WARS WITH THE MAORIS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22404, 28 April 1936, Page 15

WARS WITH THE MAORIS

THE KINGITE MOVEMENT HISTORICAL SOCIETY ADDRESS That the Government alienation of Maori lands incited acceptance among the Maoris of the Kingite movement, which, however, was not fundamentally antagonistic to British rule, was stressed by Mr. George Graham at a meeting of the Auckland Historical Society on Friday evening. The subject of Mr. Graham's address was "The Kingito Movement and the Wars of the 'Sixties," and he ascribed the strengthening of the movement to a sense of injustice at th<3 actions of the Government creating conditions that made war possible over a wide area. There was an excellent attendance, the Rev. A. B. Chappell, president, being in the chair. Mr. Graham traced the rise and progress of the King movement, alien to Maori thought in the days before British rule came. Hongi, living prior to that change, had ambition to be a paramount chief, but even he could not break down the custom of having a head over each clan-group. Ln 1840 a psvchological preparation for the movement began in the experience of the chiefs, when they found themselves amenable to a law administered by an individual. While the King movement was strengthened by the alienating of lands by the Government, tactful handling of the situation would have made it serve a useful purpose; European settlers under the Governor and Maori tribes under their king would have been equally loyal to the Queen. The honour was offered to different tribal groups in succession, until Potatau Te Wherowhero was persuaded to accept it. Wiremn Tamihana was largely instrumental in effecting this decision, which resulted in the centring of the movement in the upper Waikato region. Confiscation of land in Taranaki hastened and embittered it. In detail Mr. Graham reviewed the sequence of events, and quoted from the reports of commissioners to show that the claims of the dispossessed tribes had been frankly recognised although justice had not yet been done. In the course of discussion Messrs. .T. Rukutai, R. McVeagh, G. Cruickshank, L. Phillips, -T. E. Green, Rogers, Misses Greville and Foster and others traversed various aspects of the question. Mr. Graham was heartily thanked for his informative address. It was announced that at the next meeting "Early Days in Otajjo would be dealt with bv Mr. J. W. Shaw.