LOYALTY OF THE MAORIS

New Zealand Herald, Volume L, Issue 15233, 21 February 1913, Page 4

LOYALTY OF THE MAORIS

THE GOVERNOR'S TRIBUTE® ■ . ■ V■ m DAYS OF OLD RECALLED.;? *•.-*. '-v/.iyu-rV^ "A PART STILL TO PLAY/* V •/•'• '• . ?. '• " . ■ ' • •.- J -.■ [BY TELEGRAPH."(WJi CORRESPONDED J ,! ti 1 Ohakttn-e, Thursday.- . •; Until yesterday only two N?w Zealand Governors had been officially received by the native tribes of the Upper Wanganui r Sir George Grey, who, about 1848, walked from Auckland to Pipiriki in the company , of Bishop Selwyn, and many years after-''' wards Sir George Bowen. Lord Liver- ' pool, although only in the Dominion a couple of months, has found, great favour with these tribes by attending a big reception held in his honour yesterday. His Excellency -was accompanied by S Lady Liverpool. Every arrangement:' for the complete success of the gathering was ; made by the Hon. Dr. Pomare, and the day being beautifully fine the function • passed off without a hitch. A great - many addresses of welcome were given and gifts of valuable mats were made to their Excellencies, to the Hon. W. H. Herries, who was present to investigate' alleged grievances, and to Mrs. Mackay, Mayoress of Wanganui, who represented the Mayor, on account of his unavoidable absence. '• :•' Message from the King, His Excellency, in reply, said: Before I make allusion to any other subject • I want to give you a message which the' King sends to all the people of Maoriland : ' Tell the people how interested I am in everything which concerns their welfare and their happiness, and what i pleasant recollections the Queen and myself retain of our visit to Maoriland.' Aa j the representative of King George I thank you for your expressions of loyalty, a loyalty which you have shown not only j by word but in deeds,, for it has not been forgotten that in the troublous times now happily long past you proved your devotion to the British Crown by deeds''of : valour, and associated yourselves in all' the' difficulties which confronted the : Imperial forces. I myself have passed many years _in the service of the Crown, and speaking as a soldier can assure you 'that the noble deeds of Major Kemp will never be. forgotten, which, as you are aware, earned for him a special distinction from the hands of our lite well> ! beloved Queen Victoria. : ;; • - •• v | Trusty Friends ■in the Fast. • • • | "l am anxious to tell you thati although I; myself have never been 'in Maorilaai before . [ have heard a' - great deal about | the country from - my father, who, during j his service as. a sailor, served three yerjS | in these waters in the Royal Navy dining i the period to which I have alluded. Front him I learnt of the many gallant actio; which took place during those 1 years,: siju; how much he appreciated being associr£vS with the men' of your race. / He: told .'.4s of your unrivalled scenery and your pi 4' S | m everything connected . with v your ceatfc j try. / It . has therefore been a" ' source . of | great gratification to myself v that / Fft Majesty,has selected me to.be his representative in this Dominion, and that' I have thus been enabled to come and see :; this land with my own. eyes. > I. can. assure yoi' that it will be the earnest endeavour,* both of the Countess of : Liverpool ? and myself, to do all we can to further the interests of the people during, our .stay: in the i Dominion. ; One Empire ' and ' One Flag. ■' /For . one moment let me carry you bacK to the Treaty, of Waitangi, signed in 1840. In that treaty you. accepted the British Sovereign as your: Sovereign, and .by* so doing you gained; all the rights adherent to the -British Constitution: You know ; that when in difficulty you always have the British flag to - protect you and British j astica to guard you. That charter has always stood for freedom .wherever a British : subject may . be. , It is a great bond of union. - I have touched on this point because, we all realise' .what' prompted ■' your spontaneous and patriotic offer during the South African war.; • You, like many others ?of our fellow-subjects, , realised; the . difficulties and: dangers which | beset I the ' Empire at that time, : and ; you - whole-heartedly! and willingly proffered your help. : Every Bri : tish subject was proud -of that offer, not only on ; account of . the spirit in which it was made, but because it demonstrated to all observers . that the British Empire was welded together by a bond which cannot be broken. ■ 1 ' ' (' . :To Maintain Their Ancient ' Race. , '.•> A' ;"Lastly, remember your great Do not forget that you ; have :: ever bce-i counted warriors , worthy of .- your . steel} and though we live -: in times, whenH by .the' mercy of -Providence, . war ana " bloodshed | no logger reign in these fair islands, you have still your part to play./ Do all' you can ■to maintain, that race : from which you sprang, and' of which you are: so . justly | proud, by-.'leading / industrious lives and. i turning and bringing to good account every inch- of the land which belongs to you. r "So; will you not only uphold the reputation and stamina of: your race, but you will ■maintain in a high degree the/ Empire to which we are all proud: to belong.": ; , i | ; Peace and Onion. 1 Following His Excellency's speech thd Hon. W. H. Herries gave a brief address.' He said the present generation was thank- ' ful to those, -both Maori and pakeha, who I fought for Queen Victoria, and grpat. was ; the respect held for the Wanganui tribes in this connection. He was glad that some of the Maori war veterans were still living and with , them that day, and he was very glad to see some of .them wearing medals' given them by the Queen. - He was glad to know that those who fought .on the opposite side were now united with those who fought for their. Sovereign. - He fully realised the great honour conferred upon him in being given the portfolio of Native Minister, because more was imposed on him than on any other Minister, so far as the natives were concerned, inasmuch as that a single word, or action of hia*'might destroy or give life to the whole native , race. He trusted that with the: help of Providence he would, when his' term of office was' up, leave the Maoris better ; off than he found them; He felt sure both-; His Excellency and himself would ever remember with pleasure' the day they visited Hiruharama. ' " Gilts Acknowledged.- ' : His Excellency before leaving thanked the tribes for their /valuable, gifts, which he said he would place side by side; with those .which their ancestors given to his father a great many years ago. ; • Mother Mary Ahbert; ■ who has spent the best years of 1 her long life among ; the Maoris, and who also knew Lord. Liverpool's father, paid li graceful' little tribute by presenting His Excellency with a buttonhole, and Lady Liverpool ; with a bouquet. x - ' . '.... Their Excellencies returned to Pipiriki this evening, greatly enchanted with the Wanganui River, and deeply impressed ! with the fidelity to the Throne of the i native tribes ol: that part of the Dominion. V. '.