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G.—3

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I bid you welcome to lift up that faith again. Do not think that the work will be done by your Parliament alone. Unless we here amongst ourselves can settle these things the Parliament will fail to accomplish it. This is all I will say to you at present. Matene te WhiwM (addressing Eewi) said: You and your European friend, Sir George Grey, invited us here, and by that means we see one another. What I have to say is that lam delighted at what Sir George Grey has uttered this day, and I am also delighted at what he said that you, Eewi, should assist him, and that all the chiefs, present and elsewhere, should help him and support him. I am very much pleased. That is all I have to say. Reici: You are glad at what Sir George Grey has said ; you are displeased at what I have said. What Sir George Grey has said is true. We are welded together as a piece of iron, and lam not going to separate the welding. Hon. Wi TaJco (holding a telegram in his hand) : I have received this wire. I see your name, Eewi, in it. Sir George Grey forwarded it to me. It says : " Manga (Eewi) wishes to see you at the end of Juno." This is the reason lam here to see you. The work must be done by the people. I began travelling from Wellington shortly after you had left Waikato. When you reached Mokau you gave me a heavy burden to carry, but here I am. I have heard what you have said. It is true that I was one of those who sinned through Waikato. Rewl interrupted, saying: Neither you nor I are to blame. Hon. Wi Tako : lam speaking of my own fault. It is true that I did sin as regards Waitara. I met Sir George Grey when he arrived from England. I spoke to him in Maori. I met him three times. We had a great dispute at that time. AV"e disputed bitterly respecting the Island. When our quarrel was finished I said that I would return to Wellington. Sir George Grey went off to Auckland to see the people of that placo. AVhen ho arrived at Auckland he went to see the people of Waikato. I have heard what took place at that meeting. He then came here to see the people of Ngamotu and the Europeans. I never saw him after that until the evil spread over New Zealand. Just as I was glad to meet you at Ngaruawahia, lam glad to meet you here to-day. I have nothing to say in addition to what Sir George Grey has already told you. He has spoken my sentiments. lam one of those who make the laws. liewi said : I brought my misfortunes upon myself. I heard your voice, and though I listened to it, yet my misfortune was of my own creating. I was one of the people who originated the common misfortune, and it is upon this account I asked Sir George Grey to come here. People have talked in all parts of the Island. You, Wi Tako, have done so ; but I did not listen to you. Although you gave the word to the people to stop fighting I never heard it. I did not believe your word about stopping the fighting, but allowed the whole country to suffer. lam here at Waitara to meet you and to devise a remedy to save it. Wi Parata said :lam a half-caste, but I cannot leave my people. I stand by the race to which my mother belongs. I rise to reply to what Eewi has said. 1 agree with what Eewi has said, that we should come to Waitara, where the troubles arose. The misfortunes did not end at Waitara, and we, Europeans and Natives, both got tired of fighting. If the cause of the evil had been seen at the starting there would have been no occasion now to bring Sir George Grey and Eewi face to face. I approve of what Sir George Grey and Rewi have said : that we should plant a tree here to-day from which shoots might be carried throughout the Island. We, the people of one end of the Island, where no trouble exists, arc anxious about the future. We ask, Is there to be peace, or will there again be troubles in the land ? To-morrow, when you meet, if your talk is clear, we shall not interfere; we shall listen and approve. It is because of the anxiety of mind under which we the people who have come from distant places have been suffering that we have come here to see you, and to assist in the settlement between yourself and Sir George Grey. That is all I have to say at the present time. Eewi said : This is a word of mine to you, Mete Kingi. No matter where you go, lam with you. I am speaking to you, Mete Kingi, personally, that the body may recognize the work of the spirit, that my soul may be at Waitara and prompt me. AVhen the body is dried up the soul wanders to seek ■what can be done for it. Karaitiana is the man who put the real truth before us about Waitara. His advice was, " Let the question about Waitara be investigated by the Court." I was a supporter at that time of Karaitiana, and urged him to be strong in pressing that demand; but ho was overpowered by numbers, and the stronger carried the day. I have come to carry out what Karaitiaua said in those days, and to admit its correctness in the presence of the people. Mete Kinqi said: It is well that we should come here to hear what yourself and Sir George Grey had to say. Wanganui said, " Let us go to Y/aitara and meet Eewi's spirit." The voice was in Waikato. Wo have come to get that soul to return to its body. Tho land has been lying soulless We have met here for the purpose of reinvesting it with the spirit. As to this talk about Waitara, you cannot clear a neglected cultivation of all its weeds in one day. It is for you and Sir George Grey to unlock your cases and let the people see the valuable articles that are inside. Paiaho, of Parihaka, rose to speak; but Eewi asked him to sit down, which he did. Bewi said: I will tell you why I told you to sit down. If you speak other replies will be made. I wish Karaitiana to speak. Karaitiana Takamoana, M-.H.E., said: Call to me, O Eewi, and mention the names of tho men of days gone by. In those days reasons sprang up for our visiting Waitara. lam not here solely for tho purpose of speaking about Waitara. Before the troubles began there was a meeting at which every tribe of the Island was represented. That meeting took place at Peria. The reason I have como is because lam doubtful of what is in store oven for my own person. My own people did not send me; the thought of coming was my own. When I reached Waikato I saw Wiremu Kingi, the man with whom began this trouble of Waitara. I was not afraid of the people of Waikato, of the large assemblage of people who were there gathered together. I over and over again besought Wiromu Kingi to hand Waitara over to me —to give me the disposal of it. When^l arrived at Peria I besought William Thompson to let me decide what was to bo done with Waitara. Previously to that I had met