NATIVE MEETING AT PARIAKA.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 2072, 15 February 1873, Page 2

NATIVE MEETING AT PARIAKA.

Mr. Civil Commissioner Parris returned to Pew Plymouth on Thursday afternoon. He with the Hon. Wi Parata, Hon. Wi Tako, and Mr. T. E. Tonng reached Te Whiti's Tillage at Pariaka on Tuesday afternoon, the 11th instant. Nothing took place on that day beyond tangis to Wi Parata and Wi Tako. On Wednesday, the 12th instant, tho Hon. Wi Parata roqaosted the inhabitants of the village to assemble in the marae. When all were assembled, The Hon. Wi Parata rose and said : This is my day. I have oome here to speak upon sub* jeots whioh have already been discussed here— • peace and good-will. These two have emanated from this place, and therefore I hare pome to speak upon them now. It cannot be said that the troubles whioh hare existed in this island are the work of this man or that. The peaoo that I am bringing you is peace for yonr bodies, and I am enabled to do it through your owa work — through the work of Ngatirnanui, Tara» naki, and Te Ngatiawa — because it was you who sent me to Parliament. I am now bringing peace to you. I have heard that some troubles occurred in your district, on account of a pig? having been killed by a Enropean. Don't take a man's life in payment for that pig. I advise you, if any offence is committed against you by any person, you have tho law for your remedy. Tour tribes have been put back on their land, and that is sufficient on my part. It is for you to do the rest. The people have been replaced on the lands at Patea, and other places further north. They have not got all their places, bat they have got some of them. I have only been a short time In Parliament, and I have accomplished this. Kaforaitoi i Matakatia is leasing flax at Opn* nake. He has got a stable there and other things, and yet he has oommitted an act of plunder. I don't know anything about the pig you refer to. A half-caste went to Opunake, and Matakatia said I sent him there— he was robbed. Wr Parata : How can you say that Matakatia did it P If any robbery has been committed thereabout, let it be made a subject of discussion at this place. We heard that a robbery had been committed, but it was stated that it had been committed by Hauhaus. Matakatia's name was not mentioned. If any one does anything wrong he alone should suffer for it. A Maori murdered a European in my djstriot ; all were aooased of it. I seized the murderer and gave him up as payment for his crime. Let your enmity against eaoh other, and against the Europeans, cease. I am speaking of what you ought to do in the future. Do not take the law into your own hands. If you do anything wrong to the Euro* peans, even an offence for which death will be the punishment, give the offender up to be dealt with by the law. Do not say that the law will make any distinction in favor of the Europeans. Te Whiti : You are standing on a high moantain ; yoa are not coming here as a Maori. Wi Parata : I have oome here because I was placed in a position to do so by yourselves. Te Whiti : We do not understand what you say. Those ara new words ooming, I suppose, from the Europeans. Wi Parata : They are not. Th Whiti : You cannot divest yourself of our black skin. You are a MaorL What you say comes from the other side. Wi Pat ara t What are yoa going fco do on your side ? Te Whiti : We do not know that the Maoris are supreme. Wi Parata j There is no one free from the fault of accusing another of doing wrong. If Mr. Parris were to do anything wrong, yoa would not aoouse him alone j you Would inoludo all Europeans in yonr accusation. Tb Whiti i Yes, that accusation would be made. Wi Parata : You are disputing about the land. Tb Whiti: Yes, that is the question. We want to have everything dear. Wi Parata : There are two races in this island. Now can everything be made right in one day ? Te Whiti ; Your word about making peace ia good. Wi Pabata i I am not going back to things that have been done formerly. Te Whiti i You have everything in your bands, the land, the fighting, and the peace making. It is not right for a new born ohild to make arrangements. I don't dispute what you have said, but there may be others who will. It cannot be said that there is knowledge in all the statements made by the people of both races in this island. There is no one who does not look upon the Maoris with disdain, on account of their colour and odour. There is no Maori who ia wise enough to seek for what will benefit the whole of his people. He seeks for what will benefit himself. Wi Tako : I have nothing to Bay. The words are with Wi Parata. What he has said is aIL We came here to see you, and it is for you two to argue. You are a new man, and so is he. I am one of the old ones. With regard to the man who was murdered in our district, we gave up the murderer because we knew that he was the only offender. It was not an act connived at by all. In the old days, a man named Tawaka stole a few potatoes, and a war was the result, and very many men wore killed as payment for the potatoes. I have nothing to Say to yon. I have only oome here to see you. I did not think that any one would now choose lo go into the forest to live. I thooght that mode of living was dis* carded by us long ago. Te Whiti : A bush pigdoe3 not herd with tame pigs. We are like bush pigs. The bush pig makes his own lair, and the tame pig has oome to hunt for it. The bee makes food for himself—* when man discovered that it was sweet, he sought for it and took it. The meeting here adjourned for a time. On Tosnmlng, Te Whiti said : Your peacemaking is oorraob for this day, but I wish you to understand that although peaoe may be made between the Go* vernor and the Jtinp, it may not be binding upon those who are under them ; some of their people may commit abreaohofthe peace. If it could be made binding upou those, everything would be clear. What 1 mean is, that some act of treachery might bo oommitted on either side, without the connivance of the supreme authorities. What you have said is the decision which has been arrived at in the Parliament. I think that I am the man in whose bands it rests to make peao9. Do not think that I am disputing the correctness of what you have said. It is very clear, for this day yoa have not presumed to say it without authority. Engaged to the Whole of Them. — Don Piatl, writing from the White Sulphur Springs, tell this little story : — The parental author of the belle here, the other day, shortly after his return to the Springs, was approached by a youth, who requested a few minutes conversation in private, and began :—": — " I was requested to see you, sir, by your lovely daughter. Onr engagement " "Young man," interrupted the parent, briskly, "I don't know what that girl of mine is about. You..* are the fourA gentleman who has approaohed me, this morning, ot that subject. I have given my consent to the others, aud I give it to you. God bless you." A Brief Vacation.— A lawyer's holiday