MR BALLANCE AND THE KING NATIVES.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 3572, 12 March 1886, Page 3

MR BALLANCE AND THE KING NATIVES.

(By Telegraph.) WsixiNGTOif, March 11. At the interview with the King natives last week Mr Ballance presented tbe natives with tbree guns, and said be handed over the guns m token of the conclusion of peace, and for the promotion of unity between tbe races. He had mode arrangements by which all respectable natives would get as much ammunition as they required, but ho did not think tbe time had yet come for abolishing all restrictions m regard to purchase by Datives of guns and ammunition. There wero some bad Maories, to whom it might be dangerous to give unrestricted permission to purchase what arms they pleased, but generally there would be no difficulty m natives getting what they wanted. Tbe power of bad people was becoming less every day, and the best men were coming to the front. Referring to Native measures, he said that it used to bo the practice to pass laws and then explain them to the natives. His plan was to explain to the natives the Bills Government intended to introduce, and to take the opinion of the people upon them before the Bills were brought into Parliament. He had recently explained tbe provisions of the Native Land Bill to a meeting of native delegates at Hastings, and tbe people arrived at the conclusion as to amendments that should be made m that Bill, and this was one of the measures that he adopted to bringing about the unity of the two races, and to give the native people a share m the government of the colony. When that Bill was introduced next session it would be the result of the deliberation of the native people themselves, and therefore they would have had a voice m tbe making of their own laws. Henere Ropibi expressed gratification at Mr Ballance'a words, and said that anything he (Bopihi) agreed to would be agreed to by Tawhiao.