Ohinemuri.

Thames Star, Volume VI, Issue 1846, 2 December 1874, Page 2

Ohinemuri.

(FEOM A COEEE6PONBENT.)

PtTEATEAWAIEAHI, December 1, 1874,

The most important meeting that Las yet taken place was held here to-day. The proceedings commenced about 11 a.m. by To Moananui telling the people that he and To Hira had been fighting Mackay for the last three weeks, and that they had better now say nothing, but leave all matters to them.

Mr Mackay said they had certainly been fighting for the last three weeks, but he did not intend it to last any longer, and that those principally concerned must now speak, each kapu and each person for themselves. He held them all personally answerable for the moneys they had received aud the documents they had signed. Mackay then called upon the members of the different hapus individually to say whether they did or did not recognise the goods and money they had received a 9 portion of the purchase money of Ohinemuri lands held by them.-

Several Natives spoke in reply to Te Moananui before entering on the question which had been laid before them by Mackay.

Te Moananui observed that the land was held by ten ropes, which were all fast. " Mackay's money is his look out, my land is my own." Mackay : All the ropes are cut. The land is gone to me. You have my money and I have your land. It is for the tribe to talk now. I have done talking to Te Moananui and Te B ira.

Te Moananui advised them to leave the business id his hand. " Mackay has his guns, powder, bullets, and caps. What do I care for that. I have given him the land for his money, and that is all I will Mackay: " What about guns, powder, and bullets ? I thought we were to fight this out with our tongues. You appear to be badly disposed when you speak of those other weapons. However, if you take up arms, I am not afraid to meet you in that way. My desire is to settle matters fairly and quietly, but I fear neither you nor your guns." ' The talk about Ohinemuri lands then commenced. Most of those present admitted the receipt of money and goods, but some denied having signed for Ohinemuri. Of the latter class it appeared evident that some of them were acting under some powerful influence, because proofs were produced in black and white to the contrary of what they stated. Among many others, Hunia Te Weu said: I took "raihana," but it has gone outside. Ohinemur has gone to Te Tuiri ard Te Moananvfi since I took the " raihana.".

Mackay: What you have given to me you cannot now give to Te Hira. That may be Maori custom, but it is not European. . JSTgatai: I thought this land, Ohinemuri, was not to be sold.. The rope* of the men Sre fast, but the topes of tlie'land are cut. I therefore will "'hara "(to do wrong) also. I ask, is the Mata block sold and done with P «.

Pereniki: It is good. I will not take mine outside. i will take mine at Ohinemuri.

TeMoananai: Those ropes were the word (which had been given not to sell the land), not the people. The land is not yours—it is in Te Hira's hands. He drove you from JNTgamoko when you wished to sell it in former days.

Ngatai: It is in my hand. It is true we agreed at Te Kuiti not to sell it, and therefore I left when I transgressed the King's law. But since others have sold, mine shall go also.

Te Moananui: It is in Te Hira's hands

Ngatai: I will take my land. lam not a land stealer. You sold the lands of others outside, and you now come here to twist things in the wrong direction. Te Moananui: You remain quiet. Ngatai: The Mata is gone, and I will not remain quiet for you to sell this also. Te Moananui: It is not gone. Where is the 10s per acre ? If Mackay gives me that all will be squared up.

Mere Titia: Give me my £100 which you owe me long ago. Ngatai: You shall have it. Mackay, give me £100. Mackay : Yes. Here is £100. That makes £400 you have had for Ohinemuri. ' . Mere Titia: I will not take Mackay's money* I will have your land. Ngatai: I will not givel you one inch of my land. I will give you the money I aam getting from Mackay. Tukukino objected to Ngatai selling any land. Ngatai: You sold the Komata and To Pake. Tukukino : I have taken your lands. Ngakete: I have my own lands, and you cannot take them. Ido not care for you. Tukukino: Were you at Te Puru o Waihou ?—{alluding to the closing of Waihou in former times, when there was fear of ISgaiterangi attacking the_place.) Ngatai: I was at Te Puru o Waihou, but I did not see you there.

JSTgakete: Mac bay* I give you this land (throwing down a piece of earth). Tukukino:, You can hold out your hand, but you cannot give the land. JSgakete : I will give my land. I do not care for you.

Te Hira Te Tuiri (addressing Mr Mackay) : I told you not to give the goods. You gave them; you now find I was right; your money must go back. There are troubles all through the country. This is a korero pai. "We shall say hereafter, " ELa nui te he ote kai whakahaere " (the administrator is wrong, has done wrong). This land is tied up. If the land is loosed, then all the things of the heavens will be loosened also. J will not consent to Ohinemjjri being opened. This

.^ r^~s(3^massssasssass,, ends my speech; I will say no more about it. (To Ngatai): The land at JSTgamoko wa3 given by Paratene to me ; therefore I objected to you selling JSTgamoko.

Pokai: We did not say we were right with regard to that offence of ours about Ngamoko. We had agreed about not selling land at Te Kuiti. After that we heard all the • land was raihanaed. But the people were not driven away like us ; therefore we now consider ourselves justified in selling our portion. ICeepa Eaharuhi: I commenced raihana. I said it was for Ohinemuri on 9th of November. I heard from Te Moananui that the payment for mine was at Moehau; you objected. I now say mine is at Ohinemuri; others have land elsewhere. I have none except at this place. (At this stage, Te Hira retired frpm the meeting.) To Moananui: Xeepa, Ido not know your kor<'ro. Keepa: I heard that the Eunanga had said they would pay for my raihana, but they would not do it. I said to the Pakeha at the commencement that my raibana was for Ohinemuri, because I liad.no land elsewhere.

Te Moananni: You ought not to go on in that way. My word to you was good. Ka rere koe Id hea akuanei i ahau. Te pai o taku korcro kia koutou. (Where can you flee from me hereafter. My word to you has been very good.) 1 will go outside where the Government will take my part. Mackay: Moananui, you had better go to Tokangamutu. You have no place outside, and no one to go to. If you act in this manner no person will approve of your conduct.

Te Moananui: I will not allow the land to go, and I will not go to Tokangamutu. You can take Ngatikoi. Mackay : I am the pa whakoara (the protector) for Ngatikoi as long as they do what is right. Hoera and others said they would give up their land.

Te Moananui very strongly objected. Te Moananui: Where is the Pakeha, nei?

Mackay: lam here, and I stick to my word.

Here ensued a general battle (words only) between Te Moananui, the settlers, Mackay and everybody. Mackay : Let the Whakatohea talk.

Piniaha Tamaki: Let me have my talk. I have heard your license was at Ohinemuri. Do not inaminga (deceive) the pakeha. lam the person to consent to their raihana. I formerly was the man to help to hold to the land at Ohinemuri. They put it on Ohinemuri, let it remain there. If that of the others does not go on to Ohinemuri, then I will take that of Whakatohea elsewhere.

Paraone Te Maupu : At a large meeting I got up and said, my raihana was at Ohinemuri. I went to Te Hira, and told him. He said : " c pai ana" —(it is good). I will not deny my word. It is at Ohinemuri. If Te Hira had objected when I told him I had taken the raihana, I might listen more—but he consented, therefore mine shall remain afe Ohinomuri.

Te Moananui: You shall not have it,

Paraonc: I will not listen to you. You take all the land outside and above. And I will not give up mine here to you. Te Moananui: Although you are here, I am here also, and will be here. You are putting us all wrong ; if it had been left to me the pakeha would have to allow the 10s per acre for the land outside —now the whole arrangements are upset. ■■ -. Mackay: As you (Te Moananui) will not come to any reasonable terms I will inform you I have apportioned the money for the land outside, and it only remains for me to state that I shall take the land to the east of a line commencing at Okarere, thence to Komata, thence to Te Paeroa, thence to Te Kahakaha, thence to Eotokohu, thence to Mangaiti at the north side of Aroha block. Before this, I have kept the European miners back. Now, I shall not interfere with them. You can have the land on the western side of the line for yourselves. I shall tell the men of pick-axes (iNgati piaka aka) I have done with keeping them back because you shuffle out of engagements which you deliberately made with me.

Te Moananui and. about half a dozen other* left in disgust. Wi Koka took a stick and threw it dowr, saying: I have given over Ohinemuri. This day it is broken. Mackay took up the stick and put it in his pocket. Mataia said : I have given up Ohinemuri. (Here Mataia exchanged his wahangohi—a large club with feathers— with. Mackay for Mackay's riding whip.) Piniaha Tamaki: What has Hopihana to say.?

Hopihana: I give up the gold. Here took place what may be described as a general "go in" upon every subject between Piniaha Tamaki and Eiria Karepe, during which, as the principal business of the day was over, opportunity was taken about 4 p.m. to refresh.

After lunch the natives had several discussions among themselves as to pieces of land they gave up, but at the same time expressed their opinion that the gold only should go to the Crown, and that the advances should' be repaid by miners' rights fees. Mackay stuck to it that he had purchased the land and would have it. He said he excluded from the lands within his line the Ngatikoi settlement at Waihi, and the Ngatiporpu lands at Mataora.