THE Wellington Independent. " NOTHING EXTENUATE; NOR SET DOWN AUGHT IN MALICE." SATURDAY MORNING, 29th OCTOBER. THE SUPERINTENDENT AND THE RANGITIKEI LAND DISPUTE.

Wellington Independent, Volume XIX, Issue 2121, 29 October 1864, Page 3

THE Wellington Independent. " NOTHING EXTENUATE; NOR SET DOWN AUGHT IN MALICE." SATURDAY MORNING, 29th OCTOBER. THE SUPERINTENDENT AND THE RANGITIKEI LAND DISPUTE.

His Honor the Superintendent returned from his visit to the West Coast and Wanganui on Thursday Evening. Our readers [are aware that the immediate object of his Honor's visit to the Coast, was the final settlement of the Native land dispute at Bangitikei, and we understand that the mission has proved a very successful one —that not only have the three tribes concerned made peace with each other, but that the block of land in dispute has been formally offered to the Commissioner for sale, as the only means of finally settling the questions at issue. It will be remembered that when Dr Featherston visited Bangitikei in December last in consequence of the hostile attitude of the Ngatiraukawa and Ngatiapa, and the danger of a tribal collision, he then by negotiations with the principal chiefs on both sides, arranged provisional terms and thereby undoubtedly saved the peace of the district. On that occasion the Ngatiapa, finding further resistance to the encroachments of the Ngatiraukawa and Bangitane useless, wisely • determined on selling their disputed claims •to the Crown, subject to the future decision as to ownership. The Superintendent — as Land Purchase Commissioner — formally accepted this offer, on behalf of the Crown, •obtaining at the same time a pledge from the leading chiefs of the tribe that, pending the •ultimate settlement of tho questions, they .should exercise no acts of ownership, and do nothing that could be construed by the opposing party into a challenge to assert their -claims. This pledge was given in the most public send unequivocal manner. In the presence of tthe assembled tribe, the leading men Ibrought forward their arms and ammunition and placed the whole at Dr Featherston' s feet, with words to this effect : " There ! we give you our land, our guns and our powder. We leave all in your hands, and we shall quietly await your decision respecting our claims." The Superintendent accepted this pledge, and selecting a gun and a cartouchbox, filled with cartridges (in witness thereof/ returned the rest to the tribe. This altered the whole aspect of the question, and all immediate danger of acollision wa3 atan end. The dispute, however, was far frombeing adjusted or settled, for thc Ngatiraukawa and Bangitane, while they expressed fuli confidence in the Superintendent's impartiality, and unanimously consented to refer the whole dispute to his Honor for arbitration, provided the Ngatiapa also would consent to this mode of meeting [the difficulty — refused to remove from the land or to recognise the right of sale on the part of the other tribe.

mmmamammi^mmmmmmammmmimmmmmattvmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm • j As a further precaution against a renewal i of ill-feeling between the contending parties tlie Superintendent made the suspension of rents accruing from the Native Leases a condition of the arrangement with the Ngatiapa. To this thc other tribes also readily assented, and thus an 'clement of strife was temporarily got rid of; for the land in respect of which the rents were accruing being in dispute, the payment of rent to cither party would necessarily u disturb the existing urragement, ' and re-open the question of title. To ensure the fulfilment of this condition, the European tenants (i. e. run-holders) were warned that if they violated the agreement by paying any rent, pending the ultimate decision, proceedings would be instituted against them under the Native Land Purchase Ordinance. Thus then the whole question waa hung up, and the tribal irritation for the moment allayed. His Honor obtained from each tribe a promise that the peace should not be broken— threatened with armed interference any violation of this promise—and then left the feud to work its own I natural cure. Under this skilful treatment the sore that had so long festered in the very heart of the settled districts, gradually healed, and in the early part of September, the Ngatiraukawa and Rangitane made a formal peace with the Ngatiapa, and exchanged presents. This was soon followed by a determination on their side also to sell the disputed block to the Government, and it was in consequence of an intimation to this effect from the leading Ngatiraukawa Chiefs, and an invitation to meet them, that His Honor proceeded to the West Coast in the early part of this month. Having important business awaiting him at Wanganui, he arranged to proceed there on the completion of his mission on the Coast. Accordingly on the 12th of this month, Dr Featherston met eleven representative chiefs ofthe Ngatiraukawa and Rangitane tribes at the Lower I Ferry House on the Manawatu River where a number of natives and a few Europeans had assembled to witness the proceedings. The interview was a short one, as the business in hands was speedily transacted. Ihakara, one oAtke principal Ngatiraukawa Chiefs, and the reader of the late righting party, formally offered the block for sale to the Crown, subject to terms of price and the definition of Reserves. He stated that it would be premature to discuss tho terms at present, as the whole subject was still under deliberation — that their object in meeting the Queen's Commissioner was to be informed whether their offer of sale would be accepted. Tho other chiefs, in rotation, addressed the Superintendent, and each in few words endorsed the statements of the first speaker. The Superintendent replied at considerable length. He briefly sketched the history of the quarrel, — adverted to the various meetings at Rangitikei at which he had been present — reminded them of the promises they had not only made, but strictly fulfilled — congratulated them on the present satisfactory issue of events — and concluded by formally, on behalf of the Crown, accepting their offer of sale, subject to future terms. Hia Honor fully explained to them, however, that he could not conclude the transaction, till every member of both tribes had consented to the sale, and to the specific terms thereof; and that in hia negotiations for the block, the legitimate claims of the Ngatiapa would be rigidly respected and upheld. Ihakara afterwards, on behalf of the tribe, presented to his Honor a carved club, possessing some historical interest, as a token of their absolute consent to a surrender of the land. On the following day the Superintendent proceeded to Parewanui, (in Rangitikei) the head-quarters of the Ngatiapas. Here about 200 natives had assembled in the Runanga House and were waiting his arrival. The chief, Te Kepa, addressed his Honor to the effect that the people had not assembled " to talk but to listen " — that they ! had placed their dispute in his hands nearly twelve months before, — and had adhered to their promise, quietly and patiently to wait his decison. Dr Featherston, in reply, commended them for the strictly honorable manner in which they had fulfilled the conditions of their agreement : and then proceeded to give them a full and circumstantial account of what had passed at the Ngatiraukawa meeting on the previous day. He congratulated them on the favorable aspect the question had now assumed and the evident prospect of a speedy and satisfactory adjustment of the dispute by a mutual sale of the Block. Te Kepa, on behalf of the tribe, expressed satisfaction and an earnest hope that the negotiations would not be delayed for, said he, "The Ngatiapa are weary of waiting." After a short speech from Aperahama, tho Turakina chief, and a reply from tho Superintendent, the meeting dispersed. This concluded the business with these tribes and Dr Featherston proceeded at once to Wanganui, where he arrived on the 15th. It will be seen from the foregoing brief outline of the Rangitikei Land dispute and ofthe steps taken by the Superintendent over a period of nearly eighteen months, with a view to its peaceful solution, that a formidable difficulty has at length, under Dr Featherston's patient and skilful management, all but disappeared, and that now there is, for tho first time, some tangible prospect of a fine agricultural block of soveral hundred thousand acres being, ore long, acquired for European settlement.