"The Opuatia Disturbance.

"The first news he got on arrival at Te Kuiti was the news of the arrest of Natives at Opuatia for defiance of the law. It deeply pained him. At great discomfort he and his colleague were engaged in a mission in the interest of the Natives—strengthening the banks of the lake, in fact, while other Natives were digging trenches in those banks, thus undoing the good work. If lives had been lost at Opuatia, all the Natives of the colony would have been punished—not physically, but by distrust taking the place of feelings of friendship and goodwill between the races. Mr. Carroll and himself were labouring earnestly to promote the best interests of the Maoris, but occurrences such as he alluded to would tend to neutralise all their work. Kerei Kaihau and his associates had done the Native people more harm than had happened for years. When he (Mr. Seddon) told the Parliament how good and sensible and peaceful and progressive the Maoris were, the acts of Kerei Kaihau and his people would be thrown in his teeth. If the Native Parliament or Tawhiao had any power, why did they not prevent Kerei Kaihau and his associates acting as they had done, seeing that their interests were at stake? At any rate, an all-powerful Government had stepped in and the wrong-doers were now in custody. It was very satisfactory to him to receive their assurance that day that Kaihau's proceedings had been discountenanced by them. Were the Maoris degenerating? If not, why put forward their women to do wrong, while the men hide behind bushes? Was it because they were ashamed, or page 14 because they thought the punishment would be less severe for women? In that they were mistaken. With Europeans a stigma would be attached to the families of those who were sent to gaol. The same taint would attach to the families of Maoris sent to gaol. Therefore, let them not disgrace themselves by the cowardly conduct of inciting their women to do that for which they would be sent to gaol. Kaihau's action was more reprehensible seeing that he knew the Premier was approaching, and would listen to all grievances.