MR. REES, WAHANUI, AND THE NATIVE COMMISSION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8500, 26 February 1891, Page 3

MR. REES, WAHANUI, AND THE NATIVE COMMISSION.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,— your issue of Thursday last there appeared a quotation from a letter, purporting to be written by Wahanui, concerning me and the public utterances made by me as to the relation subsisting between the Ngatimaniapoto chief and myself. It has ever been the curse of New Zealand native matters that public good has been subordinated to private Interests, and that intrigue and underhand influence have been used to stay reforms and hinder progress. Ido not believe that Wahanui's letter is in truth anything more than the result of efforts still made by persons possessing considerable influence to oppose the settlement of the King Country, and to keep in their own hands the power of disposition of that great territory. With your permission I will shortly state the history of my connection with Wahanui. In 1883, at the invitation of Wahanui, Rewi (Manga), Taonui, and several other chiefs, Wi JPere and I left Gisborne, and visited the King Country. Captain Tucker, J.P., late Mayor of Gisborne, accompanied me as interpreter. At that time Europeans were not permitted to travel through that portion of the island without the sanction of the great chiefs. We were guided to Otorohanga, and there Wahanui came from Mokau to meet us. Taonui was living at Otoroh&nga at that time, and by him and his people we were hospitably entertained. The object of our visit was to give advice, which they requested, upon the management of their lands. After several meetings and discussions, and seeing the immense importance to Auckland of the settlement of tne great territory which we were traversing, I proposed that the chiefs, including Wahanui, Kewi, and Taonui, should visit Auckland, and hold a meeting there with Sir George Grey and the other Auckland members, with a view to the throwing open of the whole King Country _ for bona fide. settlement. To this the natives assented. I then wired and wrote to Sir George Grey, and obtained his consent to the proposed meeting. I made arrangements for the conveyance of the Maori deputation to Auckland, aud Wahanui and his friends came to Kihikihi, I was then informed from various quarters that Mr. Bryce, the Native Minister, was strongly opposed to my interference, and had given the natives a very decided expression of opinion. Whether this be true or not, I found the native chiefs unwilling to act. Rewi did not come to Kihikihi, nor had he been to Otorohanga; and Wahanui, on the | morning I expected him to leave for Auckland, in the presence of a considerable number of natives, stated distinctly that Mr. Bryce had threatened that if the natives took my advice the would not only give them no assistance, but would look upon the Maoris as enemies. As I was saying farewell to Wahanui, he took myself and. Captain Tucker by the hand, and said to me, through Captain Tucker as interpreter: " Now, Rees, do not go away sorrowful or angry. You see the danger we are in : we fear the Government. Some other time perhaps you may be able to advise and assist us as to our lands." I then, with Captain Tucker and Wi Pere, left him. From the tone of the meetings and the speeches of the Maoris, I was convinced that they would willingly have entered into arrangements at that time for the utilisation of their lands. I next saw Wahanui in Wellington in 1885 or 1886. He re-opened our intercourse in regard to the lands in the King Country. At his request, backed up by the native members and several influential chiefs then in Wellington, I drafted a Native Land Act which provided for the throwing open of the native lands for settlement upon easy terms and with complete titles. Mr. Ballance was then Native Minister. Wahanui, in the presence of Wi Pere and several other chiefs, authorized me to tell the Native Minister that if that Bill became law the whole of the so-called King Country would pass through the Native Lands Court and become subject to the newlaw. He told me, also, that he himself had seen Mr. Ballance upon the subject. Mr. Ballance subsequently partially embodied the principles in his Native Land Administration Aot. The Administration Act failed from two causes it did not take the exact form which the natives desired ; (2) it was made optional and not imperative. My efforts to aid Wahanui and his people again failed. The last occasion on which I saw Wahanui on the subject of the Ngatimaniapoto lands was some time prior to my leaving for England in 1888. He was then in Auckland, living in lodgings in Grafton Road. He sent to ask me to come and see him "before I left Auckland. I went, and we had a long and interesting interview. The one subject of discussion was the management of the lands of the King Country. Besides Wahanui and myself, there were present Sydney Taiwhanga (since dead), and Mr. Brown the interpreter, who acted as interpreter between us. Several hours were spent in discussion. Wahanui was curious to known the manner in which Wi Pere and myself intended to obtain assistance both in people and money from England. He then proceeded to request that I would also introduce the subject of the settlement of the great territory which belonged to his people to the notice of the English public. I told him that I should require some formal authority, not merely from himself but from the Ngatimaniapoto and Ngatiraukawa people. .He then dictated a letter, which I wrote in English from the interpretation of Mr. Brown. Discussion took place upon the various clauses of the letter, and explanations were asked and given on both sides. At length a satisfactory document was comEleted ; it was then given to Mr. Brown to e translated by him into Maori, and Wahanui was to submit it to meetings of the people, and. after their approval was signified to transmit it tome. Wahamii wished me all success in England with Wi Pere's lands, and said that if on our return we could show a satisfactory result in regard to the East Coast, that they had several millions of acres which could be dealt with in like manner. Unhappily, owing partly to the unaccountable opposition which Wi Pere and myself received from Sir Harry Atkinson, we failed in our mission to England. Had we succeeded, as we certainly should have done if our own Government had aided us, instead of destroying our work and credit. Wahanui and his people would no doubt have been glad to join in a plan which would effectually solve their difficulties as well as ours. We did not fail through our own neglect, nor from any defects in the plan itself. We failed through the action of our own Government. Last Wednesday i strangely enough, I met Mr. Brown, and was speaking to him about the; interview with Wahanui in ISSB. He remembered the meeting, and told me that he still had the draft of the letter which had been given to him to interpret. That draft he was good enough to send to me on the morning of Thursday last, the day upon which the paragraph appeared in the Herald about Wahanui and myself. I left Auckland at noon that day by the Rotomahana. During the morning I had to address the Commissioners on the Arnaboldi case, and was literally besieged by people on all sorts of business. I had therefore neither time nor opportunity to write upon the subject, but I handed the draft letter which Mr. Brown had kindly sent to me to one of the proprietors of the Herald. The public must judge whether I have in any sense exaggerated the meaning or importance of the connection between Wahanui and myself in regard to the King country. Notwithstanding Wahanui's letter, I have no doubt in my own mind that he will consent to and assist in the carrying to a successful issue the plans which I propose for the settlement of the native land ana the native question. \ The subject of the administration of native lands, and therefore the importance of this matter to the public, no doubt arises from the recent appointment of Messrs. Carroll, Mackay, and myself as a Native Commission. ! am surprised to find that most erroneous impressions are generally entertained regarding the scope and objeots of this Commission. I am everywhere met with the remarks of the impropriety of my being Commissioner to enquire into the validity of titles concerning which I ajn supposed in many instances to have acted* in my professional character. The belief which has prompted such remarks altogether wrong, and without foundation. The Native Commission has nothing whatever to do with individual titles or claims to land. One Commission Court already exists for that purpose, presided over by Mr. Justice Edwards and Mr. Commissioner Ormsby. It would have been highly improper to have created me a commissioner to enquire into titles in connection with which I had commenced; or prosecuted litigation. The Government has done nothing of the sort, nor would I have accepted any such position. So far as I know, the Commission is to report, first, upon the history and present state of the native land laws of the colony; second, upon the defects of ; the Act under which the present Commission exists, and to suggest remedies so as to secure a tribunal which may airly settle and adjust with or without legislation all disputes now existing as to titles; third :to report 1 upon the working of the. Native Land Courts; and fourth: to suggest a method of administration .for the lands of the native in the future, which will enable the natives to utilise their lands for the purpose of bona fide, settlement upon proper terms and with certain' titles sua in accordance with . the' ordinary land', laws of the , colony, thus J. throwing | open i: extensive territory for occupation, preventing .the possibility of future litigation,' and utilising the native lands both in, the. production of wealth and contribution to- taxation, -J

To the consideration 'of these subjects X have devoted . much , time • and care 4 during 1 many years; I have. Buffered much in my efforts to do what I consider to be my duty to the State. I do not expect to finish the task which I have undertaken without great* difficulty - and much_ accusation. I • have at last some hope of bringing my opinions prominently forward.. I Believe that the plan which I propose will be. beneficial to both races and .of considerable public utility. I shall therefore not hesitate to aVail myself of what I consider to be an auspicious opportu- : nity. ' ; v- " There is a tide in the affairs of men Which taken at the flood leads on to fortune Omitted all the voyage of their lives Is bound in shallows and ifi miseries." I am, etc., W. L. REES. Gisborne, February 22,1891., .