E—No. 1«

TO NATIVE AFFAIRS.

Rangiawhia, Aktihata sth, 1857AVliakarongo mai c te runanga i Te Liia ko te take o tenei W ai«ta, o enei kupu he tono nakti ara he mea tv bit a hi, nn, ka kite nei tatou i ana kupu lie mea atu tenei nakii kia koutou c te runanga kia kalia kite hapai i to tatou kingi, kia tv ia hei pehi mo a tatou kino kia tika ai ta tatou whakapono. Eko ma kei wh. k rere koutou i a maua ko Tuhikilia, lieoi, mo ta Hare Reweti tenei i kimai «i ki nga runanga, kia hanga he whare mo nga runanga, kia nui, kin roa, kia pai, whakairo rawa, puhipuhi ra\vn kite keieru, te ingoa mo taua whare ko Aotearoa, na kua pai au ki taua whare kia mahia ki Ngnruawaliia. Kei nga runanga kutoa he pou, ka tarai au i tetebi pou maku, kua tuhituhi au kia Ngatihaua : kei nga ninanga k;.toa te tnarama hei aranga hei te »"iina hei te aha ranei. Kei te kaha o nga runanga te tikanga. Heoi ar.o. Nα lloani Papita. This open declaration of Potatau is more than I expected. I did not think that he would speak out so plainly. The Wbatawhata people had not answered the letter, and said they should not answer it. I told them it would be better to answer it, and say, " Let us alone —we are working, and do not want to be disturbed." As the matter now stands, Government cannot longer pretend ignorance of this movement. At the same time it would be highly injudicious for the Government to take any step which would appear to offer hostility to Potatau. He would appear as a martyr, and would find a powerful body ol supporters on that ground alone. He should, I think, be quietly spoken to, and the consequences of his ;;ct pointed out to him, and he should be told that his annual payments n ust be stopped if he perseveres in a step which embarasses the magistrates in their establishment of law, — by no m< ;ms alluding to it as of grave political moment. The i:lea of a king prevents very seducing pictures to the minds of the Natives. Nor can we regard the movement otherwise than with respect, for what i 9 it but the efforts of a people to establish a government for themselves, when they had found by long experience that the nominal heads refused to govern them. However, there is every thing to encourage us in our new plans, and difficulties must not deter us. When one reflects on the syncope in which Native matters have rested during the years following the depatture of Sir George Grey, and the objectless plan on which they were conducted even previously, we cannot expect to remove in a day difficulties which have been accumulating during a long process of postponement and temporizing. Looked over the land, and found a large piece of clear land, which they were willing at once to lay down in grass. They will write to the Governor. I sincerely trust that the Governor will be able to furnish seed at once. 1 suppose we have already between 100 and 200 acres ready for sowing, ai d this will be a nursery for seed for future years. V hen we urged Natives to get horses and carts, and cattle, and advanced money for the purpos.e, we again forgot to begin at the beginning , . The first necessity was to provide food for them. The Natives, when they had got the cattle and horses, found that they were obliged to turn them loose to find food. The cattle became wild and useless, the horses weak, and not to be found when wanted. The true beginning of all fanning is the possession of permanent pasture—that is the first and principal difficulty of Europeans —it has hitherto been the insuperable difficulty of the Maoris. Now they thoroughly comprehend the idea that I have laboured to instil into them, viz., the plan of sowing the old land, and every year adding a pip.cc to the grass land from the arable land, and ploughing continually new wild land for one or two years growth of cereals and roots. It will he a great disappointment now to them and to me if Government, from any cause, is unable tq advance seed—they cannot purchase themselves—they are miserably in debt, poorly clothed, and ill fed —their obligations press heavily on them —credit is much restricted. This latter is a good thing, but at present the people suffer under its operation. I have fully impressed upon all the people, that obedience to the law is the first necessity, otherwise hovt can sheep be preserved from dogs, stab, &c.; and in fact, they have to a great extent received the doctrine that law is the true foundation of prosperity and advancement of every description. Ido not ptopose to advance seed to a tribe, but so many tribes to an individual, accoiding to the size of the land he has got fenced in. This will be making a step towards the division of lands. The Whatawhata people seemed annoyed at a message they had received from the King party, either to join them, and surrender their lands to King, or leave them, and settle upon the territory ol the Queen. If they persist in conduct of this sort they will be creating difficulties. They also urged upon me the necessity of Government openly knowing their own friends, and discountenancing the Queen's enemies, for that the agitators were enemies to the Queen's supremacy, whatever they might say to the contrary, —that any applications for assistance from hostile tribes should be refused, —that the white men. managing their mills, &c, should be recalled, —and that they should be thus taught how utterly they are dependent upon the Governor for every thing. If these remarks are of no other value, they prove that tht Natives think the thing is a reality, and that the people are much in earnest in their "searches after truth" (to use their own word). lam often told that the Governor does not encourage the loyal people any more, than the disloyal. I explain that if any great difference were to be now made, direct ill feeling from the other side would rise against them, They say —No. Time will show. There were very few people at the settlement. A European came to me for advice; he was clothed in rags; the Natives told me he lived on convolvulus roots and potatoes. He seemed a very decent man, and the Maoiies spoke highly of him. He had contracted with them to saw timber for a mill; —the first payment, £60, had been due for 5 months, and not a shilling had been paid. Ue had had no money during all that time, and said he was nearly starving. His mate was unable to appear, as he iiad nothing left but a blanket. The tribe is Ngatingamuri, adherents of King, living at some distance, Jbut I directed the magistrates to exert themselves to procure a settlement. Poverty is a great nuisance. Jivery plough has its coulter worn out, and the ploughing consequently is wretched. They s»y they

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