru took back with him to get signed. Eru told me there would be trouble over these lands, as Taurau threatened to resort to arms, but till the Court decided Taurau was right he would not give in. I told Eru not to fire. Eru also complained that Taurau had began to survey, which overlapped Eru's land. Someone told them that those who got the land surveyed first would get the land. I told Eru to go and survey, and lot his survey overrun on Taurau's land then, so that there should be two plans of the land. That is all I have had to do with it, and that is how it stands now." [BY TELEGRAPH.—SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.] Wellington, Monday. I understand that the Native Minister will in all probability leave for Whangarei in a few days. He will endeavour meanwhile to push through the Native Bills, but if necessary, the Premier will take charge of them in order that Mr. Mitchelson may be released from his Parliamentary duties to attend to this special mission. It is now deemed inadvisable that the settlement should be postponed till after the session, it being thought that Mr. Mitchelson's prompt advent on the scene will greatly facilitate a peaceful issue. A telegram was received by the Native Minister to-day, stating that all was quiet at Whangarei, and that a number of influential chiefs, including Hone Mohi Tawhai, had arrived upon the scene of the land dispute. They will have a conference tomorrow on the matters involved. Meanwhile they are anxiously awaiting the arrival of the Native Minister, the opposing parties haying agreed to leave their difference to the joint decision of himself and these chiefs.