MEETING OF NATIVES AT OTAKI.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVI, Issue 1490, 22 January 1861, Page 5

MEETING OF NATIVES AT OTAKI.

By tbe overland mail, we have received an account of a large public meeting of Maories, ■wbiotr took place at Oiaki on the 1 7th inst. There were upwards of 470 present, there being representatioas from the Hutt, and the several districts iv its vicinity. After the Bunnaoga . bad assembled >. — < Efiha Taitimd, a chief of Ngatihua, rose «nd said. People of this Runanga, da not speak, do not laugh, let your «ars be opeu to listeu. Wi Tako, are you wilfipg that I should Bpeak to you (all)f . . Wi Tako replied, it is welK EpiHAsaid— Ngadawa, h'earkei—tfhe month for hoisting this ,^g is settled?* It is' to be hoisted on the 12th of March; Epiha then read a letter concerning the fl.ig, the tenor of which was that, every thing had been settled relative to it, and that npthing more would be said about it, until it was Hoisted,. Wi Takq than rose, and said Hearkeu ! I nmssd with your proceedings a^ this time. You roust give me our 'flag, that I may carry it to Waikanae, ami hoist it at Te Pitu, give ioto my hand at once. I have notbiog more to say, ♦uly ta demand the flag. Haw rose sod said,— We will not give yon this flag; it will bar hoisted ia the month before mentioaed. Wi Tako rose and sald-rGive me our flag; J only desire what Is good, you must give it to me. Heremia rose and said— Wi Tako,—lt has been decided by the Itunanga, of Otaki, of Wai* kflwa, of Olma/of Horowhenua, of P-oroutawliao, ofMaoawattt, of BangUibei. The present Bunaoga will not consent that yOu should take tbe flig t» Waikanae. We wiJl tioist the JBag in tbe month above named. I oiyfeclf fetched the flag from Potatau. Wi Taeo to&8 again, aa<i raid— Go and fetch all your Be*ed (potatoes), for food for the meeting $ turn your cattle and horses into tbe wheat, arid we will fetcb^aud eat ours also. I vriH ! finisb planting- from ibis time. I will not return to my place, until the food is consumed, nnlesf you give me ibe flag. If you do give it, I will return at oap& ; if you do not, I will remain heio. Give me the Say. >

Epiha rose aud said -. Wi Tako, salutations to you, tbia flat? will not be given to you. You | hare heard the month and day it is toffee . hoisted. We are determined to hoist it.' Wibemd (Kingi) Wairarapa rose and said . your proceedings a'ee good. Paremata. rose and said, — It is good. L Paora Ma.tca.waka, rose aud said, — I agree i with what you say. j j ; Hori Noa.pa.ka. rose and said,— l also cou- • sent. r Pakuku was angry with these people for 1 approving of what had been said by the four lust speakers. Here a good deal of interrupF tion took place in the meeting. This was at . 4 o'clock in the morning, and no smoking was allowed. Epiha, of Ngntihuia, rose and said,— This j flag will be hoisted by our Buuanga, in the . month above named. Wi Tako rose and said, — The flag must be l given to me at once. It must on no account - whatever be hoisted. Let it remain unhoisteil, » because Potatau is dead. r Hebemia. rose and said, — Wi Tako the flag k will hoisted by us. The meeting here broke ' up and went outside. There was a good deal of desultory discussion amongst themselves, but nothing of further importance transpired. I On Friday, Wi Tako told the Runanga not to disperse, as he wished to talk over matters again. The meeting was still sitting when our informant left. The general opinion was that 'the flag would be hoisted, as the Runanga was so determined. The name of the flag is » .Tainui. * " . -*■ ' — .•