MAORIS IN CONFLICT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13489, 16 May 1907, Page 6

MAORIS IN CONFLICT.

• ; THE OBJECTION TO MAHUTA. ' KAIHAU BECOMES DRAMATIC. • [BY - telegraph,—own correspondent.] • ; , j( . . . Htotlt, Wednesday. This morning broke beautifully clear an i bright. There was a comparatively larg ; attendance on the marae at ten a.m., whe a straight declaration of opinion of. Mr Hon are ivaihau, Taingakawa (the president j and . the Hon. Mahuta.* was expected. . I was evident ' that the conclusions arrivei at •by V this , select committee -would mee i with •: the .approval of ..a- great , majority o » those present, a large number of whom recognising the man a of Mahuta,, still re gard him a the heir of Potatau 1., and fee ' inclined to repudiate ; his ; connection wit) the Legislative , Council. ... :^ I The proceedings were opened by ■ Air i Kaihau, who proposed that clause 8 shouli [Iplace the appointment of. the executivi i committee in the hands of Mahuta. . AN - EXPLANATION DEMANDED, t Potana, as a member of the large com > mittee, demanded an explanation, since th ' committee had ,*■ already decided the point while Mr. Rawhiti affirmed that the head ing had been made out as approved by th . large, body,. j ■ Mr. ' Kaihau stated that both Tupi Taingakawa and the Hon. Mahuta agree< to the alteration. - ' Mr. Rawhiti somewhat" scornfully re plied'that' he had been enlightened. Th committee had decided that the executive should be appointed by . the general assem bly. . To ask the committee to sit ' anc then to amend the -report which had me with .unanimous approval, without refer ring it . back to the committee, was shee: waste .of ' time. ~. The ; committee wa in entire ignorance of the issue, or pros ' pective issue, of arrangements made bi , Mahuta and Taingakawa,; both of whon were most enlightened men. I Mr. Kaihau replied- that the people as jsembled.at the . request -of i the > presi dent, 1 aingakawa ..and • in. objecting [to amending or deleting, anything in th< (report submitted they'- were only exercis ling their rights. ' " i Puhatawa, from the Thames, exclaimec , that they had no i voice. The Arawai (strongly objected to foisting Mahuta upoi them, until the union had been finally con summated.',. That was .the only bone o contention • existing between the Arawa: and Waikatos. , ! Te Mete Kaukawa objected very strongly )to the present mode of procedure.- Th< decision of the committee should be up Held. If not, their report should at leasl |bo . taken as- a basis for * discussion, • Each - delegate on reaching home .should" submit • that - report to the j members ,: of his particular; hapu, land any j alterations, amendments, or dele- ' tions suggested in : such local discussion •; should be submitted; to a final meeting to jbe held 'at a future":dato:;. . The - name oi Mahuta as king should not bo introduced ; until union" as under the Treaty of WaiI tangi, had been established. Union, oi ; federation, was what they wanted. j The meeting had been summoned to con- . sider, - a union hot under the mana' of ■ Majhuta, or any other- chief, but one similar to that which, existed in 1840, when the , confederate, chiefs met at Waitangi to confirm the treaty... No union could •be •established s unless the; whole race approved. The ' Arawas had gone home fully convinced that the decisions arrived .at by the selected committee • were final. -..'lnstead of ; that, I Mahuta, Kaihau, and Taingakawa had tajken. it upon themselves to introduce irrelevant matter suited to (the attainment of their own: selfish ends. r , .. - f Mr..''Kaihau 'replied by stating that onequarter of the Maori population supported him. If the others did not co-operate, he ventured to state that ho personally" could complete the object of the meeting. Ahuriri- Rehana said that when the meeting opened it was . stated that . union should bo genuine, and inclusive, of the total native population. The last. speaker had declared that ho could carry union through with the aid of his own particular supporters. Would he kindly explain how: he intended to accomplish this without the' assistance of the other 'three-quar-ters .of the Maori people? ) v»,s&t , "10 THE SUPREME.". « < i Throwing, disguise aside, Mr. Kaihau exclaimed) : "My strength :is - union under Kirtg*Mahuta,' with' Io the Supreme to assist. i- I Will not go back. " l 'will go forward'!" - .- Ahuriri was not satisfied with 'the reply, which was no explanation. -He wanted tc know what better,' right Kaahau had than the great majority to interfere with the terms of the . report. , rln reply, Mr. Kaihau declared that all his friends in north, east, and south, were ■stained .in the * hand by having > allowed themselves to come under the New Zealand Settlements Act. He did not agree to the application !of such a statute in his electorate. From his piace in Parliament he •had asked if the Treaty ot Waitangi,was stilt' in force, and 'had been informed, that it still held good. "My union," :he again exclaimed, "is under Mahuta, who still reigns as king, and with Io to assist me 1 shall still consummate this union !" ; Ahuriri replied / that„lo was to do everything. Why could he- not talk straight tc them without dragging; in 10, with whom they could not converse. Kaihau hat stated that only his own electorate remained unfettered by the existing land laws. , How did they know that such was the case? - " This query was ignored, Mr. Kaihau pro oeeding to read a letter from England, which informed Tawhiao . that his raani Would be restored, alter which lie said that Mahuta and he had never assented to al the legislation passed by Parliament. Wher he opposed any particular Act, Mahuta followed his lead. On various occasions t-hej had been outvoted. It was sufficient wher he stated that he, as representative of th< people, and Mahuta, as the king, hac never assented, to the particular laws specified. ■ Question of subscriptions. No reply having been made, the question of'subscriptions to the fund and the appointment of treasurer were next debated, otana introducing 1 the subject" by inquiring to whom the shilling subscriptions wen !to bo paid. j. Tuwhakaririka replied that* Mahuta anc i' Taingakawa would receive the moneys. I 1 Potana, dissatisfied, asked for an expla- ! nation from Kaihau, who suggested that the appointment of treasurers should be left |to Mahuta and Taingakawa. i Several complained that though then hapu, had paid subscriptions ;no lists had been published, while Potana declared that ; Kaihau's' suggestion was ultra, vires sincc the people had decided that each tribe should for the present appoint >ts own trea- ' surer.' ' " " ' ■ " Taingakawa, who agreed with Potana, • stated that each . hapu was to appoint 8 ' local treasurer, that official to be instructed to forward -all lists and moneys to him. These the treasurers should take good cor( to. furnish accurate accounts of. • Para Haimona understood that each hapi should remain custodians of the sums sub scribed until; they were required. • * The breeze having ' subsided, Kaihau asked to explain the law as administered bi the County and Borough ~ Councils, witl special . reference. to the dog and lane taxes, advised all to pay the -dog tax to thei: respective councils. • A SELF-APPOINTED COMMITTEE. Though nothing was definitely fixed, whn is stated to have been a self-appointed com ; mittee will evidently hold sway, thei actions having the support of a majority o those present, the concerted union havinj apparently resolved itself into a triumvirate ' comprising Mahuta, - Kaihau, and Tainga kawa. Unless the unexpected again happen ■ the meeting should finally terminate to-mor ' Bffiv;• ■«. '• • - 1-