THE NATIVE MINISTER IN WAIKATO.

Waikato Times, Volume XXI, Issue 1780, 1 December 1883, Page 2

THE NATIVE MINISTER IN WAIKATO.

Meeting at Kihikihi between Mr Brycejand the Ngatimaniapotos.

[by tuleuuaph.— own HKPOurnu.J Ti; Aw.ujuru, Fiidny Night. At a meeting between Mr Bryco and t!»o Ngatimaniapotos at Hewi's house, Kilukilii, to-day, Mr Biyce (Tpeued tho pincuodinyn as follows :—: — (Greeting. T have heard ib is an old si\ing among Maoi is '" All trouble is caused by land and women.*' Wo h.i\ a nothing to do w ifch womtiii to-day. As for the trouble about land, that will not cr.no till tho title is ascertained. I hope that <it least one step will be taken to-day tow aids tho settlement of tntib trouble. /riu.s is not the til st time I hive expressed thisopiuiou to you. When I was heu> befoie it was uiged, and not unreasonably, that time should be allowed to discuss tho matter. Application for heai ing had been sent in at that tune, and more have hrvn sent in .since. Your petition to Parliament was got ii]), stating cei tain ledaoiis, and making ceitatn complaints which I thought had something in them, it was stated tli.it the Land Com t was not all that could be desired; speculators and companies were causing trouble. It was also desired to give tho Maoris power to enquire, into claims. That was a pioper coui.se, and so fai as possibly, the wishes of the petition were carried out ; the Native Lands Couit was inipuned and simplified ; lawyeis and agents have heeii excluded from the couit ; means ha\e also been ai ringed for committees to enquue. into titles. When you want a committee theie w ill be no difficulty in obtaining one. All difficulties aie howj lfiniH cd. The (-Joveinmont })iovidos inonryj foTTTn oys ; the law stop, land being ' bi ought before adjudication, with hea\ yj penalties for so doing. I told you on foi-» inei occasions I was willing to help you, and T have kept my woid. This is a lepicsontatave meeting of tho Ng.itinianiapoto, and thoie can be, no better tune for sending applications for lieaun» for the whole of your ten itoiy. 1 aduso you not to soil all the l.uul ; .sell a small poition, and in\est the mocoeds ; len>L Luge blucks, and keep suihcient for joniseb'cs to live on. I w ill undeitako to send two nidge-, to this di.tiict, to leiu.un twoyeais if necessjviy, ,md move about fio.n place to piaco. Now, that is loallv the sub|ect on which eveiytlnngtuius. Time is, of couise, exploia.tu.ii foi loads and lailways. As I told yon when 1 was horobefoio, what is being done is to seal oil for the best louttjs. Theiewas aUo anothoi and smaller subject, which 1 w ill inly allude to now because the Maoris attach some nnpoitanee to it I had 01 del ed a tug survey to be made when I was ,it Knit i last year. W.di.inui asked me to stop it, a.s the Manis did not understand iL T lonui asked the. same, so that the M.ions could discuss it. They will loinemlvn f did not leply, because it would have been said I agioed to what they asked because T was in a A Lion settlement, but when 1 leached Wailai.x 1 oideied it to stop until I came hero again. Ewi\ thing comes back to what I said at hist— m\ estimation of title Thoiefoie. 1 advise vm, tin NgatiiiMiuapoto-., to ha\e the titles im estimated ; that action will bo followed by tho appointment of committees to assist you. But it l.s mv duty to add one inoio leinaik by way of explanation, and bh.it i ', fcJi.it if v>ii rlocults to take this com so, well ; but it not, I cannot hold back the couit ,vi) lon^ei ; when people ask to' luue titles to land investigated to winch thi'y ha\e a claim, I lecoynise it is ioa-.on-ab'e, and it can bouolongoi delayed. You v. ill locogniso that I have .spoken plainlj to-day as i always do Wahanui : Mi Biyce spoke on many subjects, but though many they may be summed yip in one. I ha\o only unc woid to s,ty. Bi>co's woids ,ue clear; Tha\e agieod to vmi woids. t .shall lefei to one lemark you made about paying for sun oys Livvo th.it to mo, if 1 need assistance 1 \i ill go to }o\\. Let theie be only one sui\oy; when that is iinished make the subdivision surveys, so that each may know his own piece. L^t tho suuey bo an external one. That is all. Rewi Alaniapoto : In iepl\ to youi speech, 1 agiee with Wahanui in n-gaid to these niiittci s. T w ill in -.t dispatch Wahanui to iu.uk off the houudaucs If those fixed .vu collect, then the su,\oy can go on .ift'ji wauls when that is done, tliey can be hxed. We cm fuithei discus-, the m..ttei after the tiibal boundary is detei mined. The Mib-diMsion sui' oys cm go on aftoi-j' WMlds. Mi Bivco: ]t is veiy satisfactoiy to me to know you ha\o agieed to what I said. Now let me try to put your two hhoit speeches hi one oi two woids. I undoistand what you wish is that the tnbalf bound.uy should fn^tbe hxed; aftei thatj hhe sub-divisions. I see nothing to object to in tho pioposal, nor need thoio be much delay m completing that woik. I undeistand that >ou agiee with me that there bhould bo siib-di visions to the difioiont liapns of Ngatinianiapotos. Wo aiotheiofoie at one. It only lemains foi you to decide who w ill siyn the api)lications. As foi the (iiiestionof expense, my only leason foi speaking of that is to piuxont you falling into the hands of s]ieculatois. If you find the money youi solves .so much tho better. All 1 ha\o to add is that the woik should !v o \.podited, so that the hajms deshou- of living their titles pioxed may not bo delayed in doing so. Hopa To K'augianini said to Wahanui . Yom woids aio good, or I should not }).iy attention ou, or anyone else. lam an old man ; no one knows when I might fall oft my hoiso and Ik? killed ; my children would not know what to do after [ am gone. Had you taken a dilfeient position 1 would h.ue caniod (>ut my intention* (meaning to hcuo the, land .suneyod.) To Mi Biyco : J had nothing to do with companies'; F only spoke to Majoi Jackson on the mattoi. A.s all have agioed to the suu <ey, we can w oi k together, but must not, be like those who ha\e come to giief by the 1 action ot law^eis and companies' agent- [ have no opposition. AVo cm lefor back to the teinih of tho Queen's Tieaty of Waita'igi. Be moiciful to the Mam is, and maintain the principle" of the Treaty. Lot us all bi? a, one, Einopeins and Maoiis, so that we can lOsist a comnion enemy. ,> Wahanui said : liangiaiuni is right ; he has .said wo aio one. Do not agiee to the sui\ey asked for Kawhia. A poition of then land oveilaps oius ; lot each have his own piece. Mr I3i yce : I understand you to mean an answer to the application of Ngatilukairo.is. Yoiirieason is then land oncioachos on your claim. It will be foi you to cloteimiiie w heie the boundary is. The evidence of Wahainu and his fiionds will bo heaid, as well .'s others. Tho boundanes m that way will be fixed ; but 1 do not nuclei stand th.it he oi otheis should pre\ont them having tho claims decided by tho com t. That will be the means of having the boundary defined. The application of the Ngatinianiapotos will ho simultaneous with tho Ngatihikaiioa.s. Theie need be no difficulty in the inattei. Kowi : The Ngatinianiapotos and Ngatihikairoas aie one people; their inteiests should not clash. Let the matter between tlioin be defeired, and one survey made of the whole country. Mi Bryce : Tho vay I legaid the mattei is, the api)]ication you now piopnse to make will be consideied on the same footing as theiis. It doe» not matter by which application the boundaiy is fixed ; we want such an application as will enable us to decide the Ngatimanipoto boundary. Kewi : I would like the couit held at | Kihilohi, so that tho Maoris aud Euiopeans can be heaid. Taronioa : 1 agree with Manga and Wahanui. lam half N»atihikairoa, and half Ngatimaniapoto. The first application was fron) the foimer; the latter then joined issue. The Jfgatihikairoas will agree when they hear to-day's proceedings. Taonui : I wish to speak in oounection with Wahanui. Let there be only one survey sub-division, the tribal boundaiies auanged fiust. No other survey _ should tako place till authorised by the natives. A committee v. ill arrange all these mattei s. Mr Bryce : I understand there is one thing now to do, that is to ascertain tho boundaiy of the Ngatimaniapoto. This is sufficient to be done to-day. The sub-divi-sions among hapus can be left till another day. We all agree to this. It has been suggested to me that the Maoris may con-f sider the petition to Parliament for sufficient application. That is not the case. That was a document drawing public attention to the desire of the natives to have a fixed boundary. Application must be made in form to the court. JElewi : When Wahanui aud others return from the journey to fix the boundaries among themselves, the minds of the people jyill known, Those not willing for the survpy cay fee gufi^id* I 4° W* ?2& % the petition to. Parliament as Bgmglen| application. , Sfr'B. rye.6 : Ido not $hink i^ necessary, qy desirable jthafc- the "whwe^triqe Bbould^sim $a'os ßation '£ss** r &fffitjssh Mw

come forward and give evidence. Let us see how we are. We want the boundaries defined. How is it to bo done? It must be by formal application. Ido not think it possible a meeting can be got together more influential than this, that is of the Ngatim.imapotos. What you should do is to apply for yourselves, but forms of application in blank could be sent to other tribes. No doubt after hearing of to-day's proceedings all will agree. A chief, who was formerly an obstructionist, congratulated Wahamii and friends for their unanimity, als > Mr Bryce for hit> sti aightfonwu d dealing in the matter. Mr W. H. (iraoe : Listen, oh chiefs. What Mr Bryce says i-. true. If you put off agieeing to his teims you put off till an owl day If the old men die, knowledge dies with them, and the children will be in confusion, and not know anything about then claims. There, aie hawks flying about, •md wl'un a hawk see* a living animal he \\ ill not attack, but if he sees a carcase he will feed on it. If you do not agree to Mi Bryce's proposals your children, when you die, will b° as encases. The hawks will pounce on thorn, and devour them as food. I s iv. Coino to teims thi.s day. Mr Bryce : What Wahanui says about the sub-division's i.s good, but the matter before us is external suiveys. Let us stick to this point. Nevei mind about Ngatihika.iloas and other matters ; what we want is to get this work done. Let three or four of you sign an application to got it done. liewi : It is proposed that we sign at once. Mr Bryce : Yes. Ilewi • If it. is decided that we sign an application for a poi binn of the laud about hoi c, if there is no dispute among ourselves as to the ownership, it is good. Mr Bryce : f recommend that the matter of the siu'vey be an.inged bv a few of the chief-., and would loconvmend the following five :— Wahamii, Kowi, Taonui, Wharo, 111)1)1, Te Kangiamni. Wahamii : Let it remiin ; give us time to consider over it ; come and see us to-morrow morning. Mi Biyce: I agi ra to this. I would not have been heie, but that I heaid all had bai»n settled. lam quite willing that you should talk matter over among yourselves. The meeting then ended