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should not reproach us with your wrongs or grievances. Salutations to you, the Chairman of this Parliament. I approve of your remarks. The reason these meetings are held is, that you have adopted European laws. I am glad that lam permitted to take part in this discussion about our future welfare. I greatly approve of the work of the Ngatiwhatua. I should be glad if this Parliament were to succeed in getting back the Native mana over the fisheries of the Island. Some of these subjects were discussed at other meetings in the North. I shall adhere to the Queen for ever. That is all I have to say. Te Tatana: I salute you, the Chairman of this meeting, and the people here assembled. I agree with what my son who stood up here said. AYe were not aware of it wheu we were invited hither. AVhen we got out into mid-ocean we saw the waves, and we were afraid of the canoe being upset. We did not know which way to go —whether to turn back or to go on. I shall not speak against the ministers of the Gospel, nor against the Treaty of AVaitaugi. These are a long way behind. These are things that happened years ago. Nor will I speak against the Queen and the Governor. But perhaps I shall say something against the Native chiefs. The Native chiefs were themselves the cause of the trouble that has been brought upon us. The Government acted rightly when they appointed magistrates. It was after that that trouble came upon us. It is through selling blocks of 6,000 acres and 10,000 acres that trouble has come upon us. Therefore, my friends, I do not perceive any way of getting these grievances redressed. AVho is the person who has had his land returned to him ? If any person has a good claim to land he ought to get it. By the Treaty of AVaitangi the lands, and fisheries, and forests were guaranteed to the Maoris; but you do not possess these rights now. But now we had better wait in order to see what Sir George Grey and Mr. Sheehan will do for us during the forthcoming days. lam of opinion that we should retain all the lands we now possess. Let us cease to sell any more, so that we may be at liberty to look into the grievances of which you now speak, and that we may have a place to rest our table upou. Kiwaro te Rongo (Ngatiwhatua): lam from Babylon, Kaipara. I stand up to support what Ngakuru has said. The troubles that have come upon the Island have not been caused by the Treaty of AVaitangi or by the agreement at Kohimarama. They gave protection to the lives of the people and the land. The troubles about land were caused by the Maoris themselves. They were caused by the former Government and by tho Maori chiefs. AVhen the Queen granted her protection to the people of New Zealand she did not take the laud from us. The desire to sell the land came from the Natives. It was not the Queen that deprived the people of the mana over their lands. The desire for surveys came from the owners. I still retain my lands under the old mana of my ancestors. It was ascertained by a trigonometrical survey that the laud contained 7,000 acres; and I intend to retain that land for myself and my descendants for ever. But I also have a grievance against the Queen and the Government, if the Chairman will allow me to explain it. [Paul iutimated that the speaker was at liberty to proceed.] There is a piece of land in which I am interested, containing 3,300 acres, for which the Government only gave £300. The money was paid first, and the survey was made afterwards. Mr. Sheehan was present in Auckland when we were negotiating for the sale of that land. AVhen the money was paid, I stood up before Mr. Kemp and Mr. Preece, but I did not get satisfaction. The Government officer who first entered into negotiations for the purchase of that land was Mr. Nelson. I am desirous now that Mr. Sheehau and Sir George Grey should redress that grievance. Paitaki: 1 agree with a portion of Te Hemara's speech, iv regard to the missionaries having commeuced the trouble. They were sent here by the Queen. They brought the Gospel into this country. AVhen they reached this country people turned to worship God. The missionaries then meddled with the land ; and, as they were sent by the Queen, she is responsible. The Chairman has invited us to state our grievances, and to discuss the causes of them. I say the Queen was the cause of the misfortunes that came upon this Island, because she is above the missionaries. The Queen asked the people of this Island to cede the sovereignty to her—-that the Maoris should submit to her—■ and the chiefs assented. After this the Queen exposed to our view all the pretty things, and we were so pleased that we gave her our land as payment. That was the cause of our land going. These things were shown to our fathers and forefathers. They were iron pots, spades, axes, needles, and pipes. Our lands were sold for these things. Our lands are now paid for with the Queen's head. Now we see the wrong by which trouble came upon us in days past. There is a block of land at Piako belongiug to me —Ngatipaoa. Waata Tipa was the principal owner of that land; and I am also one of the persons interested. A portion of that land was purchased by the Government, including those portions which belonged to me, and the mana of the Government now extends over them. I say, let the mana of the Government be on their piece, and my own mana be over mine. I should like this to be made known to the Parliament. I object to this law of the Government, and I object to their mana over my land. AVith reference to the Parliament which is held at Wellington, I have decided not to vote for any more members. The Queen is the cause of all these troubles ; hence these laws are made over the land owned by Natives. Listen, all the people here assembled. Do not elect auy more members. Let our elections be iv connection with such meetings as this, because all the members we have sent to Parliament have brought trouble upon us. The Government has never shown any love to us from the commencement up to the present time. Te Otene : Salutations to you. I intend to support the Treaty of Waitangi. The Government was not the cause of the troubles, nor the missionaries. The New Zealanders themselves were the cause of the troubles which have been brought upou us. The Maoris themselves committed wrong. The Maoris scaled this fish, New Zealand. It was not the pakehas. The Maoris scaled the fish by selling the land to the pakehas. You see me. lam an old man. Ido not pay road rates. I would not pay mortgages. I shall have nothing to do with the Courts, but I will come to meetings like this. I hope I shall die under the shadow of the Queen. Tamihana : I think those people who spoke yesterday should not speak to-day. Paul, you are the person who erected this building. lam pleased that you have done so for the purpose of seeking redress for the widow, or life for the orphan aud the destitute. The conclusion we have arrived at in reference to the first subject —viz., the Treaty of AVaitangi —is, that the benefits at present enjoyed by the people of this island emanated from that treaty, because it was made during the time of peace.