SATURDAY'S AND YESTERDAY'S PROCEEDINGS.

Thames Star, Volume XXIX, Issue 8616, 22 March 1897, Page 4

SATURDAY'S AND YESTERDAY'S PROCEEDINGS.

A very large number 6f Europeans visited-the Rununga house at Parawai on Sattittlay afternoon on the invitation given by the Natives, His Worship the Mayor and Mr J. McGowan, M H.Ry^ being amongst the number. presence was evidently most appreciated, and was looked uponas^ar token of the goodwill between the races. : Several speeches were made during the afternoon, words of welcome being given-fiftfc: by Tuterei Karewa who was followed by Honi Ngakapa speaking in a somewhat similar strain. As translate* by Captain Mair this last named* saftl :-" A welcome to the pakeha. You have come here to see yonr. friend who low lies here before you; He has died on his own landin the Hauraki. Come and see your friend. €oine and see the man who brought the Europeans here. It was owing to his action that Europeans andf'Maoris are now living here side by side." : „ .

We have also to thank Captain M»ir for a translation of the words epoken by Ngapari Wbaiapui os follows :—" Come hither and see Taipari your friend who will soon depart from us. Already he has entered a new life, but he is not travelling a new path. It is one we must all take sooner or later. A great thing is love and good • willi and you coming here tcnday is proof of the feelings you have for us." An address of welcome has then read by Hamiona Mangakohia, which was translated by Apirana Ngata, L.L. B. It was as follows :— "A ■word of welcome to the European friends assembled this day to do honour ta the mortal remains of "Wirope Hoterene Taipari from the chiefs and Maori people of Hauraki 6reeting.-^"v7e give you welcome, the pakeha citizens of the Thames. "We welcome all who have done us this honour in honouring the memory of him whose loss we mourn. Come with your gifts, the gifts of sorrow, sympathy, and reverence —meet for this solemn hour of death ; lay them here in the 'midst of us, his friends, his people, the chiefs of Hauraki, who grievft and are desolate. Wo thank you for your presence ; we thank you for the kindly feeling that prompts your visit this afternoon. There are those amongst you who knew him that lies there, knew Lim as a personal friend and appreciated, his worth. We add our eulogy to yours. In the days of trouble, when discontent and dissension were rife in this district, his strong hand held the balance of factions and the olive branch of peace. "When war, broke out in other parts, he kept it from your doors, he aad his father. When this district was suffering from poverty, , when thourands of your population lacked employment, he opened the Thames to them. He may from his grave claim to be the founder of your township, of the mining industry, whose fame has §one abroad to the world. It was his wise, farseeing policy that had, among other fruits, the happy and harmonious union of the two races from end to end of Hauiaki. And so we claim him your father and benefactor, and our chieftain. So we appreciate your sympathy, knowing its sincerity and depth. Let us niiugle our tears, let us mourn our loss, as much yours as ours, for he was father of all, peacemaker, arbitrator. And we take this opportunity of thanking the Premier and Government of the colony for their message of condolonce and the mark of respect they show the dead in according him a military funeral. And we thank the citizens of the Thames who have so heartily supported that idea. The dead may well claim to the grati : tuderalbttf <flnfcU; <« the colony ; for he was' »' faithful servant 'of the Queen, and irivM hive rendered her good service i#&e,jVffaiteer Force had theie beetf*«ccas>ion v^nd he was obedient to the laws thatf ekbedy for Maori and English alik* t«? majesty and might «f the British' Empire, Uow that death lias- taktn-Mm from our midst, who wilt fill' his place? There is no one. In the dark days before us, who will advis« and direct us in the right path^ Who will put down dissension 1 None. But we will abide by bis-teaching. We will seek as far a J w« &r* A«e Peactful settlement of alßreul^r.tbou^ tbert be lackiag

his guidance and supreme tact. And now farewell. We wish you health add prosperity.^: Vay God grant between us peace and harmonious intercourse. May he guide the counsels of our young nation. God Save the Queen!" Replies to this address were made by His Worship the Mayor and Mr McGowan, M H.R. Mr Kadford said: -—" To the chiefs and different tribes of your people assembled here to-day, I bid you welcome in the name of the people of the Thames. I sympathise with you and I may say the whole of this district joins with me in that feeling, and welook upon the circumstances which have brought us together toi day as most sad, viz., the death of our worthy chief Taipari. I have known him for the last 25 years, and he has always been a most substantial friend to the Europeans settled in this district, and I may say that through his instrumentality it has been more pleasant to live in this district than it could otherwise have been. It was evident that his aim was to be kind and friendly to all his people, and the large assembly of natives here to-day testifies to the thankfulness felt for his good guidance. May it be our aim to follow in his footsteps, and may we hope that he has left this earthly Tabernacle to be received into that mansion above —a home in the heavens not made with human hands —and may all oi us when our time comes be received in our Father's kingdom. Before I close I feel I would not be doing my duty for your kind invitation to all the Europeans here to-day, and the very kind welcome given to all if I did not return to you our sincere thanks, and our sympathy I have already given you." Mr McGowan said:—"l have to thank you on my own part, and for those -who are assembled here for the privilege you have given us of paying respect to your departed chief Taipari. He was a man amongst men and his good deeds will be ever cherished by the people of this district. It was his desire to see peace, and the seed planted here, and tended as it grew by him with the assistance of Mr Jas. Mackay, prevented the trouble of 1865-67 which was permeating other districts reaching this. The fruit of the plant is now seen and appreciated by all of I us. I have noticed that it was always Taipari's aim to protect and aid the 1 young people of his race and especially keep them away from some of the baneful influences which civilisation brought in its train aud I hope that you will remeicber his good teachings. Again I have to thank you for the oppori tunity of testifying to the deceased's good qualities." Mr James Mackay thought it would not be right for him to keep silence on this occasion for Taipari was a very old friend of his and between them they had seen the initiation of European settlement in the district. Indeed he might say without appearing egotistical that they (Taipari and he) had been mainly instrumental in bringing that settlement about. At the time of the war, and when several natives ft om here wished to join in the war in the Waikato much against Taipari's wish, he (Mackay) was deputed by the Government to get them to surrender their arms—a task of considerable difficulty. Taipari assisted, however, and between them they were successful. After the Waikato war several natives driven out of that district tried to take possession of the lands here, and had it not been that the Ngatimarus belonged to the Church of England faith and listened to the words of their teachers there would have been the same trouble here as there was at Opotiki. However all this was happily averted, and so great was Taipari's influence that if a Maori committed an offence against European laws he could be immediately arrested, an act which could not at that time have been done in any other part of the colony. MrMackaydetailedTaipari'spartin the opening of the goldfield, and said that although there was only a small strip of land between the Moanataiari and Kuranui thrown open it was the thin edge of the wedge—after that gradually came the acquirement of the whole Thames area until almost all the country from Cape Colville to Te Aroha was open for prospecting. He was very pleased he could recall the part Taipari nad taken in the settlement of this part of the colony, and he was pleased _to see so many Europeans present paying respect to his memory. This concluded the speeches and the ' proceedings.