NATIVE AFFAIRS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1476, 28 February 1880, Page 13

NATIVE AFFAIRS.

[By Tjslegbaph.]

(from oub own coebebpondent.)

Wellington, February 23rd.

The latest news regarding the reception of the Native Commission by the Maoris ia more favourable than the earlier reports. The Post'rf special correspondent at Hawera gives the following account of the proceedings :— " The Commissioners have returned from Oeo, where they sat on Thursday and Friday. Over 300 Natives were prosent, most of them braves in their day, and many bearing traces of hardship and suffering incurrad in their wars against Europeans, but no longer having any stomach for fighting. They were mostly Hone Piharaa's and Katene's people. The former is the most influential man on the coast. Mania-, who is a leading chief, was also present ; and amongst them was Te Whiti'a half-brother, Pehire, his father having been Nare Pori, a Wellington Native, killed in the early days in a stand-up fi«;ht with a European blacksmith at Ngahaurangi. Hoce and Katene were heard at conßiderable length as to tho land they claimed a>nd the promises made to them by authorised officers of the Government. Mania, who is a Maori of the old school, was very guarded in his language, saying, ' Une horse cannot haul three tons, neither can I speak for mv people when they are not here.' Most of the Natives wora also examined. '.The burden of thsir tale generally was that tbey and their ancestors had lighted their fires on the laud for ages, and they therefore wantod it {-surveyed and Crown-granted to them. One of Te W f >iti's followers from Parih:ika attended, upparunily to report to the prophet, and did not seoia at all pleased. After he heard what) the Commission had to

Bay, he jerked out in a somewhat bounceable tone, ' I am from P*riba.ka. I understand ] what you say. You throw the blama i on U4, and say nothing of your own Mns.' i He then rushed outside. Among those outside he became very grave, and re- j marked, ' Thera is no mistaking what the Government means now.' In less than an hour he was on his way to Parihaka. The Oomminaion, after patiently listening to all the Natives had. to say, Rome of it very irrelevant, made a formal statement, which was sentence by sentence carefully translated to the Natives. Ita substance is to the followicg effect:— l hat when the lands were confiscated, the titles and claims derived from their old fr.bal rights aud ÜBages ceased from that time forth, and though they had been allowed to occupy tbo land undisturbed, still tho Government in no way recognised them a* tbe proprietors of tha soil. All promises tnude the Natives in r»'?nrd to awarding land to tt eai by ftuthoriaed office^ of the Government would be duly earned ou * As to the Imlk of the Natives, the Government would take care tbat th*y would be provided wUh ample reserves, so as not to be left homeless or become a burden upon the country, and if they chose afterwards to lease those reserves the Government would see that they received a fair rental. All caro would be exerciser! in the preservation of their filling rights, but the quality of lands to be reserved for th»m, and the locality in whioh they were situa»erl, would be decided entirely by the Government. Th»-y were also told that when the land was confiscated Government did uofc ask tbe leave of Te Whiti or anyone elso ; and now thai, they had taken possession of and commenced roads through the Plains wherever necessary, they would survey the land for settlement, hying out townships wherever it was advisable, but certain sections in these townships would be reserved for the leading men amongst tho Natives, so that when they chose to visit the township there would be places that the Native 3 oonld call their own. In conclusion the Natives were informed in the moat emphatic manner, and so as to prevent any misunderstanding, that the land on that side of the Waingongoro River would be treated precisely the same as that on the other, and ttay were to understand the Government would not take advantage of or punish those who absented themselves from the Commission, their rights would be studied an much as the interests of those present. Before breaking up, the Natives were asked to make known amongst their friends the worda of the Commission. The statement of the Commission produced considerable effect, for the Natives have been talking tbe matter over among themselves ever since. Hone Pihama expressed himself satisfied with the words of the Commission. Katene also said he thought he had done the best he could for his peopla by joining tho Government cause. The tjuiet and deoided manner In which the Commission hag gone to work 3a already producing a marked effect on the Natives, who, notwithstanding the efforts of Te Whiti and of renegade Europeans to prevent them attending the Commission, will attend in larve numbers. The Commission will sit here on Tuesday, and there will be a large attendance from amongithe Natives at the neighbouring kainga. A large crowd of Natives will aleo attend the meeting at New Plymouth. Some of those who have hitherto held aloof now talk of coming to see the Commission. When Katene was being examined he said:— 'ln the old days when there waa fighting, I was always there against the Europeans ;' but with singular modesty be made no reference to the [fact that he afterwards greatly distinguished himself in fighting for us. Indeed, he is quite curious in the way of woundH, having received enough to kill a dozen men, once being shot through the body by a Maori only threa feet away, the bullet afterwards going through the teg of a man named M 'Donald. Katene bas been shot in about a dozen places, and has had his nose broken with a blow from a rifle. He in a very light complexioned Maori, resembling Tawhai, the late Ngapuhi representative The Commission is open to the Press. It ia attended by Major Brown, civil commissioner, and Mr Parris."