GK—4

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.