THE NATIVE DIFFICULTY.—I.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 423, 20 March 1880, Page 21

THE NATIVE DIFFICULTY.—I.

(specially contributed.)

To understand what has led to native complications on the West Coast, it is necessary to go back a few years, and give a brief summary of the principal events that have taken place. It should also be borne in mind that natives have their own laws or customs that they have from infancy been brought up to, therefore to understand their actions it is necessary to view some of these questions es the natives view them. They see in our race an overwhelming power, growing stronger a 3 they grow weaker. They are fully convinced of our power, but are not so fully convinced of the justice ot our intentions towards them, and this feeling of distrust and opposition is instilled into them and augmented by that numerous and mischievous class known as the pakeha-Maori, who have their own interests to serve, by encouraging in the native mind a feeling of distrust and opposition to any Government that may be in office.

When the lands of the natives who had been in rebellion were declared confiscated, those bands on the West Coast, in the provincial district of Taranaki, including the now famous Waimate Plains, were included in the confiscation. Of the lands in this provincial district, confiscated, that portion of open coast land betweed White Cliffs and Stoney River, also that portion of open land between the Patea and the Waingongoro rivers, was surveyed, and given to the various companies of military settlers who had served in the northern and southern portions of the province. That portion of country, including the Waimate Plains, and extending from Waingongoro to Stoney River, adistance of 60 miles, was not occupied, with the exception of a sma 1 block of 1500 acres known as Opunake, where, in consequence of a small bay,

it was thought desirable to lay off a township. There were two old chiefs residing with their people on the north and south of Opunake who had behaved in a surprisingly forbearing manner during the war, on the occasion of the Lord Worsley, mail steamer, being wrecked near Opunake in October, 1862. These chiefs —Adam Clarke and William King Matekatea, against the wishes of the other natives (buc with the assistance of Te Whiti, who was then a young chief of no distinction) sent all the passengers of the Lord Worsley to New Plymouth in bullock carts. In consideration of this act of forbearance a portion of the confiscated land north and south of Opunake was given to these chiefs for the benefit of their people. About this time reserves were laid off by the Civil Commissioner (Mr. Parris) for the natives in those open coast lands given to the military settlers south of Waingongoro, and north of Stoney Piiver. These surveys of reserves and military settlers' lands occupied the interval between the close of the rebellion in 1865, and commencement of Titokowaru's rebellion in 1868. When Titokowaru's commenced Hoiii Pihama was requested by the Stafford Government to remove the Tangahoi hapu, a section of his tribe, who were then residing on a reserve awarded to them near Hawera. Honi Pihama removed these people to where he was himself residing, at a place called Oeo, a distance of twenty miles from Hawera. When these people were removed, at the request of the Government, it was on the understanding that they were to return to their reserve on the close of Titokowaru's rebellion. At the close of this rebellion the Stafford Government were out of office, and the Fox-Vogel Ministry succeeded. Immediately after their accession to office Mr. Fox, the Premier, visited the Patea and Hawera districts, where he found the settlers very much incensed against the natives, in consequence of the heavy losses they had sustained. There was a strong feeling of animosity against the whole race, hostile or friendly, and they strongly urged on the Premier their desire that no natives be permitted to return to the district. It is doubtful if Sir William Pox was aware at the time of the circumstances of the case : certainly it would not have been politic to have allowed the friendly natives to return to their reserve in the district while the feeling of the settlers who had lost so heavily was so strong and bitter against the whole race. Sir William Fox acceeded to the wishes of the settlers, and told them no natives would be allowed to light their fires between Waitotara on the south and Waingongoro on th«north. Thatsection of HoniPihama's people removed to Oeo had no ancestral lands north of Waingongoro, and they were not allowed to return to their reserve. When they heard of Sir William Fox's promise they became very discontented at being thus entirely deprived of land because other natives had rebelled. While matters were in this unsettled state, Titokowaru (who had at the close of his rebellion retired to a place on the banks of the Waitara, called Natimaru, several miles in the interior forest), returned to the coast, and settled at a pace called Omuturangi, at the edge of the forest, sixteen miles north of Hawera, and at this place they remained some two years. Shortly after his return to the coast, a native delegate was sent up the coast from Wellington, by two high chiefs, to call a meeting of the natives, for the purpose of petitioning Parliament to return them the confiscated lands. A very large meeting assembled, and a petition was signed. The natives were told and felt confident that the Government had wrongfully taken their lands, and that the Assembly would return it or compensate them. Their head chief, Honi Pahama, was away at New Plymouth at the time. The matter was reported to Mr. Parris, Civil Commissioner, and Honi Pihama at once returned, and called upon the officer in charge at Opunake for particulars. On learning that the tribe had attached his name to the petition forwarded, he requested that officer to telegraph to Sir Donald McLean to say that he had not authorised his people to attach his name, that he regarded the lands confiscated and occupied as gone from his people ; but that he considered the Government were acting unjustly to that portion of his tribe who had been removed, and were not allowed to return to their reserve, at the close of Titokowaru's rebellion. On this question he was firm and would insist. The question was a most difficult one to decide. The Government had to act with seeming injustice to this section of the natives, or risk a conflict by putting them back on their reserve in the midst of incensed settlers. How the Government would have ultimately decided this question it is difficult to say, but in 1874 the natives (some of whom imagined that the Government meant to take away the reserve granted them by the previous one) decided the question by all returning in a body, and settling on the reserve, where they have ever •feince resided on the best of terms with their European neighbors. According to Maori law or custom, a conquering tribe may confiscate, but they must follow confiscation by occupation If not occupied the lands revert to the original owners, the conquered people. The nativevS are quite ready enough to apply their own laws to questions when it suits them to do so, and in doing this they have been materially assisted by European speculators, who recognised their rights by negotiating with them for the Waimate Plains. Most conspicuous among these were Dr. Curl and Mr. Worgan. Other Europeans led the natives to believe that confiscation was illegal. All these influences worked on Titokowaru and his people at Omuturangi, and as they also saw that Government made no efforts to occupy the Plains, these people gradually spread themselves along the edge of the forest towards Hawera, and soon occupied 'all the old bush \ clearings formerly owned by them. It may I have been imagined by the Government that the occupation of Opunake would be viewed by the natives as occupation, but the country round Opunake had been given to William King and Adam Clarke, therefore the natives ' simply viewed this as holding that 1500 acres

isolated from the other confiscated lands. During this time Mr. Parris, Civil Commissioner, was engaged getting the balance of confiscated bush country principally belonging to the Ngatiawa tribe inland of New Plymouth and Waitara. In making res rves one of 700 acres was laid off on the Mountain-road, about half way between Hawera and New Plymouth, and duly gazetted ; after completing this work in 1876 Mr. Harris retired from office. There still remained some 150,000 acres inland of Patea and Hawera—forest land—that had not been taken posses ion of. Honi Pihama and his people obj cted togivethis up on the plea that their open country had been taken for military settlements, and that it was not fair to require them bo give up their back country until the Government had also taken the open country from Titokowaru's people north of the Waingongoro River. When it was explained to Honi Pihama that it would greatly assist the Government in taking the lands north of the Waingongoro if his people gave up the balance of their Lnd confiscated, he consented, but had a most difficult task to reconcile his people to agree to it. They at last gave way, but stipulated that they should have a reserve made them, and they defined by certain points named the boundary of the reserve ; this was assented to by the Civil Commissioner, who appeared to be under the impression that it would contain about 10,000 acres. A Government surveyor was sent to cut the boundary under the direction of two natives who knew the points indicated. At the close of the survey it was found to contain 16,000 acres ; a dispute arose between the Commissioner and the natives, the former stating that he only intended to give them 10 000 acres—the latter stating that they had asked for the land within certain natural boundaries, and the Commissioner consented. The surveyor bears out the natives, as he states his instructions were to cut from point to point under the guidance of the two natives sent with him. It is to be regretted this misunderstanding should have taken place just at the time the important work of taking possession of the Waimate Plains was to be tried. Another serious mistake was made about the same time. I mentioned above that 700 acres of bush land had been laid off as a native reserve on the Mountain-road. The New Plymouth Waste Lands Board were desirous of fixing a bush township at this place, and asked if it could be obtained. Without the consent of the natives to whom this land was granted it was converted into a township, and 700 acres cut out for the natives a mile further off, and of course of less value. On remonstratiug, the natives were told that as they had no Crown titles they could make ne legal objection to reserves being removed. The transaction was in itself a small oue, but it opened up a large question, and the natives argued that if the Civil Commissioner had power to shift this reserve, that all tb/ur other reserves might be shifted back into inferior country. It caused a feeling of distrust on the part of all the natives who had reserves granted to them. It was in consequence of this feeling than Honi Pihama, on the first visit of Mr. Sheehan as Native Minister, interviewed him, and told him that before attempting to take possession of the Waimate Plains it would be necessary to give Crown titles for those reserves granted to natives whose lands had been confiscated. The Native Minister promised this should be done at once, but up to the present time it remains one of Mr. Sheehan's broken promises. The feeling of distrust remained, and this feelioer caused numbers of these natives to join Te Whiti who would otherwise; have continued Government natives ; and this was the general native feeling when the survey of the Waimate Plains was commenced. Confiscation and our right to confiscate was questioned by the natives, and this question in itself was quite enough to combat ; but in addition to this, a new feeling of distrust had sprung up in the minds of the natives ; they were not certain that their reserves would be secured to them. Mr. Sheehan had promised to give them legal titles, but had not fulfilled his promise. This was the native feeling when, in July, 1878, the survey parties, unarmed and unprotected, were sent to survey the Waimate Plains, quite at the mercy of a sullen body of natives who viewed them as so many thieves robbing them of their lands. Not only were these surveyors unprotected, but no force had been provided on any part of the West Coast to be in re&diness in case of reed to protect the surveyors, or the adjacent settlers. The Hawera and Normanby people organised a volunteer force ; but this was not encouraged by the Government, who were even insane enough at that critical time to order the removal to Wellington of the only two hundred stand of arms available to arm the settlers in case of emergency ! Parihaka is situated fifty miles north of the Waimate Plains. On learning that the surveyors were going to survey their lands, some of the leading Plains natives went and asked Te Whiti if they were to oppose the survey. To this Te Whiti replied that they were in no way to oppose the surveys, as in the month of March he would deal with the land?. D iring those eight months the surveyors owed their protection to Te Whiti's influence, and not to any provision made by their own Government. It was thought that when Hiroki murdered the cook of the survey party at Waitotara his example would be followed by some of the Plains natives, but they appeared to regard the surveyors as under the protection of their Parihaka prophet chief. Why Te Whiti allowed the surveyors eight months unmolested to proceed with the surveys, is a mystery no one can solve, although some are of opinion that it was to give the Government an opportunity to define boundaries of the lands they meant to take and the portions they intended to leave as reserves for the natives. If such was his object he did more towards making those surveys a success than the blundering Native Department that conducted the work. On all former occasions when confiscated lands were taken possession of, those spots where native villages and cultivations were situated were first cut

out as reserves. Commencing at the sea, the surveyors cut up the open land, and when they got to the edge of the forest they went on surveying and cuttiuL-- up among the_ native cultivations and villages. The natives on seeing this became very sullen, and it was with difficulty their chiefs could restrain their young men from interfering. The month of March came and no reserves had been laid off. The surveyors were sectioning their villages and cultivations. To the natives it appeared the Government intended taking the whole. But the last straw that broke the camel's back in this case was taking a road line through Titokowaru's garden. This chief had all along prevented his people from interfering wif-h the survey ; on hearing that a roai line was being cut in a direction that would pass between his whires and a small two-acre garden, he requested it might be taken outside his garden. There was no engineering difficulty that rendered it necessary to take the roadline through his garden. But no notice was taken of his request, or protest. And worse than this ; apparently fearing to do so while he was present, advantage was taken of his absence at the March Parihaka meeting to cut this line through his cultivation. On hearing this he told Te Whiti that on his return he would remove those surveyors, and to this Te Whiti agreed, saying that as cultivations wero not respected, the surveyors must all be removed. A proposition was made to shoot some, as a means of removing tiuin, but this was overruled, and it was decided to cart them off the land. It was at the close of this Parihaka meeting that Te Whiti accused Mr. Sheehan of robbing his people of their lands, and leaving them none to cultivate. It was useless Mr. Shef-han replying that he meant to give them reserves ; the surveyors had been eight months at work, and no reserves had been cut out or defined. It was only after the Plains had been advertised for sale, and the surveyors had been turned off, that Mr. Sheehan requested Major Brown, Civil Commissioner, to go to the Survey Office, in Wellington, and color a portion of the map as reserves. The natives never heard of this, and it was apparently only done to deceive Parliament aud the public generally. If Government acted with judgment and firmness after the surveyors had been turned off, the work might have been resumed, but no active measures were adopted to resume occupation. Native agents were sent, some to bounce and threaten the natives with Colonel Whitmore and two thousand Ngatiporus. The natives simply telegraphed to the East Coast, and found this force was an imaginary one. Other agents were sent to conciliate. The coast was swarming with native agents, working without organisation, and working against each other, bewildering the natives by their contradictory actions and statements ; they were designated Sheehan's ragged regiment, a class equally despised by the settlers and n > fives. The helpless imbecility displayed by the Native Department on the occasion of that emergency lowered it in the estimation of the settlers, and encouraged the natives to take further action. Mischievously-inclined Europeans have, from time to time, been urging on the natives that confiscation was ii'egal. One of these individuals offered to take their case before the Privy Council if they would collect £2OOO. The offer was declined, but the natives, seeing that the Government made no effort to reoccupy the Plains, came to the conclusion that „.# their cause was weak, that confiscation, as = they had been told, was illegal ; and to test the question, natives were sent to plough the occupied lands of the settlers in the northern and southern portions of the province, with strict orders not to make any resistance when captured. To obey this order the natives scattered themselves, ploughing the settlers* choicest paddocks. How long this would have continued it is impossible to say, as the Government took no steps to prevent it until forced to take action by the determined action of the Hawera settlers, who, finding the Government so helplessly imbecile, took the law into their own hands, and thereby forced the Government to arrest the trespassers. The present native complications on the West Coast are partly due to the fact of allowing the Plains to remain so many years unoccupied, and permitting the natives on their return to scatter over and reoccupy the whole, instead of defining the reserves they were tooccupy on their return ; also to outside influences of speculators and persons who have from time to time induced the natives to believe that the confiscation was illegal. But the principal cause of the present complications are due to the blundering mismanagement of the Native Department, which has during the last two years displayed a lamentable ignorance of native character, and consequent want of judgment in the administration of native negotiations on the West Coast. The weakness displayed has rendered the natives unreasonable, and left no other course than the firm one apparently adopted by the Hon. J. Bryce, to exhibit power, and work out the present difficulties through the Defence instead of the Native Department.