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Tawhiao : I say the same. Mr. Ballance: I had intended to meet you at Whanganui, when you paid your visit there, but you went away too soon for me. You left the day before you intended, and I was unable to meet you. I hope you enjoyed your visit to England. lam very glad to hear from Major Te Wheoro that the people were very kind to you. Tawhiao: They were very kind indeed. It was not that they treated us well for one day only, but for continuous weeks. Mr. Ballance: So I have heard. It has given great satisfaction to the people of this colony. The Europeans, the people of England, are always hospitable to great chiefs when they leave this colony to pay a visit to the Mother-country. It is a strange country to you, but not to many of us. Taivhiao: They are very good people indeed. I have nothing good to say in favour of the soil, but the people are very good. They did not have anything bad to say to us. Mr. Ballance: The climate is not equal to that of New Zealand. You would not have such good health there as you have here. I suppose you have no wish to go back again. . Tawhiao: No; there is only one person of great importance that should go backwards and forwards, and that is the electric telegraph. Te Wheoro: I will speak to you with regard to certain matters that have been carried out since we went to England. One of them is in connection with your Act of Parliament for the Native race. My word to you is, to let it remain in abeyance. If, after consideration, we, the people, are led to discuss it and agree what are the things that would do us good, they should remain in the Act, and the other matters should be cut out. We would suggest certain things for our good to be inserted in the place of those that might be cut out; and, should there be any other Act for the benefit of the Native people that you intend to bring forward, we wish that you would circulate it amongst us first, in order that we might become acquainted with it, and that it may be carried out in the same way that I propose —that is if you have any Act to bring forward other than the one that is now passed. I consider that we will look with great pleasure upon this, because it shows you that the Natives are anxious to get done for them what will be for their benefit. There is another matter that I have to speak about. You were my Government during the time that I was in Parliament. I rendered you assistance; I was the opponent of the Government which has passed away. That is why I stand up to speak to you while you are here. lam your supporter. I therefore say to you—be careful how you manage matters concerning Kawhia. Do not let your management of Kawhia be carried out in the same way as Mr. Bryce's. Pay attention to this. I refer to this matter now because everybody is here to hear me. Now I wish you to notice if any of the Natives here rise in objection to what I have said. That is all. Taiuhiao : I wish that all laws should be carefully laid down, so that I can look at them and then tell you which I prefer. About the railway, I have heard it stated that the railway has been given up to you. It has been stated that the Ngatimaniapoto, those who are chiefs, have given it tip to you. Leave me the management of my land. Mr. Ballance said : Tawhiao, Major Te Wheoro, and friends ; I have great pleasure in meeting you here for the first time. I have long wished to meet Tawhiao and the other chiefs of the Waikato, and now my wish has been realized. I bring from the Government their friendly wishes and statements to the Native people, and give you all my assurance that the Government, one and all, wish the Natives all prosperity and happiness, and are prepared by every means in their power to bring about that result. The Government represent the whole of the people of New Zealand. They desire to rise to that high position of responsibility which has been placed upon them. Their wish is to make just laws which will not favour one person or one party more than another, but take all within their embrace. Differences of opinion may arise between us, but after we have consulted together lam perfectly sure none will remain. We will arrive at those conclusions which will be best for both races. The Government of which lam a member do not favour one race more than another. All are equal in the eyes of the law. Tawhiao has paid a visit to England, the place from which the European people have come. He has seen the greatness of that country, and what has pleased me more than anything else is the great kindness which has been shown to Tawhiao and his friends during his visit. It shows that our race wish well to the Native people. I only hope that the friendship will grow closer as time goes on, that all differences will be removed, and that the Native people will come to realize that the Government is their friend. I will now refer to Tawhiao's speech. His words are very good. He has asked that all the laws shall be so carefully prepared that he may look at them, and that he may have an opportunity of judging which to prefer. I thoroughly agree with that sentiment, and I will try as far as possible to carry out the wishes which Tawhiao has expressed. I think that all important laws, before they are made, should be submitted to the judgment and the discussion of the Native people ; and I shall take care that all Acts and laws shall be submitted to them before they are submitted to the Parliament. The Parliament of this colony is supreme and makes laws for both races. It is only right, therefore, that the people of both races should know what these laws are before they are put into force. I was very glad to hear Tawhiao say this, for it brings us together and tends to establish confidence by requiring that the laws under which you are to live and we Europeans are to live should be carefully discussed before they are passed by Parliament. Major Te Wheoro has had long experience of Parliament, and has in the past been of great assistance in making laws for the benefit of the Native people; and, although he is not a member of Parliament now, I shall be glad to see him during the next session, when we can discuss these questions together in Wellington. Major Te Wheoro has expressed his confidence in me and in the Government of which lam a member. We were of the same party when he was in the House, and went into the same lobby together—that is, voted on the same side ; and he rightly feels that that is some guarantee we shall be working together in the future. When men have worked cordially together in the past they are very likely to be united in the future, and I hope to be in a position to discuss these questions with Major Te Wheoro before they pass into law. Tawhiao and Te Wheoro both have referred to Kawhia, and they have asked that 4—G. 1.