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opinion in all parts of the Island with regard to these questions before we proceed to deal with them. It is my intention to visit the people in the various parts of the Island, when these subjects will be brought before them, seeing that our desire is to be guided largely jay the opinion of the people themselves. I have done for the present. Major Kemp said : I arise to express on behalf of the meeting the pleasure afforded us by your speech, and also to ask you to have a road made from here to Murimotu, a distance of about twentyfive miles, and then without any difficulty a steamer could bring up the material for the railway, iron and so forth, and it could be taken over from here to Murimotu. This road would benefit another settlement as well as this one, a settlement called Iruharama, about three miles distant. As far as Te Whiti is concerned there is no fear that I will ever join with him. I tell you, as I told Mr. Bryce before, that I would never have anything to do with him. With regard to the King, before they left for England, Topia came to me and asked me about their visit, and I said, " Well, your visit will have no result whatever, because a Government has been given to this Island by the Queen, and to that Government you will have to refer." The Ngapuhis also came round and asked me to sign a petition. Almost every one in other places had signed the petition; they came here, but we refused to sign. There were two parties who went to England, the Ngapuhirepresentatives and Tawhiao. I said with regard to the Ngapuhi representatives that went home to England that their visit would have no result. I told them that their proper process was for the whole of the people of the land to apply to the Government of New Zealand and get their support and assistance, and that might have some effect. As it is, neither of their missions has been successful. With reference to the taking of land on each side of the railway for a distance of five miles, that was an idea of mine. I have thought that the land along the railway, as soon as it became valuable, would be obtained by speculators who would get it away from the Maoris, and it would be better if it were placed in the hands of the Government, together with a Committee. I think that the Committee should be the child of the Government, and the Government should be in the place of a parent. They could have full management of all sales and leases. It has always been said that the Governor was the protector of the colony and the protector of the people. Ido not think that it would be good to leave the management of the lands with the Committees alone. Ido not think that they would be able to carry it out properly, but I think that they should be assisted by the Government and the law, in case they allow lands to be alienated altogether. If the Government and the Committee carry on the management together, whenever the Committee desired to sell the land the Government could carry out the details, but I do not think it would be advisable to leave the management with the Maoris only. I am afraid if it is left to a Board of Maoris that they might be influenced by payments of money —they might be bribed, in fact —and by that means large speculators would get hold of the land, and they would reap the benefit of its being cut up again and sold in small blocks. I have always endeavoured to keep my people and my lands within the law. I have never listened to Te Whiti or any one else. This colony has been branded with the brand of the Queen, and who can wash off the brand. It has been said that the children of Japhet shall enter into the tents of Shem. With regard to the steamer, if- I were a man of means I would certainly pay half the cost of the steamer, but, as I am a poor man, I shall have to leave it to the company. I never allow myself to be influenced by any other Maoris. Every one joined the King ; I held myself aloof from him. Whenever they have come to me I have received them with suspicion ; I never say to them that they are doing w Trong ; I just keep my thoughts to myself. If the King were to come to speak to me I should simply look at him; I reserve what I have to say for my people only, and for the Government. I only contend with the Government, and if you say that the land is not to be cut up into small blocks, but is to be sold as it has been hitherto, I should have nothing to say; but you agree with me that the land should be cut up and sold in small quantities for the benefit of the people. As an -illustration of the necessity for a road between here and Murimotu, I may say that the Murimotu land is mine, and the wool produced at Murimotu is all taken via Napier, whereas if there were a road this way it would all come down here, and be taken in the steamer to Wanganui. I will give every assistance to the steamer, and if there is any obstruction I shall do my best to overcome it, and I have no reason to believe that I shall not be successful. Hakaria. (a Koriniti chief) said : With regard to the steamer, this is for you (Kemp) and your people. I have nothing to do with it. What I want is the railway. I should like to see the railway commenced at Marton as soon as possible. I am interested in the Te Kopua Block—that is, in a portion of it. I will go on to Te Kopua Block and wait there until the railway is made as far as that from Marton. Poari Kuramate said: You, Hakaria, have obtained your wish because the railway has been commenced. I wish now to thank the Minister for coming here to listen to what we have to say. Hitherto our thoughts remained in ourselves. We have not had an opportunity of expressing them. You (Mr. Ballance) have said that you think it best for the people themselves to manage their land. I think it would be best for the Committee to deal with the questions of title to land or any disputes that may take place between the people. This is what I have always tried to impress on the people whenever any difficulties occur. With regard to the lands along the railway, I think that they should be surveyed as soon as possible, and after that further arrangements may be made with regard to their management. The present Native Committee is a Committee for the whole people, and not to deal with private interests. It has been appointed under the Native Committees Act, and lam Chairman. With regard to the Treaty of Waitangi, five hundred Natives of this Island tendered their submission to the Queen at the time the treaty was made. I think that the Treaty of Waitangi has been fully carried out. The Queen promised reserves, and to the chiefs their chieftainships and the rights to their land, and they have always had them. Hoi said she simply stood up to say that when Hakaria was going to Te Kopua to wait for the railway she was going there too. Bini (a Jerusalem chief) said : There have been many Governments, but none have come here