Wanganui Herald. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) MONDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1881. TE WHITI AND THE RESERVES

Wanganui Herald, Volume XV, Issue 4524, 21 November 1881, Page 2

Wanganui Herald. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) MONDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1881. TE WHITI AND THE RESERVES

The evidence given, against Te Whiti has disclosed that the reserves set apart for him and his tribe have never been pointed out to him, and that he was entirely in the dark, up to the day of his committal, as to thejboundaries. It will be remembered that it was on the ground that the reserves had not been indicated before the surveyors were turned off, that the Royal Commission concluded the Natives had taken the action they did. In the different reports the Commission submitted from time to time, this was made the salient point, and the paramount importance of not only denning but making the Natives acquainted with what was being done was repeatedly urged. So strongly was this feature dwelt upon, that a reader could come to no other conclusion than that all the trouble had arisen from the omission of the one duty, and that future difficulties would be avoided by carefully defining and explaining the lines and extent o£ the reservea.

But strange to relate the very thing considered all-important by the commission has not been done. The fact

has been brought out by Te Whiti himself in the few words he said on the occasion of the preliminary investigation before the Magistrate. At the conclusion of Mr Hursthouse's evidence Te Whitiasked: "H»vethe2s,oooacres reserved by the Government for the use of the natives ever been shown to them V To which the witness replied : " Not that I know off' Te Whiti then remarked : " There were two parts of the European fence which were pulled down by the young men." This is clear that Te Whiti wished to show that he was anxious to keep within the boundary marked out ; and it is not pretended that, whatever his faults may be, the chief is untruthful. The Magistrate, very improperly as we think, stopped Te Whiti from proceeding by the following reminder : " Tell Te Whiti he must only ask questions !"

So far a prima facie case seemed to have been made out that the Natives did not desire to unlawfully obstruct or defy the authorities in carrying out their work ; but the evidence went on to establish their case in the most extraordinary way. Tohu, we may say, corroborated Te Whiti by the following questions and answers : — "Do you know the division that was made of the land for the Natives?"— " Yes, I know it." — " Did you tell us where it was ?" —"No !" Mr Carrington, a licensed interpreter, then gave evidence and it is so important that we give that part in full that relates to the reserves : I hare never seen a guard of Natives placed at the fenceß to watch over them. Some men were placed there to keep cattle off the land. I have never heard that the land described in the Proclamation as reserves for the Natives has been shown or described to Te Whiti. He never asked about it.

Mr Parris (who was on the Bench) to witness : Do you remember you went up with me when 1 went to Parihaka to explain to Te Whiti about the land ? Mr Carrington : V es. Mr Parris : After I commenced to Bpeak to Te Whiti, what did he say ?

Mr Carrington : He said dogs did not come out hunting pigs without their masters. Te Whiti then gave a signal to break up the meeting, and refused to allow you to explain the nature of the reserves to the Natives.

Mr Parris : Were you not supplied with a plan showing the land that had been reserved for the Natives, and were you not instructed to show the boundaries to tho Natives ? Mr Carrington : Certainly not. Mr Parris : Remember you are on your oath.

Mr Carrington ; I know that. You need not remind me of it.

Mr Parris : A plan was made out by Mr Humphries, the Chief Surveyor, showing the reserves, and given to you. Mr Uarrington : I received a plan of the reserves, but it was given me for the purpose of finding what natives were cultivating portions of the land coloured on the plan ; and I did so. I did not understand that I was to point out the boundaries of the reserves to the natives, or I should have done so.

Mr Parris : Have the twenty-five thousand acres ever been defined or pointed out ? Mr Carrington : Not that I know of. Mr Parris : Were you not aware by the map that a portion of land seaward of Pungarehu was reserved for the Natives? Mr Carrington : I understood that without the map. Mr Parris : And yet you never explained? Mr Carrington : Certainly not. Mr. Parris : Well, I recollect giving you those instructions myself.

Mr Cairintjton : — I never was told to point out the boundaries to the natives. It was altogether out of my line. By a Justice : Have you seen the report of the West Coast Commission aud the plan attached to it.

Mr Carrington : I cannot say that I have seen the plan. I recollect the report. By a Justice : How many natives are there interested in the Parihaka block ?

Mr Carrington : I do not think there are more than 150 men belonging to the h&pu. Te Whiti was told that he could examine the witness^ Te Whiti said : Did I not tell you not to write down what I said at the meeting, because you did not understand me ? Mi Carrington : I remember your telling me not to write down your speech. Te Whiti : Did you come over on the evening of the 18th to hear the speeches that were made? Mr Carrington : No. Te Whiti : Was the notice (Proclamation) read at Parihakathe same that was read today in Court ? Mr Carrington : Yes. Te Whiti seemed surprised at this answer, and did not ask any more questions.

Mr Parri3 to witness : Do you know that Mr Hursthouse and Colonel Roberts went out to the Natives repeatedly when they were fencing, and told them not to do so, and showed them the reserves which were set apart for them ? Mr Carrington : I do not know what Col. Roberts and Mr Ffursthouse said to the Natives, but I have seen them go out often.

Mr Parris : Are you not aware that when the Maoris were spoken to about the reserves they always said : "O, go to Te Whiti; there is no use talking to us ?" Mr Carrington : Yes.

This evidence will cause not a little astonishment. Mr Parris, whose presence on the Bench and system of browbeating a witness, will have to be answered for, appears to have condemned himself by his questions. "We call attention to the following point. Mr Hursthouse, in reply to Te Whiti, said he had not explained to him about the reserves. Mr Parris, from his last question to Mr Carrington, evidently knew that the natives who were fencing would not receive any explanation about the reserves, but told the officials to go to Te Whiti. Jt appears, however, that they never went to Te Whiti to inform him, and this Mr Parris must have known. So in fact it comes out that the very thing which was considered of so much importance in the settlement of the difficulty has been entirely neglected, and so far as the evidence goes it is strongly in favour of Te Whiti's innocence of any intention either to obstruct or resist. We are astonished at the evidence. We thought the boundaries of the reserves had been carefully defii ed in the way advised by the Royal Commission, and that Te Whiti was wilfully resisting the decision arrived at, with the view of getting back the whole of the confiscated land. But when, as the evidence clearly shows, we find him only engaged in maintaining his right to what he thought the Commission awarded, we can express wonder at the whole business, and await the further development of the case in the Supreme Court.