LETTER FROM MAJOR TE WHEORO, M.H.R., TO THE SPEAKER, FORWARDING PROPOSALS FROM TAWHIAO.

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1882 Session I, G-04

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1882. NEW ZEALAND.

LETTER FROM MAJOR TE WHEORO, M.H.R., TO THE SPEAKER, FORWARDING PROPOSALS FROM TAWHIAO.

Laid on the Table with, the leave of the House, 26th May, 1882.

Sir,— Wellington, 24th May, 1882. This is a letter of mine to you enclosing a statement of the requests made by Tawhiao at the late King meeting at Whatiwhatihoe. I who write this to you am closely connected by descent with Tawhiao and the principal chiefs of his tribe. Nevertheless, when the war broke out in Waikato I and my people joined the Europeans, and fought under the mana of the Queen. After peace was restored I was appointed as the representative of the Government to the King Natives, and I only ceased to hold that position when I desired to become a member of the House of Eepresentatives. I went then to the meeting in those capacities —namely, as a member of the tribe and as a member of Parliament, and these words of Tawhiao were intrusted by him to me on those two accounts. It is for the Parliament to say what it may think about those words, but let them not be rejected lightly. Do not press too heavily upon Tawhiao and his people. Their land long ago paid the penalty for their sin. By meeting him frankly and in a generous spirit the good work for which we are all striving will be accomplished. It is with this object that I ask you to allow this paper to be laid upon the table, so that it may be printed and placed in the hands of all the members. The Hon. the Speaker of the From your friend, House of Eepresentatives. Major Te Wiieoeo.

Tena ea koe,— Poneke, Mci 21, 1882. Tenei taku reta ki a koe, tuku atu i te korero mo nga tono i puaki i a Tawhiao i te hui tata nei a te Kingi i tv ki Whatiwhatihoe. Ko au c tubi atu nei ki a koe he whauaunga tata no Tawhiao a ko au hoki tetahi o nga Bangitira nui o tera iwi. Otiia ite whawhaitanga i Waikato ko ahau me toku iwi i awhina i nga pakeha a i hapai patu matou i raro i te mana o Te Kuini. I muri i te maungarongo whakaturia ana au hei Kaiwhakahaere mo te Kawanatanga i runga i nga Maori o te taha Kingi. No te takiwa tonu i hiahia nei au kia tv hei mema mo te Paremete katahi ka mutu taua mahi aku. Na i haere au ki taua hui i runga i nga ahua c rua, ara ko au tonu tetahi o taua iwi, a he mema hoki au no te Paremete. Koi na te take i tukua mai ai c Tawhiao ona kupu ki au hei hari mai. Kei te Paremete te whakaaro mana ranei c korero i tona mahara mo runga i aua kupu pewhea ranei engari kaua te Paremete c titiro hanga noa iho ki aua kupu. Kaua c taimaha rawa te peehi i a Tawhiao me tona iwi no te mea kua rite noa atu i o ratou whenua te utu to ratou hara. Mehemea c haere ana te tika me te aroha i roto i nga whakahaere c whakahaerea atu ana mo te taha ki a ia katahi ka taea te mutunga pai c whai katoa nei tatou. Koia nei te take i tono atu ai au ki a koe kia tukua tenei pukapuka kia whakatakotoria ki runga kite teepu, me perehi rawa ka tuku ai ki nga mema katoa. Naku na tohoa, Te Tumuaki o te Whare Eunanga. Na Major Te Wheoeo.

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Tawhiao's Proposals. This was what Tawhiao said at the meeting at Whatiwhatihoe, and which he gave to Te Wheoro to bring before Parliament. He said, — " Let the work of surveys, let leasing, let sales, let the making of roads, and the Native Land Court in the district which belongs to me and the people of my tribes, be stopped for the present. Shortly they may be commenced, when the Parliament and the chiefs of our people have agreed upon some mutual basis of settlement between the Europeans and those people who, under me, are called the King party. " Secondly, I say let a Parliament meet in Auckland, so that when they assemble for their work they may be close to us, and that we may enter that Parliament ourselves and quietly discuss all matters in difference between us and the Europeans. " Thirdly, these words are mine. I deliver them to Te Wheoro, who is now present, for him to take to the Assembly on behalf of both races. " And these words of Tawhiao's were agreed to by all the chiefs and the people at the meeting."

Nga. Ktjptj a Tawhiao. Ko nga korero enei a Tawhiao i roto i te Hui i tv ki Whatiwhatihoe a ko enei korero i hoatu c Tawhiao ki aTe Wheoro mana c korero kite Paremete. I mea ia,— " Ko te ruri, ko te reti, ko te hoko, ko te mahi rori, me te Kooti Whakawa Whenua Maori o te Takiwa ki a matou ko nga rangatira me o matou iwi me mutu i naianei, taihoa ano c mahi, kia oti rano te whakarite c te Paremete me nga rangatira Maori o te taha ki oku iwi etahi tikanga hei whakahaere mo te taha ki nga pakeha me nga iwi i raro i au c kiia nei he Kiingi. " Tuarua, E ki ana au me tv he Paremete ki Akarana kia tata ai ki au me toku iwi ki a ahei ai tatou te uru ki taua Paremete hamu hamu tahi ai i runga i nga mea c rereke ana i waenganui i a tatou me nga pakeha. " Tuatoru, ko enei kupu aku ka hoatu ki a Te Wheoro i korei mana c mau kite Paremete mo nga iwi c rua. " Whakaaetia aua c nga Eangatira me te Hui katoa."

Authority : Geoege Didsbtjbt, Government Printer, Wellington. —1882.