THE GREAT KORERO.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13487, 14 May 1907, Page 6

THE GREAT KORERO.

END OF THE MEETING.

.WHAT IT HAS ACCOMPLISHED. ' DEMAND FOR REMEDIAL LEGISLA- ! . TION. [EX TELEGRAPH. correspondent.] Hdntly, Monday. This, moining broke both cold and wet, a high south-west . wind blowing half a gale, which played great havoc with the tents and marquees.' One of the 3 largest of the latter was blown down, while of the former, those in exposed positions were deserted in favour, of warmer quarters, the runanga, which is comfortable and well lined', being.the most popular resort... The committee began its last sitting about eight o'clock. That early hour was chosen to suit the. convenience of members of ■ the Arawa, Hauraki, and other tribes, who contemplated returning to their homes by the forenoon express. . Hemana Pokiha presided, :. Rawiti acting as chief secretary, The.first business was the appointment .of a treasurer,;to receive subscriptions to defray the " cost .of printing the various petitions and reports, as well as the expenses of the deputation which, unless the Government inclines a favourable ear to their petitions) will proceed to England. It' was agreed" that "each hapti should appoint its own local treasurer, who should forward tne lists bearing the signatures 'of those favourable to the conclusions arrived at by the meeting to Epu Taingakawa in time for the" next great meeting, notice of which would be given in duo course. An immediate subscription being ; suggested* the hati was sent round,; with the result that £12 18s 6d was collected on the spot. .

'. • .' ONTHEMARAE. '■*• A committee, '' consisting of : Messrs. Hemana Pokika, T. T. Rawhiti, Tauhu Kingi, .H.Mangakahia./and Wheoro Poni, was elected,/ the two first named being appointed chairman .and ; secretary .respectively. It "was decided to publish in the newspapers an account of the proceedings as resolved on by the committee, and ratified by the general meeting. " The various re-, solutions of the committee were then considered seriatim. After a brief interval delegates of all the tribes present assembled on the marae, where the geneaological diagram, which had been duly fenced in, remained a conspicuous featured '; -Tupu Taingakawa was supported by the Hon. Mahuta, Tawahia, Henaxe Kaihau, M;H.R., and other,chiefs.' Rawhiti, the chief secretary, then read ; the - report of ; the com-; mittee, explaining ' and : elucidating various matters.:/ > The large ; audience / listened in profound; silence. When asked to affirm the resolutions'of the committee there burst from 2000 throats an immense cry of assent. , ' Mr.' Henare ; Kaihau, after the president j had declared the unanimous adoption of the i report, • congratulated the meeting on the success that had attended their labours, and , the f committee on the businesslike attitude i which had characterised ■ their work. '; He j suggested the' circulation of the report throughout New Zealand, and the inclusion therein of 'their agreement, with the provisions of -- the / Treaty/ of ! Waitangi, ■ their; national standard as , presented by William IV., their concurrence in the various clauses of - the New Zealand Constitution Act of 1852, and the following letter from the then Colonial Secretary, Lord Glenelg, to MajorGeneral Sir; Richard Burke, of New South Wales:— •' • ' '•-,.. ' . Downing-atreet. May .25, 1836.' : t I have received : a letter from the Bishop, forwarding a, copy * of; the natives' -right: to New. Zealand, as compiled by the 'chief of J the North Island,'and' also cony of v - the i notice calling them '■■ together for the purpose j of forming < a union among themselves.; There must be one more assemblage of i natives, a. gathering' of all ,the tribes 'n New Zealand, to' v formulate - such resolutions, a copy of which should -be forwarded to the King, as well.as ah expression of their gratitude for the > flag. sent : by the .;King, ~. with a vie to show that they would comuly with,his request to live in.; unity . with the European residents and trade with them. ;By so doing they would prove to the King their desire to do v what was right, v and to f safeguard the unity of both races. ■ _■ ■ ■ :■-■••■ (Signed) GLENELG. ;. : to Referring to the decimation of their race, Mr. Kaihau considered thai, some of their own customs : were not calculated to improve their'condition. He referred chiefly to -their makutu, which he scathingly exposed and condemned; with the result that four tohungas stepped into fchemarae, and openly,"recanted/? promising | never to have anything: to do /with; such practices; again. ; --\ The V Hon. Ma-hut* expressed his extreme satisfaction with the resolutions of the committee," which, if carried out in their entirety, would be of supreme ; benefit to the native;race, but which if forgotten or allowed ;■ to ; lapse ■• would have the - opposite effect. >//He agreed /with Mr. Kaihau as to ; the. lvalue of .the reports, which, .printed, in .Maori, should be scattered broadcast i throughout Aotearoa : and Waipounamu. . " CLEAVE TO THE UNION." In declaring the meeting closed, Tainga- [ kawa exhorted : his /audience to cleave • to the union-now consummated, and to hold to the opinions now formed. If they did, | the" union' ? would be: eternal, and would lead to the completion of legislation that, 'would-be of everlasting value to the Maori 'race;; : /Their/: genealogy was now . complete. ' "', " •When seen this evening, Mr. Kaihau expressed his extreme satisfaction with the conclusions at which the meeting had arrived/; I The chief points on which the meeting bad agreed were: (1) The perpetuation of the lights, prestige and 'mana of their ancestors, as conceded' by Queen Victoria in the j Treaty bfxWaitangi; : (2) the consummation of the union of ; : the natives of both i islands, the idea of which dated back to 1857; (3)• demand for remedial legislation. They intended to bitild on the ashes of former ; disunion a firm structure that would prove 'beneficial to the -, race, not on new lines, h but -in accordance with "the several despatches ; sent by the Imperial to 'the New' Zealand Government in ; 1884 and 1885, in reply to the petitions forwarded by : Ta\yhiao and ■ his followers; A monster, petiton r would be presented to the ,New Zealand Government, reciting grievances,' and praying for redress. '///-../';,. '■ '■/Mr.- Kaihau ; explained that a despatch from Lord Derby, dated from Downing* street, June 23, 1885/ was to- this effect: — Yon (the New Zealand Government) are not individuals that require to be taught by the English Government the provisions' of the Treaty o,f Waitangi, which' your Government should observe, and not attempt to distort from its original meaning, and the Government of the Queen orders your Government to have compassion on the natives of New; Zealand.- Respect for the various laws affecting the native race would benefit both races, and ; promote harmony and goodwill. ; :; '.-' "Of all the letters sent by Lord Derby, this,".,said Mr. Kaihau, "is the simplest;' purest, and best. -The great good rising | from the meeting is the contemplated federation of the race."; THE GOVERNMENT'S DESIRE. n Miv Kauhau also stated that, in answer, to his telegram, the Hon. Mahuta had received from Mr. Hall-Jones a reply, stating that he' was glad to hear of his (Mahuta's) and Kaihau's action at the meeting, and that the earnest desire of/the Government was to introduce legislation which would enable both races to. live in harmony. The last words of the telegram were " Kia Ora." , Mahuta and Mangakahia, as well as other chiefs,]. were thoroughly satisfied with the results attained, and anticipated remedial legislation next session. . , A few were not so sanguine. - ; ' - ,' ' : -'":. t' . ,';:'.' :.: The great korero over, the majority of the- natives, having thrown business aside, I are : now like schoolboys at the beginning |of the' holidays. In the marquees liakas | and the poi are being danced to the strains of the flute band, while a regular dance, is j in progress in the ' hall. In the runanga the elders i are congregated, and are listening to perfervid liarangues of orators, who, with; appropriate and often graceful , and forcible gesticulation, deliver the speeches which they;had no.chance to; get rid of at the'? meeting;; Further along is the printing /office, where ■■< Rawhiti, man/ of many imi'fcs, presides over a (staff busily; employed in making preparation for printing the report, ; copioa of Which are in great demand.