CORRESPONDENCE.

Thames Advertiser, Volume XI, Issue 2520, 13 January 1877, Page 3

CORRESPONDENCE.

[A'dvbbtwembkt.] To Aroha, Hauraki, Tihema 3rd, 1876. (Kia fca Tauara Makarioi, Minita mo nga Maori) E Pa tena be,-He whakaatu tona Da matou kia mohio koe ki nga Tikanga a James Mackay, kai hoko wkenna a to Kawanatanga mo rungai to matou wbenna i te Aroha. Ka nui te he otana mahi kite Whakaeke kau i nga raihana me nga nama a nga iwi ko o Hauraki'noi ki runga ki to matou whenua ki to Aroha, Nui noa atu te he o tenei pakeks, kite tango noa iho i te matou whenua mo te Kawanatanga, hei utu mo nga nama taonga mo nga moni i hoatu e ratou ko ana pakelia ki nga iwi kaore nei o ratou paanga lake tupuoa ranei ki to Aroha. ILo te putake i utaina ai e ia nga nama a nga iwi nei ki runga i to matou whenua i te Aroha Hei tango maaua hei whenua mo to Kawanatanga. i v akonei matou i tuhi atu ai i tenei Pukapuka ki a koe hei whakaatu ma matou ki a koe. Ara ekore rawa to matou whenua e tukua atu e matou hei utu mo nga taonga me nga moni_ i < hoatu e ratou ko aua pakeha ki era iwi ke o Hauraki kaore nei o ratou paanga o ratou take tuturu take tupuna ranei ki tenei whenua.ki te Aroha.

Nakonei matou ka whakaatu ano kia koo. Ara ka purutia e matou to matou whenua. U kore raw a e tukua atu hei utu mo nga nama a era iwi. Engari hei utu aDo mo a matou nei nama me nga moni i a matou ka tatii ka tika ekore matou o wbakabe ki tena.

iimohio tuturu ana hold matou koia i tuhia atu ai ten a Pukapuka ki a koe. A ra kei to matou pakeketanga ki to matou whenua kite oneono o matou tupuna, ehara nei tenei whenuaiteoneoneno nga tupunaonga Iwi i whakaekea nei e te (" Make") nga nama ki rnnga ki toinatou whenua. Kei reira pea (kei to matou pakeketanga). Tera koutou tekawanataaga e riri kuhuakore kia matou mo ta matou purutanga i | to whenua o matou tupuua kei riro atu hei utu mo nga naina a ngai wi kihai nei o ratou tupuna i eko ki tonei whenua. Heoi ono te take a te" Make" i wha • kaeke ai i nga iwi nei ki runga ki to matou whenua i te Aroha kote ingoa o to matou tupuna o "Marutuahu." Qlm kia maramo maikoe ki tena; E tuturu ana a e tika rawa ana te whnkajaunga a Te Kooti i to matou whenua kite ingoa oto matou tupuna o "Marutuahu." Ko matou to nu ko te hunga whakuhe nei ki era atu kapu o Hauraki nei. He uri tonu matou no " Marutuahu," ara a maotou e mau ake nei o matou ingoa i raro nei. Otira ko tenei whenua ko to Aroha. Khara i te mea na " Maratuahu" matou i eke ai, i mahi kai ai i mahi ai hoki i nga mahi whaitaketanga kite whenua i runga i nga Tikarga Maori. Ka whakamara; matia e matou kin koe. Ara ko tenei whenua ko te Aroha i to matou tupuna anake i to nga tangata i noho nei i mahi kai nei kite Aroha o era rangi mairano_ i 0 matou tupuna. A, tae mai ana kia matou e noho nei i te Aroha. E karaugatia nei to matouhapukoßgatitumutumu. 1 a Bgatitumutumu tenei whenua o mua iho A tae mai ana ki naianei. E hara i te mea i patua i huna i mate i ngaro ranei o matou tupuna me to matou hapu i a " Marutuahu', i nga uri ranei o" Marutuahu" Mara i te pena. Engari i buia i runga i te wbakauruga o nga uri o Ngatitumutumu ki nga uri o Marutuahu. Ara a matou anake nga tangata nana te pukapuka nei i tuhi atu_ ki a koe ; e mauake nei o matou_ ingoa i raro i enei korero. Mehoki ano tamatou kupu mo te whakataunga a Te Kooti i te Aroha kite ingoa o " Marutuahu;" Ara ata whakaaro mariro te Kooti ko te itautohe mete Aroba, ehara i te tautohe a tetehi hapu ki to tabi hapu i roto i te Iwi kotatu. Engari he tautohe tenei na tetahi wehenga iwi ki tetahi wehenga iwi} Ara na " Marutuahu" kia Waikato naikonei I matou ka whakatika kite whakataunga a Te Kooti i te Aroha ki. te_ iogoa ( o " Marutuahu;" Mehemea hoki i kites e Te Kooti te tika kite taha kia Watkato; Penei tera ano e whakatana o Te Kooti kite ingoa o Waikato a ebata tera i te mea o eke katoa mai ai nga iwi o Waikato kite whenua o Ngatihaua. Ina hoki To Kupu a To Kooti i_ tana whakataunga i tenei whenua kite ingoa o "Marutuahu;" Kua taia nei kite kahiti o Nni I'ireui. " Kabiti Motukake" o te paraire te <J Ongara o Akuhata, 1871. . Kei te Waahi Tuawha o te & onga rarangi o te Kupu Whakatau a Te Tooti. E mea nei. Otira he whakatete ns " Marutuahu" katoa ki nga iwi katoa o Waikato. Ko nga hapu ia e uekaha ana. Ko Ngatihaua to Waikato. Ko Ngati maru ko Ngatitumutumu to "Marutuahu." Kihai Te Kooti i ki; konga iwi katoa o Marutuah unga hapu uekaha te whakatete mo tenei whenua mo te Aroaha. Kihai hoki Te Kooti i ki. Ko nga hapu katoa o Waikato nga hapu uekaha ki Te Whakatete mo te Aroha. Bakouei matou ka whaka atu ki a koe to matou whakaaro kite tika ki to Marama tonu o te whakataunga a Te Kooti. E ngari na to koutou kai Hoko whenuanate "Make" e murunoi i to matou whenua hei utu mo nga nama a nga iwi kaore nei o ratou take kite Aroha. Nana i whakaeke kau i nga Nama a era iwi ki runga ki to matou whenua. Kua rangoua hoki i roto i nga ra korero mo Nga Baihana a nga iwi i timata mai nei i te 18 onga ra o Nowema, 1876, Hemeawhakaekenoaihoe te etahi onga Nama a nga iwi o Hauraki nei ki runga ki tenei whenua kite Aroha kihai nei aua iwi i ki atu kia te" Make " ko te Aroha hei utu mo a ratou Naina. No roto i aua ra korero kua whakina e matou ki runga nei; katohea e te "Make" uga nama a nga ,iwi katoa nei kia whakatana kite Aroha; ka whaakina hoki e ia; ka tata nga iwi katoa oHauraki kite Aroha i runga i te iugoa o " Marutuahu " i runga hoki i ugaritenga ateTure pakeha; ko te ingoa hoki tena onga iwi katoa e noho ana ki Hauraki. Ba tenei korero ka koa nga iwi nei kia ea ai a ratou Nama. Otira ma teuei whakaatu pea a matou marama ai i a koe, te korenga i whai take ouga iwi o Hauraki ki tenei whenua kite Aroha. Ara me tuku mai e koe he kupu maau kia te '<Make." Mehemea raia ka whakaaro mai koe ki ta matou e tono atu nei ki a koe. Kia kaua aiaate "Make" e whakakaha i nga iwi nei kia eke ai kite Aroha. Kia kaua hoki aia a te " Make " e haere mai kite Aroha nei tohutohu noa iho ai i nga whenua i reira. Kaore nei ia e mohio ki ngarohe o matou whenua ehara nei ite whenua no o ona tupuna e mohio ai ia ki nga robe o nga waahi i a " Marutuahu " i a Ngatiwhanaunga i a Ngatitamatera i a iHgatjpaoa mo era atu iwi ku a whakaekea neie te " Make" nga nama a aua iwi ki runga ki to matou whenua ki to Aroha. Engari mo waiho ma aua iwi neiano e tohutohu e ruri ranei nga saaln i a ratou e tenei whenua o to Aroha, Eia riro ai hoki ina

ratou Maori e tantoho kia matou. I tono ai matou i tena kupa ki a hoe. He mohio no matou Ekorere rawa ratou Buaiwi nei e taemai kite Aroba net tautolie ai kia matou mehemea a kore a te Make i roto i a ratou bei whakakahaai a a ratou (kite haere tabi mai hoki ratou ko te" Make " ma ka nobe puku noa iUo ratou, ka waibo e ratou a te " make " hei waha mo ratou hei tantoho kia matou kia whiwbi ai aua iwi ite whenua i konei); kite kore a te make e tai mai kite Aroba nei. Jikire hoki aua iwi e tai mai. K mohio ana hoki ratou kaore oratou whenua i konei. Ka whakama ratou ka wehi kei kataina e te kanohi o te " Tika" e titiro iho nei ki to ratou poauautanga. A ana raia ratou ka haere poauaumai kite Arohaneikataina aie te "Maataataa" Whakatupererutia'ai hoki e te" Puruwaiweto."

Otira ekore ratou e poauaui kite haere mai ko ta matou tenei e tono nei ki a koe. Kia kaua a te moke e roberobo i to matou whenua mo nga iwi kuawbakaekea nei nga nama ki reira. Kia kea kaua hoki aia e haere mai kite Aroba nei i naianei.

E hara i te mea ka kaiponutia tenei whenua e matou ka kore ranei e tukua atu e matou kite Kawanatanga. Kao engari ka tukua ano e matou kite Kawanatanga. Hei utu mo a matou nama anake. Me nga moni hoki i a matou ara i o matou hapu. He putake nui ano kei »to i ta matou tono ki a koe mo tenei mea. He whaka* aro na matou kei puta poauau ake he raruraru ki tenei waahi i runga i te Tukaha Pakeke r awau o tenei pakeha kite tango whenua bei utu mo nga nama a aua iwi.

Engari waiho mai nga iwi Maori ano o Hauraki nei tenei whenua me tenei raruram e whakaoti pai. Ta te mea lie iwi " Tohuuga" rawa atu a Haurauki i nga iwi katoa o te niotu nei. Timatatuai i'ngara i taemaid te ifuinga ote "Eongopai" a tae mai ana ki naianei kaore ano he kino mana ki a ia ake ki tetahi atu iwi ranei. Ifakonei matou ka tohe kia koe kia tukua mai be Kupu Maori kia te "Make" kia kaua aia e haere mai kite Aroha nei. Whakatupu kiao ai kia matou. Kei puta kau he raruraru i ranga i te pakeke kuare o tenei pakeha. Aka whakawa kau tatou a nga rangi e baere mai nei. Ina hoki kua puta ano kite Paremata i te Mema mo te "Taha Pooti Maori Whakaterato," i mea nei ia." Kia wbakawakia te take i tupu ai te raruraru ki Taranaki me Waikato. Nakonei matou ka mabara. Tera ono pea ka rapurapua te putake i raruraru ai ki konei. Mehe« mea raia ka raruraru. He ahakoa kua puta atu ta matou kupu ki a koe, kia whai kupu mai koe kia kaua a te" Make" e baere mai kite Aroha nei i naianei. Mo te raru rawa ake epai ana kua tae atu ta matou kupu kia koe. B ngari ko uga iwi nei me tuku mai kia kite koutou te kawanatangai te hunga no ratou te whenua e tangokia nei e te "Make" i te kaha o nga iwi nei kite tobutohu i nga whenua i a ratou i konei i te Aroba nei. Heoi ano te kupu. From Pita, Tutuki, HemiKare, Karapuba, Himi Ke'ea, Takutai, Aperahama Te Keiroa, Pirika TeEiupoto, Te Eaugai, Bawiri Wakaiti, Tekarauna Hou, Te Mokena, Akuhata Mokena. Te Bauapia Mokena, Eewi Mokena, Piabana Hou, Ngakuri te Arero, Eeha Aperabama, Aihi Pepeue, Tekeepa te Wbarau, Te dufcaua Karapuka, Timi te fiua, Hohepa Taukou, Te Eua Whakaboro, Ngapari Whaiapu, Maugo Whaiapu, Winiata Whaiapu, Ngaroma Wbaiapu, Po te Marau, Tekoukou, Tara'wbati te Eui, Maliu Poono, Te Karauna. Matiu, Te Kire Ngapu, Wiremu te Huia,' Mauahi, Erueti Wetea, Erueli Ngakoki, Waitai Taupo, Pereki Wbarepubi, flikori Tihitapu, To Koki, Te Kapihana.Te Eaibana, Takaore, Tamawbina, Waraki te Parata, Ngaromaki Parata, Henare Pita, Hoani lipa, HorieMore, Eeibana Tutawa, Parata te Mapu,Tangi, Hakipene Hura, Utu, Eeweti te Bau, Matiu Eaunati, Ereatara Taraia, Haora Tareranui, Ta Kira Kipa, Heta Kapana, Tumoke te Kua, Tekirikau, Eru te tfgahue,E'enpene te Whetuki, Eeibana te Ahitoro, Pita Wata, Miba te Kaha, Hori Wbanga, Karaitiana Kahau.

TO SIE DONALD McLEAN, NATIVE MINISTER. Per favour of the Thames Advbmisek, 0 Parent: Salutations to you.-This is a notification of ours to you in order that you may know the system made use of by Mr James Mackay, the Government Land Purchase Agont, in connection with our lands at Te Aroha. He is acting wrongly in charging without reason against our lands at Te Aroha the " Baihana" and debts of the Hauraki tribes who are not connected with us (the owners). Very great indeed is the wrong or this European who, without any right, takes for the Government land belonging to us as payment for debts for goods and money that he and bis Europeans have advanced to tribes who have no title or ancestral claim to the Aroha Block. The reason he does this is that he may acquire the land for the Government. It is on account of this that we write to you, so that you may know, that we intend to retain possession of our land, and that we will not give it up in payment for the debts of those other tribes. We are satisfied in our own minds, and it is for that reason that we write this letter to you, that when the time arrives, and we hold fast to our land, the land of our forefathers, and which is not the land of the tribes whose debts Mr Mackay wants to charge against it. Then perhaps when we persist in retaining possession of of it, you," the Government," will be unjustly angry with us, because we hold 'back the laud that belonged to our ancestors, rather than it should go to pay the debts of tribes who have no claim to it. The only reason that Mr Mackay has for setting up claims lor those tribes to Te Aroha is, that tho Native Land Court said in its judgment, that the Aroha Block was owned by oue ancestor— " Marutuahu;" but wo wish you to understand what that means.' The Court was correct and perfectly right iu giving judgment in favour of "Marutuahu" in connection with Te Aroha, and we (the people) who now complain against other tribes of Hauraki (having ownership), are the direct descendants of "Marutuahu," viz., thoseofus whose names are appended to this letter. But with regard to the Aroha Block, we do not base our claim to it through " Marutuahu." We cultivated on it and did everything which, according to Maori oudtom, Kives personal titles to ownership of lands.' We will explain to you. Tho Aroha Block belonged to our ancestor only, that is the ancestor of the people who cultivated on it, commencing Irom the time of our ancestor down to us, the people, who still reside on Te Aroha, and are known by the name of Ngatitumutumu. , Ngatitumutumu owned this land originally, and still do so. Our ancostors and our tribe were not destroyed or couquered by Marutuahu or bis de-i soeudauts, but we became ono people 1

(afterwards) by the intermixtnij of the descendants ef tfgatitumutumuwith the descendents of Marutuahu j that is, those of us only who wntß this letter to you, and whose names appear below. We will return now to what we were saying about the Natives Land Court giving judgment in favour of Marutuahu. The Court evidently thought that the dispute about the ownership of the Aroha Block was not a dispute between separate families of one tribe, but it was a dispute between two totally different tribes—viz-, a dispute between "Marutuahu and " Waikato." Had the Court found that Waikato were in the right, it would have given judgment in favor of Waikato;' but that would be no reason why all the Waikato tribes should set up a claim to the land.that belonged to ''tfgatihana." (The Waikato tribe that principally opposed the Thames natives in the Court.) For instance, the Court says, iu giving judgment in favour of "Marutuahu"— see New Zealand extra Gazette ql Friday, 4th April, 1871, at the fourth part of the fourth section—" But it is a disputflJe* tween all'Marutuahu'and all thoWai* kato tribes. The bapus (or sections of tribes) who are strongest (or lay most claim) are the JNgatihaua for Waikato, and Ngatimaru and Ngatifcumutumu for I'Marutuahu.'"

The Court did not say that all the tribes of "Marutuahu" were strong in claiming ownership to the Arolia, neither did the Court say that all the < Waikato tribes were strong in opposing their claims to the Aroha.

Therefore it is that we say to you that we consider the judgment of the Coartwas both correct'and well understood. But it is your Land Purchase Agent, Mr Mackay, who is plundering our land, Te Aroha, to pay for the debts of the tribes who hare no claims there, and it is he who wants to charge the debts of. thosa. tribes ou our lands.

It was heard stated daring the meeting that took place concerning the" Baihana" that had been had by the tribes', which meeting commenced on the 18th November, 1876, that Mr Mackay had no right to charge some of the debts of the Hauraki tribes against Te Aroha, as those tribes had not agreed with him that those debts were to be charged against Te Aroha. During that meeting Mr Maokay persisted in charging the debts of the tribes against Te Aroha, aud he stated that all the tribes of Hauraki had a claim on Te Aroha through " Marutuahu," and according to European law, as Mara* tuabu was the name of all the tribes who lived at Hauvaki, and it was through this saying of Mr Mackay'sthat the tribeswere glad to have their debts paid in that way. But perhaps through this letter of ours you will understand that all the tribes of Hauraki have not a claim oh Te Aroha Block; and we wish you to notify to Mr Mackay (that is if you take into consideration this application of ours to you) that he, Mr Mackay, should not incite the tribes to lay claim to Te Aroha; and that lie should not proceed there laorely for' the sake of pointing out certain lands there, as he has no knowledge of the boundaries of our lands. It is not land that was owned by his ancestors whereby be can have knowledge of the boundaries of pieces owned by Marutuahu, by tfgatitonanaunga, by lYgtitamatera and by Ngatipaoa, and other tribes whose debts he has charged against our land Te (Sroha. But rather let us Maoris dis* pute among ourselves. We ask you to do this because we are sure these tribes will never come to Te Aroha and dispute with us, that is, if Mr Mackay does notacom« pany them for the purpose of making them strong (to contest with us). If they were to come up with Mr Mackay they would remaiu silent, and leave Mr Mackay to be spokesman for them, and conduct the discussion with us in order that they might become pos« leased of some land at Te Aroha. If Mr Mackay does not go there, neither will those tribes go there, as they well know that they have no land there, and they would be ashamed and frightened lest they should be held in derision by the eye of " Truth," which would gaze upon them in their foolishness should they ignorantly proceed to Te Aroha, where they would be laughed at by the Ma-ata-ata, and startled by the call of the Puruwaiweto. (The Ma-ata-ata and Puruwaiweto are birds inhabiting the swampy lands of Te Aroha, and are distinguished by a peculiar note which sounds like the smacking or pouting of a person's lips.) But they would not be so foolish as to come to Te Aroha, and our application to you riowis that Mr Maokay be not allowed to lay off (or survey) our land for tribes whose debts he has chosen to place against it, and that at the present time he should not go at all to Te Aroha. It is not that we are refusing to give this land up. to the Government. We are willing to give it up to the Government, but as payment for our own debts only, and for money that we and our hapus have had.

A great principle is involved in'this application of ours to you concerning Te Aroha, as we apprehend that trouble;will foolishly originate in this district on account of the determined opposition of • this European who seizes on land to pay for the debts of his tribes. But rather leave matters concerning this land and this trouble for the .Hauraki tribes to settle among themselves, as the Hauraki people are noted above all other tribes of this island (for their skill in settling disputes), and have been so from the time that the Gospel wa3 introduced;", amongst them, down to the present. They . have never had any quarrels either amongst' themselves or with any other tribes. Therofore it is that we wish to impress upon you the advisability of instructing Mr Mackay not to proceed to Te Aroba, lest trouble should ensue and we have cause to blame one another in the future. . It is well known that the member for the Northern Maori District applied iu Parliament for a Commission to enquire into the cause of the troubles that arose at Taranaki and Waikato; therefore we / think that at some future timo enquiries way bo made concerning the trouble that arose iu Hauraki; that is, should trouble arise. Be that as it may, our wish has beeu expressed to you, that you should order Mr Mackay not to go to Te Aroha at . present, so that should trouble afterwards arise, it will be after our wishes in the matter have been made known to you. But we wish the tribes themselves to go there, so that the Government may find out who are the real ownors of the land which is being taken by Mr Mackay, - aud this CBn be known by their being able to point out on the ground portions of Te Aroba owned by them. . [Here follow the signatures.]