THE WAIMATE PLAINS SURVEY.

Otago Witness, Issue 1427, 29 March 1879, Page 9

THE WAIMATE PLAINS SURVEY.

Wellington, MarA 25fch. Kegarding tl c removal of surv>yors on the Waimate Plains, the Government state that a party of nati^s, headed by Te Mann — a native who s -me time »»•• wa< le^rued from custody wbile on \>U w iy to TuranaUi by coach — ca'iiei asvay the tools of the mrveyois to the nearest towLs'-dp, and frkrad tie mrveyois off the ground. Th 9 Gmenment believe thit t^e Mairia intend to do the same with other avrvey pirti'S. No violeice whatever was <ff ml fe» the s rvej o s ; in fact, the Maoris acted in_ the mo=t go d-humnurerl manner, and made n&trnei'sof any kind. It was thought this acfc t-f Te Manu and company is a Fort of final p-otct agaicst <he survey and r ccupation of the Waimate Plains on bibalf of the Nativear who have been cultivating tLe gro :nd. It i«tfoipht that tie Nativos have oejed under ini-tructiona from Parihaka, at the ics'-iga' >c«ie most probahly of Europeans who have^ some sort of interest in the land bat it is alsothought the Natives would not lnvd act a d in so high-hansel a manner wi : hout receiving i&» ttruct ons from Te Whiti. Major Brown is on. Ms way down frjm the pan*, and will be here-to-iacrr^w.

New Plymouth, March 25fcb. The HeraM's CVr'yle correspondent telesrra|>bs: —" Ib is rumoured that tha Natives hue det-rmined to remove all the surveyors fr»ra the Wftiraate Plains. The Civil Comiiii siouer (Uttjor Urowri) who canpe along with tie Hon. Mr S'aeehtn from Parlnaka, was at Ca^lyle at n< on to-day, and left at about h litres'; 1 for Haw era, on hearlrgf that M« Ske9t, he d of the survey party, had ariived there. If. is reported tba*. Te Maiu, with * pariy of Native, is dee mined to clear thesur ye /■ r < from off tie plains Instrom-nfci, tents, ilcl otht-v things belonging: t) Skeet'a party lm-a been brought «cro-n the WaingoDg<*»~ Ever, aid tte Mao-i diajs have again yaturned to bing, it is said, the other surveyors ( ff the land." Tv« Herald's Hawera co respondent sends the ft 11 >wiug telegram : — " Skett's survey party and camp were taken possession of by 12 Maoii-t, Thokowaru being present. TO Natives cait)d th j party to the south File of: ihs Wairgojfi:<'r.> Kivor. About a hundred Maoris nut th<*m when they came upon th» miin road. After leaving the party on tbe> other side of the bridge, the Maoris rode off, savin* they were going to rein >ye Climes* cam;». I hear from the Natives that they am acting under Te Whiti's orders to remove all aurveyt rs from off the plains." There is a c^n-iderabhj amount of excitement Ik rd respecting the action of the Natives on th© Waiinate Plain?, and Natives as they p«ss tl.-rought l .- rough the t>wn ar« ciufstioaed very clueely as to what tiansri-ed at Pynihakabetween Te Wh'ti and the Hon. Me.

SheehaD. and all the Natives say Mr Sheehan advocated that Hiroki shou'd be cent -io either Wargtvau or New Plymouth to be tried, and that Te Wfaiti niigU accompany him bo as to see fair play. But le Wbiti re plied that Mr Sheehan should bring his pc pie to Patihalra, and he would be the judge. Another Native says that when a 4a 4 - the meeting Mr Sheehan, observing Hiroki present, commented on the murder he bad committed, and condemned the Natives for the part they had taken in not giving him up. Te Wbiti gave a smart and unexpected answer that the (government were responsible for the murder, saying they were thieves— they had taken their (the Maoris') land. The murder would not have "happened if it had not been for the surveyors. This was received with a loud lvspmse of Ka mate te Sheehan, o Te Whiti," which (translated) means that Sbeehan was beaten in his diking by Te Whiti. After tbe Native Minister left, it is said that Te Whiti gave orders tbat any surveyor who at'empted to xaake roads or lines ac Waimate, or between A-ionui and Arenui River, were to be thrown -on one side or carted away, tut there y? to fee bo blood spilt, He further ordered that Europeans are to be kept on tbe other side of the Waingorgoro River. Another Maori says -that after Mr Sbesban left tbe Natives threatened Te Whiti's life if he did not give orders for them to remove the surveyors. The Herald to-night saya :— "As a PakehaMaori of not ve*y nice principles has bten fecown to be visaing the dfetiicfc lately, it looks as if his visit there had sometbinß to do with tbis charge in the conduct of the Natives. As. matte? shave now gone so far the Government must show a bold front and maintain the attitude they have previously taken up." A special meeting of the Waste Lands Board was called for this a'temoon, fhe Civil Commissioners having received orders to get the Wa?mate land vriced and to offer it for sale. It is reported here that Titokowatu has trlegrapbed that he is at the head of th<3 patty, and ia responsible for what has been done.