G.-8.

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of the whole Island. They now rest with Sir George Grey and Tawhiao. I think now all we have to do is to settle with regard to those two. I remember the words of Grey in his telegram, that the Ngatiwhatuas were the tribe who brought the pakehas to Auckland. All I have to say is, that you should support Sir George Grey, and go with him to Te Kopua. Eramiha Paikea : I wish to refer to what Te Keene said about the requests of the old chiefs who have passed away, but which have now been revived. Their words are still binding. There have never been any troubles since they passed away. The words of Governor Browne were, that the Islaud was not to be stained with blood ; but that word was broken. It has been said that Ngatiwhatua was the tribe that brought the pakehas to this part of the Island. There has never been any trouble since they were brought. I say that the money for the anchorage of the ships should be paid to the Maoris. All the beaches where wharves have been erected by the Maoris should be returned to us. The foreshores should all be given up to us. Another cause of trouble is the taxes of the Road Boards and County Councils. The authority of the Eoad Boards aud the County Councils over Maori lands should bo abolished. Now I have something to say regarding tho pheasants. I approve of what Paraone Ngaweke said about these birds. AYe should find out tho person who brought the pheasants to this Island. These birds have committed great destruction of the properties of Europeans and Maoris. I think it is wrong to issue licenses for shooting pigeons. The food for the pigeons is being destroyed by the pakeha, and now these birds subsist upon our cultivations. I thiuk tho promise of protection which the Queen made to us has passed away. Since I was a child I have always heard it said, " AVhip the child for his wrong-doing; but do not blame the innocent." The meeting was adjourned at 1.30, and reassembled at 2.30 p.m. Paul Tuhaere (reading the address of Governor Boweu to the Natives) : Now, listen. The Governors have still the same opinion of you, and their opinion will never change, because you commenced to do good for the whole Island in the beginning, and you have continued to do good. AYe wish to carry out the good rules we have established, and to benefit the whole Island. This will open up a way for us to do good, and to get our members into the Parliament with the Europeans. This runanga is not held for the purpose of removing those matters out of the Parliament, but to enlighten the Maoris in the management of their own affairs. If we continue to work energetically in future years we shall get what we want. Not that I wish you to go into tho European Parliament; but to continue to have a Parliament of our own. The cause of men going into the European Parliament is not for the sake of doing good, but to get money. Our work here is not to make money for ourselves. AYe do not want to do away with the European Parliament, but to suggest subjects for them to discuss, and to search out the grievances of the Maoris, so that the Parliament at AVellington may redress them ; also to find out the things that will do us good. You have this day brought up several subjects that will lead to good. Continue to-day with the same discussion, and to-morrow we will pass on to another subject. Arama Karaka :I am anxious to know now what we are to do. AYe had not finished the subjects we were discussing when we received the telegram from Grey and Sheehan. We must now decide definitely on some of these subjects that we have been discussing. Therefore, if any of us have any complaints to make, they should be made. Every mau has mentioned his own grievances. AVhen I have fiuished, then we will go into the contents of the telegram. The reason of my saying that the Government is acting wrongly in respect to the surveys and the purchase of lauds is, that the Government has brought the price of land down to 6d. per acre. I know that to be the case, because it ia the price that has been paid for my lands at the Kaipara, extending up to Wairoa. That was the price that was paid, though we objected to it. Since selling the land for 6d. an acre, I wanted to purchase back a portion of the land at the same price as I received ; but the Government asked me 10s. an acre for land for which they only gave 6d. to 7d. That is one of the evils for which I blame the Government. I think, it' tho Government get £1 an acre for the land they purchased from me, they should give me 10s. an acre and keep 10s. Friends, let us deal with this matter, and then consider the contents of the telegram. At the Parliament at Otamatea I said I did not approve of the Eoad Boards and the rates, and lam still opposed to paying taxes to Road Boards and County Councils. I am glad to hear that the matter has been brought up to-day by my younger brother. You have all heard what I havo said during tho last three days : now I wish you to study these matters, and make known your views. I feel that I have been imposed upon in regard to these lands. Tautari: I agree with what Arama Karaka has said. Although I have no lands of my own, I support your statement. Although I allowed the Governmeut to have all my lands, I will listen to what you have to say. AVhat has saved us Maoris is, in the first place, religion, and iv the second place, loyalty to the Queen. If it had not been for these two things we should not have been alive. You have only two masters—they are religion and the law. I have heard what Adam Clark said about the Road Boards, but Ido not know whether he is right or wrong. At Otamatea forty or fifty persons agreed to his statements. At that place they agreed to the Road Boards, but now they see that these things are wrong. There are a great many of us assembled here, but we do not keep to one subject, we keep wandering from one subject to another. That is the reason we do not arrive at anything definite. No doubt some are inclined to make long speeches when they ought to sit still and listen. Te Hakuene: It was Ngatiwhatua that brought tho pakeha from the Bay of Islands. It was Apihai, and Ihikiera, and Reweti who brought the pakehas thence. They brought the pakehas to AVaitemata. They allowed the pakehas to light their fires in the Waitemata. The smell of that fire was felt by the Natives of the whole Island. All the tribes assembled at AVaitemata. It was my fire that brought them all, and the fire of Governor Hobson. All the tribes got to hoar of it. I was living in darkness in the house of my ancestors, and though, perhaps, my body was living with the slaves, still my thoughts are clear. When the old men were passing away they left their words with us, " After we are gone bo kind to the Europeans." Ido not believe that the Governmeut are in the wrong. It is not right to say that the Government are treading upon the Maoris. The same law applies to both. If the Government does little for the Maoris, it does little for the Europeans also. If it was only the Maoris that were being trodden down by tho Government there would be cause for complaint. There are three schools which the Government have put up to enlighten vs —one at Orakei,