Dinner at Hamilton. THE CONCILIATION.

Waikato Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2043, 11 August 1885, Page 3

Dinner at Hamilton. THE CONCILIATION.

At 2 o'clock yest»iday afternoon the ob htructirnihticindthon fnends, tothenuiubei of about 40, >-at (loAii to dinner m the Commercial Hotel, at tho mv it ition of Mt Jas. Stew.n t. Mr Stewart took the chair, and Mr Fallon the \ ice chair. M.ijoi Jiiokson, Mr Fra»cr, and Soigt.-Major McUovem were also piesent. Aftei the dinner h.id been disposed of, H.nmon.v I'at.ua quoted the woids of tlie chiet Willi.un Thompson about the good feeling that should exi-t between both races, and s lid th.it it was on account of these ttiniN tli.it they were enabled to meet togethci that d.iy and settle their differ ences amicably, and without lecomse to law. He hoped the Europeans and Maoris of Waikato would long live to settle their differences in this way. Mr Stewart said he was very glad to hear the words which the previous speaker had expressed. It was undoubtedly the best way to settle these matters, and he was very pleased that they had succeeded in aiming at an amicable understanding. He had great admiration for the forbearance which the Maoris had displayed under this provocation. Had it not been for the one bad act of cutting the pile, no disUu banco would have taken place. He belie\ed it would all have been settled amicably as it had been now. There had been .1 misunderstanding about the claim supposed to be made. The matter could now easily be put in the way of being settled by the aid of Mr Frazer,actmg for the whole tribe, and he (Mr Stewart) would be glad to assist in having the matter immediately settled, that the owners of the land might be satisfied for tho land that had been taken from them. He hoped the owners of tho laud would long live to enjoy the benefits this railway was going to give. Tuwhenua wished long life both to the Europeans and the Maoris. He thong'.t the Maoris should be the same as the Europeans, and that there should bo no difference whatever between the two races ; that the justice which was meted out to the Europeans should be meted out to the Mamia and vice versa. He know the Maoris, had strong feelings towatds the Pakehas, and the Pakehas towards the Maoris, but tho Lord ga\e them those feelings. Had the company even signified its willingness to pay the compensation when they spoke to them, there would hate been no trouble. They had received no notice whatever in reference to the compensation they were to receive. Their hearts were therefore very dark, and it was on that account that they got into this trouble about cutting the bridge. They wished Mr Stewart to understand that the trouble would not have occurred but for the fact that one of their children wah thrown off the bridge and was seriously injured. But it vv»s all over now, and they had agreed to let the matter rest. He agreed with Mr Stewart that they should very speedily settle the question of compensation. With reference to the gravel pit on tho hind he wished to speak, They desired that the gravel pit should be some distance away from wheie it was now fixed upon. He concluded by wishing long life to the Europeans. Mr Fallon said ho wished to convey his good wishes to the native*). He also wished to inform them that he was veiy soiiy that tins thing should have ciept up between them. In acting as he had, he was simply fulfilling his duty, which ho hid bound himself to the company to p'lform. Thetefore it was unreasonable for them to attach any bliune to him. He had never sought to quarrel with the natives ; on the contrary, he had always been on frijndly teiuis with them, and tried to cultivate theii friendship in every possible way. Thoy were wise in following the advice of that noble chief William Thompson. From that time forward anything he could do to assist the natives he would only be too happy to perform. As to tho boy who had been hurt, it was simply done in the hurry and excitement of the scuffle, but most certainty not with any intention of injuring him. When he wanted to make a fisrht it was not against women and boys, but against men. Ne|>e, one of tho natives who assiited in the hght, said he saw the biidge cut. Tho bridge was on his land. The tiouble aro>e through his not knowing whetliei he was hi get paid for that bridge being on his land. Mr Stewart had spoken to him about the matter. As to the £500 mentioned by Mr Stewart at that time, he had novel heard anything moie about it He had not said anything about the £~>oo. (Mr Stewait: Neither did I.) Tho whole trouble arose from the fact th.it they were kept in the dark as to tho tei ms upon which the line was to bu earned throrgh their land. As to what Mr Fallon had said about the boy, the whole thing hid been laid at rest. That boy was lying veiy ill in consequence of having been tin own off the bridge. Up to that tune he tiad not done anything about thfl bndgo. He had not laid hw hands on any European until that happened. But why should they talk about it now ? It was all over. Hare Penetito said that if they had undorstood each other as well at hr^t as they did then the troublo would not have happened. Let them all live peaceably together. Graham Tauwhare said if the commencement had been as then the trouble would not have taken place. The chief Tamahana had told them to have affection foi the Kuiopcan.s an well as for their fellow Miioiis. If they had been clear as to the intentions of the company to pay them compensation there would have been no trouble. He had told Mr Fallon to stop when he came to the bridge, but Mr Fallon lephed that he would not atop for him, and refened him to the company. Mr Stewart said with reference to what Tuwhenua had said about the gravel pit this was a very Rood time to speak about that. They were treating the Maoiis oxactly at they had treated the Etnopeans. There was another gravel pit on tho railway, and it belonged to Maclean's company, and that company did not wish them to go there, but they could not get it anywhere else and so they had to go there. If they had been able to get the gravel pit nearer to Mouinsville it would have saved them a great deal of rnonoy. The matter of tho compensation for the gravel pit could be settled in the same manner as the compensation of the land. As to the amount of compensation they were to get for the land he had never said anything at all about that. He had said nothing about £500 or any other num. But If the com. pensation was fixed by tho couit at that amount, that sum should be paid. The land had been taken by the law, and it was for the Maoris to make theii claim in tho usual legal manner, Penetito s.af'l he wax the first to taokle Mr Gallon about tho bridge. They had made peaoo by mutual understanding betwoen them. The trouble was in consequence of tho length of time that had elapsed between tho making of their claim and the company's satisfying it. Now let that matter do speedily arranged— what the c/impany was prepared to give them. He asked tnern fco take the gravel pit a little further along from his settlement to another poi'tion of his land. Ho could not agree to tho gravel being taken away

from liis settlement. He ahked them to go twenty chains finthor along fioni tho piebent <-ito. Mi Stow .ut siul he would moot Penetito on the giound .hkJ <co wh.it conl<l bo done (feoige Tiuiell said he beho\ed that the tumble of Tlnn-.rl.iy would only be the ine.nn of ejecting a settlement and bringing a bunt a concilntion between both patties, and he w.is now ple.isod to '■oo th.vt such w,i> the ci^e. He wished to s.vy tint >[i F.illon wain man who was possessed of tneiy \utue under veiy trying circumstances. Oh.u lotto Timihani asked that (4od miylit ])ie-erve both Mr F.illon and Mr Stow ait, and hoi old fnend Major Jnrkeon : she al-io wished to include Serpeant-M noi MclJovein. M.iytheLoid proservo them all, and niaintun tho (^llooll' law % and inny they all li\e under the lnfluonce of good King T.uvhiao. She ngieed with theiemaiks of Mr Stew 11 1 about the coinpens.ition for the land, gi.nel [>it, itc She would like to h.neit fiom the company what they really wished to do. Mr .Stewart said then cl.urn should be heaid, and the amount of compensation detei mined The meeting then teninnated.