A MAORI'S METAPHOR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13874, 7 October 1908, Page 8

A MAORI'S METAPHOR.

,-. "EXTRAORDINARY SPEECH. .'. * {by telegraph.—special CORRESPONDENT.] ! Wellington, Tuesday. J: Tub Hon.-, Wi*Pere came out with one of \ his extraordinary speeches tin's afternoon,j! in the LegislativeCouncil,* on the subject of changing the* site of Parliament House >■■ which 1 ho ; very strongly objected to. ''I feel very sorry for the poor Governor," he 5 ; said) in the course of a long harangue; C Members -were evidently irritated at the. length and unimportance of his speechV and there was a good deal of inattention ; and • talk in the Chamber. Mr. 'Wi ■■ Pere/ observing this, suddenly dropped the Maori language, and turning upon' his ' White brethren/ shouted, "Ah,- shut up, -too muchee'talk in to pakeha." ' , -Mr,Wi Pere demanded the names of ;the ' committee who had brought down the report. "I think it* hard," be said,' "that they should bear a hate for His Excellency the Governor,' and that they should take away his home. Ho is the Governor. The Governor is the King. Is it right that wo, should take away the King's home?" ' Members began to/troop out in twos and threes, but Mr. ,Wi Pere went on with the -intimation' that he meant to fight to the last. He compared the members "of the .Council to a.tree: which was above the committee. " This committee," ho" added," is a thing that creeps below, underneath - us, and we should tread on it. Sir, it is only pigs and other such things that remain below, i We are up at the top of the tree. We are above pigs and dogs and such things that cannot mingle with the birds that fly, but, sir, the birds are decent. Let" it be known,'he added, "that the Legislative Council is a; living thing, that it is of human form, that it has hands. I regret the action of those members who have left this Chamber. If they were • men of courage they would remain in their seats and challenge me." The Speaker: There is not a quorum. i The bell must be rung. The bell having been rung for some time members returned to the Chamber to make the quorum, whilo Mr. Wi Pere waited patiently, and then, having said a few words, resumed his seat.