MR. REES' MEETING.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 623, 11 February 1879, Page 2

MR. REES' MEETING.

In accordance with a public notice, which appeared in both the local papers, Mr. W. L. Rees, M.H.R., held a meeting last night, in the Masonic Hall. Heayj', although most welcome showers, thoroughly drenching in force, fell between five and nine o'clock, so that an idea prevailed that the meeting would be postponed until this evening, or some other evening later in the week. But so many people were desirous of hearing what Mr. Rees had to say upon Native subjects, that by a quarter-past 8 o'clock the Hall was quite three-parts full. Mr. H. E. Webb was moved into the chair, and, after making a few preliminary remarks, in which the meeting was asked to give Mr. Rees a fair hearing, that gentleman took his stand upon the platform. The speaker addressed himself to his audience for nearly two hours, but met with freqtient interruptions from Mr. Robert Cooper, who angrily denied the truth of the speaker's statements. There were other interruptions but only of a few minutes' duration. Mr. Rees' subject matter contained very little ; no more, had he so chosen, than he could have said in something under twenty minutes, or half-an-hour. Mr. Rees very adroitly conciliated his hearers at the outset, by expressing his satisfaction at the thinness of the meeting. The cause was the weather. A heavy rain had set in, which would restore health to the towns-people ; would give the much long-needed supply of water to households. • Far more important this much-desired change than anything which could come of his addressing the meeting. What he had to say was quite subordinate to health and life. The town and district had suffered much, which he trusted the rains then descending from the heavens would remove. Mr. Rbes then entered upon his subject. He drew a vivid picture of the condition of the Natives previous to the assembling of the first members of the Auckland Provincial Council. Before that time the Maories only knew of the Governor, who ruled under the direction of the Queen of England. The Maories crowded round the doors and the building in which the members sat to conduct their deliberations. It was then they were told that in future a new governing power had been brought into existence. That in future the Council would govern, and that the Queen would no longer rule them. Then it was the Natives became dissatisfied ; and then it was soon after that the Land League and making of a Maori King

had its origin. Mr. Bees next proceeded to dwell upon the character of the early native land purchases. Much of the land had been obtained by fraud. The European had traded upon the ignorance of the Maoriea. They had bought enormous blocks of land, for, which they had given rum in exchange, by way of purchase money. They had taken land away from Maori girls who were minors, giving pieces of colored glass, worth! eas trinkets, and beads, as a wretched equivalent. These lands, being tribal lands, and not the property of any single Maori had been dishonestly alienated. Maories had been induced to sign away blocks which they had no power to do. Children had been made to sign away their inheritances. Men had been deluded into putting their names to deeds when inebriated. In fact, the Maories had been cheated, b'rst by one greedy speculator and then by another, until their best lands had been taken from them without anything like a fair value being paid. Now, he had long considered these iniquitous dealings should be enquired into. Where land had been bought by bribing heads of tribes, or where it had been bought under misrepresentations made to the natives ; where, in short, they had been defrauded and cheated restitution must be made, or compensation given. He had been among the natives of Hawke's Bay and of Poverty Bay — to all parts of both. He could not speak the Maori language himself, but he had spoken through a competent interpreter. He had made himself thoroughly acquainted with the wrongs the Maories had suffered. He knew that all they wanted was their just rights, and he (the speaker) had determined they should have them. He had set the machinery in motion, and it would be kept moving until he had attained and accomplished his task. The Natives had proposed that all the lands belonging to them should be placed in trust with him (speaker) and Wi Peri. There would be a committee formed, and the Native lands would be so dealt with, that no longer should any frauds be perpetrated. It should be made absolutely impossible. These lands would be catalogued, mapped, and correctly surveyed. They would be divided into sections, and sold upon the system of deferred payments. Only a small deposit would be required, while the balances would remain for a long period, paying a moderate interest of six or seven per cent. The money coming from such sales, with the interest as it accrued, would be expended for the benefit of the Maori owners. Schools would be built, and the native children properly educated. They could have their churches and their ministers. Their condition would be ameliorated in all respects where ameliorations were oalled for.; This was what the lands were held for, and this was what he, with Wi Peri, would do for them. He wanted no advantages for himself. It would not benefit him anything. As a trustee, he could not buy a foot of the land. It would bo illegal for him to do so 5 but kis ambition was to see the fair lands of Poverty Bay so managed, that the working-man should get some portion of it for the maintenance of his wife and family. He did not wish to see larger blocks in the hands of capalatiats who would merely use them for sheep grazing. He waited to see the plough in the land, to be followed by growing crops. By the system of deferred payments, this could be accomplished. He would act fairly by the European Bettlers. He would undertake to guarantee to these that if they yielded to the just claims of the Maories, he would deal liberally by them. At present, Poverty Bay stagnated, because the lands which capitalists would invest in. for the purpose of improving and cultivating, had insufficient titles. Men with large sums of money came, looked and enquired. The land was all that could be wished. It was rich, and it was fortile. The climate was magnificent. There was everything but one thing. This was, the titles were bad or doubtful, having been wrongfully acquired. To these capitalists, who would have stayed here, and invested their accumulations, went away never to return. The name of Poverty Bay stunk in the nostrils of the people of the South. They would have nothing to do with this district, because of the evils which existed. It was these evils he had taken upon himself to remove, and he should not rest satisfied till he had removed them ; till he had obtained that justice for the Maories they were entitled to receive. Was it not a shame and a sin, and a disgrace, that the beautiful lands of this district should be so locked up, and was it not time for the change to be made 1 The speaker had been interrupted during the earlier portions of his address, but towards the end was listened to with great attention, and, when he came to the end, he took his seat amid general applause. The Chairman then informed the meeting that Mr. Rees would answer any questions which might be put to him. To these q\iestions, which referred chiefly to our Harbor and Tramway, Mr. Rees replied the Government had determined that, so soon as Sir John Coode had sent in his plans and surveys, the Harbor Works would be commenced, and continued to their completion. That as regards the railway between Gisborne and Ormond it was well known a portisn of the rails were now on their way to this port, and that an advertisement had appeared in the Herald of that afternoon calling for tenders for the carting of them. A vote of thanks to Mr. Rees, coupled with the name of the chairman, was then moved, and carried by acclamation.