REWI AND THE KING TITLE.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5678, 11 June 1879, Page 2

REWI AND THE KING TITLE.

(PER PRESS AGENCY.) Auckland, Tuesday.

At Paul’s welcome to Rewi at Orakei, Rewi, after thanking Paul for his welcome and referring to ancient times, said : The reason why I have come is to see if means can be obtained to guide things rightly. In old days I made common cause with your elder brother (Potatau, King). Kow I have come to seek a new relation. You, who have known the Europeans so long, are right in saying that the relations of the two races should be guided properly and peaceably, but you should not put that work on people like myself who have just emerged from the bush. We were puzzled to discover the thoughts of the Europeans, and we fought against you and your Europeans. If you ask me to come and stop here permanently, I tell you I will never come unless you bring the Parliament to Auckland. If I am to win or lose in Auckland, it will be a hard thing for them to persuade me to go to Wellington to the Parliament. Kow let ns all endeavor to see some safe way out of this difficulty for Tawhiao. It is years ago since I came to the conclusion that the title of King was but a name, and it remains now for ns to find a way to abolish it altogether. We have to accomplish this work, and all that remains now is to order things so that the European may acquire land for his money, and the Maori money iur ■ .<-d, so that whatever a European has puic .->ed fairly may remain to him, and whatever the Maori may receive fairly may he his own. If the land is sold by the people entitled to sell it their relatives and friends can say nothing' against it. It is the selling of land by people who have not a title i

to it that has always been the cause of trouble. Nevertheless, let us strive so that the work may be properly done. Mr. Sheehan replied, and after welcoming Kewi to his people, the Ngatiwhatua, asked Rewi in a jocular style if he would be Maori Minister. He called on them all to vote for Rewi to occupy the office, and this was responded to by shouts of “ He.”