NATIVE AFFAIRS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 6383, 28 July 1882, Page 2

NATIVE AFFAIRS.

[By Telegraph.]

(prom our own correspondent.)

Wellington, July 27th,

The annual reports of officers in Native districts were presented to-night. The only one of any special interest is that of Major Parris, and that is mainly a recapitulation of the more than thrice-told tale re the West Coast difficulty. He remarks ,—" The present state of mind of the Nativeß is one of uncertainty for the future. Their faith in Te Whiti is as strong as ever. They talk of a reunion beingnear at hand. If the .course now being pursued towards Te Whiti and Tohu is continued long enowjh, I do not anticipate much more trouble." The words italicised ("long enough") are equivocal, for they might mean perpetually, in which case nobody can deny their truth, whatever may be thought of the plan. He goes on to say :—" It has been insinuated that it was never explained to the Natives what land was reserved for them. Such an assertion ia not only unfair, but notoriously lalise;' and he adds:—" From the commencament of the work of the Royal Commission, and all through, Te Whiti haa been fully informed, and was well aware of, all the proposals for the settlement of the land question." And in concluding Majov Parris says :>—"To many who are irritated by the long delay in the accomplishment of their wishes which is associated with Te Whiti's name, his career will appear to have been one of mere folly, delusion, and unwarrantableness, or of conscious imposture; but those who are capable of taking an impartial view of the whole case, and can admit the full right of the Maori to strive by all fair moans to retain his old free mode of life, and enough of his primeval wilderness of fern to enjoy it in, will find in Te Whiti's conduct, as the loader of his people in a trying period, much that is worthy of their sympathy and respect. To Whiti was in fact the representative in this part of New Zealand of the love of the Maori people for their ancient customs and ways of living, and dread of being bustled oil the scene by swarms of strangers, and by the introduction of new conditions of life, under which tluiy instinctively felt themselves unable to compete on equal terms with the vigorous new comers in the struggle for existence."