7

Q.—l

before you; some are dead, and some have fallen. You (the Government) are their successors. Your coming here has given pleasure to all the people, so that both races ■will bow down to you. I am loyal to the Queen, and have always been since 1862. You have now come here to make all matters right, that is why I wish to speak to you. You said both races are to be treated alike. The Maoris of this river have hitherto been governed by a Council, but you say now that both races are to come under one Government. I have nothing to say with regard to the law that you have already arranged. There are two people living here, one blind and the other can see ; a letter arrives for the blind man and also for the one that can see. The blind man could not read his, but handed it to the man who could see to read it to him. The man who could see added to the letter, and the blind man, believing the letter, agreed to the contents of it. The blind man represents the Maoris, the man who saw was the European, the letter written to them represents the law. I ask you to have the laws put into Maori so that the Maoris can understand them. I have heard that the books of the old laws have been lost. Whakaheirangi said : I salute you, Mr. Ballance, as the Minister who has accepted the invitation of the tribes of Wanganui. You came here on the 7th day of January. I have heard your speech. It has given me great pleasure. I will not greet you further, but go to the subject of the exterior boundaries. I have not seen any Europeans coma within the boundary for the purpose of stealing. If they did so I should arrest them and take away their property. My great desire is that the land owned by me within the exterior boundary should be surveyed. I cannot wait for the appointment of a Committee, because things might happen in the meantime. My land might be stolen. Te Peehi said : I salute you, Mr. Ballance, and thank you for coming here. I wish to speak upon a matter which you mentioned in your speech, namely, the road from Waimarino to Mangonui-a-te-ao. I was very pleased to hear you say that the road would be made. I only wish you to leave this matter in my hands, and allow me to go back to my people and discuss the matter with them. The reason I ask is that when the explorations were going on for the railway obstruction was shown, and I was instrumental in removing the obstruction. I think, therefore, that you should allow me to go back to my people and discuss this matter with them, and come here and let you know the result. That is all I have to speak to you about. Major Kemp produced a surveyor's theodolite and case of drawing instruments, and said : The Government has charge of surveys and of sales in conjunction with the Committees. I have come to the conclusion that, for the good of both races, they should induce a large population to settle in the country. Ido not think it would be a good thing for the country to be occupied by the sheep of large landholders. Ido not think it would be a good thing to have so many cattle running on large holdings either. Now that, in this new year, a new Ministry has come to us, I say that what we require is population. We want permanent settlers—Europeans to settle among us permanently. If the land is used for grazing purposes only, people will not remain here; they will go away to England and other places. This (the theodolite) was bought as a sign that I have kept within the law, and J am in favour of settlement, to show that I want the land to be covered with people—not with cattle or sheep. As you have carried out all my wishes, this is for you ; we will go and take the bearings together. You are the parents and these are the children ; and I hope that any differences that may occur will be dealt with by you and the Committees, and, if you cannot settle them satisfactorily, Ido not know what else can be done. I hope you will consider all the grievances that the people suffered during the late administration. I have nothing to do with Te Whiti. I turn to Europeans; this (touching the theodolite) is my European. I hope that you will not consent to any surveys or anything being done in lands except through the Committee. Hitherto it has been the practice for a private individual to have a survey made without the knowledge of the people— to have it made clandestinely. You can use the Committee to hurry matters on, and get the surveys made speedily. I hope you will not consider that the matters that have been brought before you are unimportant; they are matters concerning only the people here, not outsiders ; we consider them of great importance. With reference to the railway, I think that wherever there is a station erected a township should be laid off, and this should be managed by the Government and the Committee. No private speculator should be allowed to obtain land near the railway. The Government and the Committee should have the management of the lands near the railway. The Governor is the highest person in the place, and he should be at the head. I mentioned to you before that I thought that the Governor and the Commissioner should have charge of the country within five miles of the railway. I put five miles as the limit in case private speculators should step in and obtain land from the Maoris. All the matters of importance have been brought before you and satisfactorily settled this morning. It only now remains for me to repeat my request to you to have the road made from Banana to Murimotu. If the steamer goes up the river, another road could be made from Eetaruke across, and also one from Mangonui-a-te-ao; there are some very shallow places in the river above. With reference to prospecting, lam of opinion that it should go on. Ido not think that gold should be allowed to remain hidden in the ground. I think also that, wherever there is coal, it should be obtained, and that the timber of large totaras and other timber should be utilized. If there were gold here I should invite the Europeans to come and dig it as soon as possible. If Ngatai were here I should advise him to have the gold prospected for at once, or, if Eangitu were here, I should advise him so, too. I don't think that gold should be allowed to rot under. We should do all this in order to increase the prosperity of the Town of Wanganui. That is all I have to say. Here is my devil (the theodolite). Winiata said: I come from Manganui-a-te-ao, and I was one of those who assisted in getting the prospectors for the railway. The railway passes the settlement of Manganui-a-te-ao about five miles distant from it. It is quite true what you say that opposition was offered by a few persons in our locality to the railway and with regard to the road that you say you wish to make to Waimarino. I think, with the last speaker, who came from Manganui-a-te-ao, that the matter should be left to us ; we will discuss it with our people, and let you know our reply. That is all I have to say.