SIR JOHN GORST AT HOME

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13894, 4 May 1907, Page 6

SIR JOHN GORST AT HOME

NEW ZEALAND REMINISCENCES. (From Ocn Own Correspondent.) LONDON, March 22, "That is my most valued possession," The speaker was the Right Hon. Sir John Gorst, who, on Monday evening last, at his flat, at Queen Anne's Mansions, devoted an hour or so to mo partly to chat about Now Zealand and his recent visit there. As ho uttered the \vot<l« I have quoted 1 ho laid his hand on tho handsomely-bound file of To Pihoihoi Mokemoke which had boon presented to him. Sir John Gorst, when ho set out to revirit Now Zealand, cherished a hope that he might conic across ono copy at anyrate of tho six issues of the little paper whoso publication had led to tho historic censorship of the enraged Maori people, who resented the articles whicti reflected upon tho Kinfrito party in tha sixties. On arrival in New Zealand, he told me, he confided tho with to see a copy of tho paper once more. This desire ho expressed to Mr Arthur Mvers, of Auckland. To ' the gratified astonishment of the visitor, tho • Auckland Library possessed p. duplicate set of the entire six copies. This duplicate set; was bound and presented to Sir John; and this volume was what ho characterised as tho " most valued possession." Sir John's face literally slowed with delight as ho turned over tho pages and read the stiffost article of tho lot—the ono that, had brought <\al-<istrophft on tho lilflo printing ofl'ice,— which, he told me, ho had been agisted in writing by a young Wnikato lady, as sho wa.s then, who was a perfect Maori scholar, And. bavin? told mo this, Sir John told mo another thinjr_ that he had learned, during his recent visit to the colony. "Some of tho books dealing with the history of tho colonv purport to narrate tho incident, of tho seizure of our press and (vpe," he said. " And it is said that tha Maori subsequently used tho typo for bullets. That is not so, and I have often contradicted it. But I (lid not know what had bccomo of press or typo till I met, on my recent visit. Mr Kane, now of Ivihi Kilii. lie was able to tell me that tho Maori had bundled press and'typo into his store, Hint- boii><r on Queen's land,, whero if; remained for about a week, when the Government took charge of it, and had it sent to Auckland. What become of it after that T cannot say." If, may have cot. into an Auckland printing house, I suggested. "Perhaps it did," replied Sir John; "but I cannot- noW say." This, of course, led the conversation on to the stirring times of the Maori war, and Sir John was emphatic in his belief that that war would never have occurrcd had it not been for the dual control of Native i(flairs, or if either Governor Grey o'.' tho colonial Ministry of tho day had taken the responsibility of returning to tho Natives the disputed block of land at Waitara. "The titlo wjis confessedly bad," ho said. "I know all about, it, for it was nty work to draw up the memoranda that passed between- Governor Grey and the colonial Ministers. All were agreed that tho block should bo giveii up, but' Governor Grey said the Ministers should take the responsibility of doing it, while the Ministers held that, the Governor should do it. Hero I may again correct a little history—or, at aiiyratc, add to it. Books say that tho war in Taranaki broke out ill colisequonco of an ambuscade on May 4. As a matter of fact, ft lirst ambusetido was laid precisely a week before that. Wu heard of this tho next morning. A chief, for what reason nobody know, called the ainbuslied Maori oil', however, When we hoard of it everybody was frightened. It- Was exactly a week after this, oti May 4, that tho escort was shot down a. few miles lxiyond what is now New Plymouth. At the timo I thought.' with Bishop George Augustus Selwyn, Sir William Martin, Mr Swainson, and the colonial Ministers, that they were right, and that tho responsibility of giving back the Waitara land should haVe been undertaken by the llolno Government. Now I think Sir George Grey was right. My opinion has changed in consequence of experience, and tho sight of what has been done by leaving Native affairs to colonists. Tho position occupied by tho Maori now is Unique. I am afraid they are rather looked upon as spoiled children. At anyrate, no other colony has any such thing to show as tho Maori race, nor can liny oilier colony show wliat Now ZoalaJul can as to what elio has tlmto by her. treatment nf a Native race, and she has therefore a right to he proud. As I have said, I now think the way Got ; erhor Grey regarded the matter was tile right one. In those days I had litllo or no experience. ■ I thought British statesmen were able moil, and were more likely to do justice to the Native races than wcro colonial Ministers. Experience has cntiroly eknpred that view, i now know, having myself been a member of . a British Government, how very little ability 'or capacity there is in a British Government. Colonists arc far superior in dealing with Native races than are the cleverest men in the world in Doling street. "No," continued. Sir John Gorst, ." T cannot/compare New Zealand to-day with what- I knew when I was a voung man. It would bo like comparing a baby to a grown man, But pladlv would I .end my days there; and I would were it not for the fact that mv familv uro settled here, and I cannot* of course, leave them. The Labour legislation. in New Zealand impressed mo very much, becauso it seemed io me that there, while wo here have lyen discussing things for the past 20 years, the colonv has passed laws which have placed Labour jn a better position than I think it enjoys in anv ot-hor part of tho world." Before wo parted Sir John searched among his papers, nnd found an oP* laded photo of Wircnm Tamiha-na, who the old days had warned him to mnko sure of his safetv by leaving his printing office at oncc. "Some young man will shoot you, and I cannot bring- vou back to life," was Wiremu's warning. This old faded portrait Sir John has hod enlarged and mado into really a fine picture. Two conies have been made. One is to lianc- in Sir John's , own study, tho other Jms gono as a present to Wiremu's people at Matamata.