THE CONFERENCE OF HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR AND GENERAL CAMERON WITH THE NATIVES.

Otago Witness, Issue 665, 27 August 1864, Page 9

THE CONFERENCE OF HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR AND GENERAL CAMERON WITH THE NATIVES.

•(From the Special Correspondence of the New Zeaiander )

Camp Te Papa, 6th August. The visit of his Excellency the Governor to receive pro forma the submission of the recently surrendered rebels ot this district, has been looked forward to with the utmost interest at this place. It was therefore a real pleasure on Thursday to .see H.M S. Miranda, Capt. Jenkins, with her yards manned, and as she reached her anchorage firing a salute of 21 gung, to inform us of the arrival of the Governor. The natives were in high glee when he was seen stepping ashore, accompanied by General Sir D. A. Cameron, and the staff officers, and met by Colonel Greer and the Yen. Archdeacon Brown. In about an hour after the arrival of his Excellency and suite, the colonial gunboat Sandfly, Captain Marks, came to an anchorage, having on hoard the Premier and the Colonial Secretary, accompanied by Mr Henry T. Clarke, R.M , Mr Puckey, interpreter, and the Rev. Mr Volkner. There was no formal reception, no ceremony on the landing of the Ministers. Had they not been recognised by some of the old residents, they would have passed through the camp unknown and unnoticed. In military circles they were unknown. Mr Clarke received a very hearty welcome, from both natives and settlers. By the natives he was especially welcomed ; such expressions as the following were predominant: — "Alas! you have arrived; but it is now too late. Rawiri and Herare Taratoa, with numbers of others, who were all depending upon you for advice and counsel, are now no more ; but had you remained amongst us, probably all the evils with which Tauranga has been recently afflicted, would have been avoided." Mr Clarke is the R.M. of the district ; but on a portion of the natives determining upon proceeding to Waikato, the Government (wisely or unwisely) withdrew his services, and as he was looked upon by the natives as their principal friend and leader, the weak and wavering amongst them soon after went over to the side of the King party.

His Excellency and the General, with their staff, rode out in the afternoon in the direction of the Gate Pa. The hon. Mr Fox, and the hon. Mr Whitaker diligently traversed the Papa lands, and examined very minutely the plans of the surveying staff, at present engaged under Mr Malcolmson ; expressing their approbation of what had been accomplished. They also went out as far as the Gate Pa, accompanied by the survey officers.

On the following (Friday) morning, the natives having been warned on the previous day to be in the camp by 11 a.m., considerable stir and bustle was apparent The camp was all alive to the importanceof the day's proceedings ; and the water presented an equally lively aspect. Canoes and boats might be seen approaching the Te Papa beach from all directions of Tauranga, and soon the water was studded with tiny craft, laden with precious freights-including a considerable portion of the fair sex, very gaily decked in their holiday attire, and set off with, in most cases, immense rotundities, which must have proved a great annoyance to them whilstseatedintheirsmall shell canoes. To the eye of a European it appeared, as they reached terra fir ma, a matter of tlie utmost astonishment how they could dispose of such immense crinolines in such cockleshell crafts. In some instances, certainly, they looked supremely ridiculous, as they approached the beach, with their fine bonnets only just visible above thsir balloonshaped figures, extending far over the sides of their frail canoes. Some were decked in the most expensive garments — satins and silks and once white feathers were no strangers to tbem; nor was the most gentlemanly attire absent in the clothing of «ome of the men who came to hear the word of the Governor on this important occasion. On the other hand there was apparent the most squalid poverty, both of attire and person. The blanket "was predominant, and in most cases the men and women presented an appearance halffamished and careworn, evidencing that the horrors of war had produced no salutary effect on their constitutions. On arriving in camp at 11 a.m., they were all led up to the lawn in front of Colonel Greer's residence, when his Excellency the Governor, accompanied by General Cameron and staff, together with the Hon. Messrs Whitaker and Fox, made their apEearance on the verandah of the Colonel's ouse, where seats and tables had been provided for their use. Archdeacon Brown and the Rev. Mr Volkner were also present. Mr H. T. Clarke acted as Secretary on the occasion ; Mr Puckey as interpreter ; Mr Rice being in charge of the natives assembled on the lawn. No person being willing to open the discussion, for some minutes a dead silence prevailed, when Pene Taku at length rose from his seat on the grass, and proceeded

to address his Excellency the Governor with all the salutations of love and respect. He termed him his father and friend very freely, and confined himself mainly to an address of welcome, though he spoke in an eloquent and graceful manner, and apparently produced a powerful effect on the minds of the natives present. We append a brief report of the more salient items of the addresses.

Peneanimi Taku said: Welcome, welcome, Omy father ! Welcome that which is good, welcome that which is right ; welcome truth ; welcome to Tauranga ; welcome love ; welcome to you and our great mother, whose laws we have trodden under foot, whose peace we have trampled upon at this place, which you made sacred. (This referred to His Excellency's assurance that the natives who remained quiet should be unmolested.) We have trampled upon your justice. (Peneanimi Taku here broke forth into a song. , ) Enoka te Whanake said r Salutations to you, O Governor. Salutations to you, O father ; you whom I have .trampled upon, but here have I returned to life. When we gave up ourselves and our arms to the Colonel, we then expressed a wish that you should come to see us. We could not be satisfied with a letter from you. We 1 wished to see you face to face. You have come. We have already made a declaration, and we repeat it here, in your pee-> sence, that this shall be a firm and lasting peace. We have made submission to the Queen, and are under >the shadow of her laws. Henceforth we will be obedient to her commands. We will be your dutiful children. We will not return again to folly. This declaration I now make is an unalterable one. I have ceased to speak falsely to you. This is our firm resolution. We will not return again to anything that is bad. This is the declaration we wished to make to you personalty. This is a secoud declaration. The first was made to the Colonel when we gave up our guns. This is our second submission.

Hokohoko then rose and said : Welcome, welcome, O Governor. I was not drawn into this quarrel. I went of mine own accord. I have seen my folly, and have made my declaration of" submission to the Colonel, and now do so to you. That to the Colonel was my first — this is my second — to acknowledge the Queen's authority, and be under her law. The land also I give up to you. (Here he was interrupted by Raniana tv Hiahia, who asked him what land he had, and repeated the question until he sat down.) Te Harawhira then rose and said : Enoka says this is an {inalterable declaration. It is so. We have come in and given up our guns and powder and ourselves to the raana (authority) of our land. Answer us upon all these points. Te Hokohoko speaks for himself.

Enoka then said : We hive nothing more to say. I have given up the mana of my land to you. It is in your hands. This is another word. Let the prisoners return to me. This is our request. Lv Traia and his companion", who were taken at the Gate Pa and Te Ranga, be returned to us ; but it is for you to decide. Enough of that. Here is another word for you and the General to take into consideration Let the soldiers cease to suspect me. I am without arms. Cease to* suspect me when my canoes go past. Let all that cense, now that I have seen your face. Do not make it necessary for me always to have a p:i3s when going about Tauranga— let that be necessary only when about proceeding to a distance.

His Excell-ncy then, through the medium of an interpreter, asked the natives assembled if the words expressed were the words of the whole meeting, and if they had anything more to say. Te Harawhira replied : Yes. It was then put by him to the whole meeting, who replied una voce. u Yes."

His Excellency then asked to be further enlightened with respect to the mana of the land — what he was to understand by the mana of the land.

Te Harawhira replied : What we mean by the mana of the land given up to you is, that you may consider the mana of the land yours ; you may occupy it — permit us to do so — or not, as you please. There was still some considerable amount of ambiguity in the expression "mana," and further enlightenment being requested through the medium of the interpreters,

Te Harawhira rose and replied : I mean that you are to hold the land as your own, and to do what you like with it. When we made our submission to the Colonel we gave up our arms and ourselves, and the question about the land was left for you to decide. The decision of it therefore rests with you.

No other natives rising to address the meeting, His Excellency stepped forward and, through hia interpreter, delivered the following address, which had been previously prepared : —

I regret that you should have committed yourselves to the evil courses which have caused so much misery to so many people ; but since you have done this you

have made the best amends in your power by the absolute and unconditional submission you have made to the Queen's authority, which submission ig hereby accepted by me on the Queen's behalf. I will see you again to-morrow, and will then inform- you of the decision which has been come to upon all those questions we have spoken of this day ; in the meantime informing you that, in as far as circumstances will admit of it, you shall be generously dealt with, you will for the future be cared for in all respects as other subjects of the Queen. And the prisoners taken at Pukehinahina and Te Ranga shall be allowed to return to you, if you undertake to be responsible for then,' future good conduct.

This ended the first day's meeting, and the natives were served out with boiled potatoes, and the friendlies left in their canoes for their respective homes.

SECOND PAT'S CONFERENCE.

On Saturday the natives again assembled on the lawn in front of Celonel Greer's residence, at noon, to the number of 250.

There were present; His Excellency the Governor, General Cameron, the Hon. F. Whitaker, the Hon. W. Fox, the Venerable Archdeacon Brown, Colonel Greer, Colonel Neill, Colonel Havelock, Colonel Carey, Colonel Harington, Lieutenant St. Hill, Major Colville, Captain Bulkeley, Captain Jenkins, the Rev. Mr Volckner, Mr H. T. Clarke, Secretary, and Messrs Puckey and Rice, Interpreters.

The surrendered rebels were grouped on the right of the Governor and the friendly natives on the left. A guard of soldiers patrolled the grounds and kept the entrances.

A friendly Chief (Rawiri Taipari) of Maungatape, was the first to speak. He rose from the green sward ' orf which he sat and saluting the Governor and those with him, said: — Come see the persons left behind. If you come it is to give them good. If you, O Governor, say they shall be your grandchildren,- it shall be so ; if you call tbem daughters, it shall be so ; if children of yours, it shall be good. It was very good of you to come. Come on, look at the children ; look at the widows with whom you are surrounded. On that account it is that we come into your presence. With you "rests the thought towards us, as you told us on the previous day at this place. Rawiri Taipari then gave utterance to a song, consisting mainly of salutations, and expressions ot pleasure at the presence of the Governor amongst them that day. His Excellency the Governor then (through Mr Puckey), delivered the following address to the rebel and friendly natives. He said: —

Although I am not acquainted with the boundaries or extent of your lands, or with the claims of individuals or tribes, what I shall do is this : I shall order that settlements shall at once be assigned to you as far as possible in such localities a3 you may select; which shall be secured by Crown grants to yourselves and your children. I will inform you in what manner the residue of your lands will be. dealt with. But as it is right in some manner to mark our sense of the honorable manner in which you conducted hostilities, neither robbing nor murdering, but respecting the wounded, I promise you that in the ultimate settlement of your lands the amount taken shall not exceed one-fourth of the whole land. In order that you may, without delay, again be placed in a position which will enable you to maintain yourselves, as soon as your future locations have been decided, seed potatoes and other means of settling on your lands will be given to you. [Here his Excellency turned to the friendly natives on his left, and continued :] I now speak to you, the friendly natives, I thank you warmly for your good conduct under circumstances of great difficulty. I will consider in what manner you shall be rewarded for your fidelity, in the meantime. In any arrangement which may be made about the land of your tribe, your rights will be scrupulously respected.

The natives assembled evinced the utmost excitement during the delivery of thia brief but momentous address, and a breathless silence prevailed. At its closing, the friendlies rose en masse, and bowed their acquiescence to his Excellency and those around him. The submissive rebels followed their example, and hia Excellency the Governor very generously instructed Mr Puckey, the interpreter, to tell them that if they wanted to go back on to their lands, they could do so on Monday, until his pleasure. This was received with expressions of pleasure by the natives. Harawhira then rose from their midst, and said : Salutations, O Governor ; very good, very good ; what you have said is very good to the finish. Very good, too, to tile lands. Very good to say, "Go by and bye and .point out your own lands." The Booner it is done the better.

Pene Taku and Eneoka then shook hands warmly -with his Excellency the Governor, ana the same ceremony having been repeated by a large number of others,

the meeting separated, and this important conference closed. Gfeneral Sir D. A. Cameron asked his Excellency for a copy of his address for transmission to the War Department per mail then leaving.