A Start was then made for Te Whaiti

Which was reached at 5 p.m. The Premier received an enthusiastic reception, and a preliminary meeting was held at 8 p.m.

The first speaker was Tatu, who said,—Welcome the Premier, who comes in the name of our Most Gracious Majesty the Queen! Who has ever seen the Queen? We only see her as represented by her laws. Come to this place, the settlement of Te Whaiti! You see here the descendants of the people who made Te Whaiti a settlement. The leader of this place is absent, but nevertheless, come and visit the place! Come in company with Mr. Carroll, the member who was returned by us to represent our affairs in the great House of New Zealand; he who was sent to represent the Native people and advise what was for their good and reject that which was for their ill. This house we are in at the present time is called Roukiwi. I built this to conform to the laws of your Government. You instructed us to exercise the privilege of representation. I voted, page 77 we all voted, and this house was put up for that purpose. I have witnessed the evil which has befallen us through the survey. I have witnessed it befall the people outside of our circle. But at the present time I say to you, Welcome! bring here the new things that are created elsewhere; let us look at them. I greet you, the Government, especially for having come. If you have come here to bring salvation to the people, come! I repeat my greetings to you, the administrator of the law. We are also under the law. Sufficient!

Te Wharepapa said,—This is a time set apart wherein we offer our greetings to the Premier and his colleague. This place is Te Whaiti, and the hapu is Ngatiwhare. I have certain subjects to lay before you, but I would prefer doing so at eight o'clock to-morrow morning. At the present time I shall confine myself to welcoming the Premier. This is the first time you have been seen in person by the Native people. The Native people have never been able to originate anything to themselves out of which they could obtain benefit or salvation. Everything has come from you. Consequently we congratulate ourselves upon witnessing, for the first time, the presence of the Premier of the colony amongst us. We are thankful and rejoice at being able to meet the Premier face to face, and exchange words with him. All communications hitherto between us have been by letter, and you can understand the extreme pleasure we feel in having the head of the law in person here to join us and to speak to us. When I lay my subjects before you, I shall have the pleasure of hearing you reply in words, with your own voice. But let me offer you my welcome. Have you come to bring good to the Native people, or have you come to bring evil? If you are here to bring that which will be good for the Native people, come! I take it that you were inspired to make this visit, to come among the Native people, and I only hope and trust that your present visit will be productive of good to the Native race. My address to you is now ended.

Kereama said,—It is a law with the Maori people to welcome those who visit them. My heart is full of gladness at seeing you in person. Salutations to you all! It is well that we should exchange greetings. The people you see now are the Ngatiwhare, who are living in their settlement at Te Whaiti. Welcome the Premier, bringing with you that which will put life into the Ngatiwhare! Hitherto it has only been through the ears that we have known you. Now we see you with our eyes, and that is a token that you have come to save us. Welcome because these people—the Ngatiwhare—have not yet seen salvation. They do not know even yet whether they are alive or dead. Therefore we hail with delight your visit to Te Whaiti, that the Ngatiwhare may see you, and that you may see them. I do not suppose we shall have another opportunity of seeing you. We may not again have such an opportunity. On leaving here you may vanish from us for all time. So we take this opportunity of inviting you not only to our place, but to request that you will put us in possession of what will be for our welfare. It would be well if it were possible that, having once broken the ice, you should repeat your visit. To-morrow you will be hidden from our view; you will be on your way to Ruatahuna. Tuhoe is there. Salutations to you all!

Wharehuia said,—Although I addressed you at Galatea, I have followed you to this place, the end of my boundary, and now I am on my native heath. I greet you, Mr. Carroll, especially, as you bring me such a visitor as the Premier. Take him round and show him all our kaingas. Let him see us as we are; let him hear our thoughts as they are. Hence it is I am so glad you have brought our Premier to us. The Premier may have heard of such places as Te Whaiti, and of such people as the Ngatiwhare, but whatever he may have heard must now sink into oblivion, because he is here in person amongst us, and he can see and hear for himself. The Premier will have an opportunity of seeing Ruatahuna to-morrow, and its people, the Tuhoe—see them as he sees Te Whaiti and the Ngatiwhare to-day. I will not touch upon any business in the meantime, because this day has been pretty well occupied by the Ngatimanawa and others, who addressed themselves to the Premier. All I want to do is to discharge my duty and pay my respects on the present occasion to the Premier. To-morrow my utterances will be in connection with business. At eight o'clock to-morrow I will speak. You are a stranger here, and according to our laws we welcome you as we are doing. Of course, to carry our laws out in their entirety, we should have given you a loyal reception when the day favoured us, but it is night now, and night is more congenial to the movement of spirits. I welcome you both to these parts. You are the great monster we have heard of, and, like our monsters of old, you have ever been clothed in mystery. You have never been here before, and now you have seen Te Whaiti and its people. Your knowledge of them hitherto has been only by hearsay. But now you are hero you can see and judge for yourselves. I should not wonder but that the place and its people will form the subject of criticism by you. Come in love and friendship I You have dealt out love and kindness throughout the whole world. Under the rule that overshadowed us in the past it was darkness. We found the world dark, without love and friendship. The world is full of envy and hatred. It is you who can prevent the evils that beset the path of man. Do not forget your duty. The Government which you represent brought the light of civilisation amongst us, by which I can now sleep peacefully with my wife. I need not be on the alert lest the enemy should come to destroy me. In the old days, when our ancestors ruled, we were perpetually on our guard; it was not safe for a man and his wife to page 78 live by themselves; you required to have a stronghold represented by numbers and force for protection. In the light of that power and civilisation which you both represent, and as you are here on this occasion, do justice to us, exercise your privilege, exercise the position that you hold, and extend the benefits of that power and civilisation to the uttermost parts of our territory and surroundings. I contend that you have been selfish, and have confined the benefits of civilisation to your own race; but you have found us out to-day, still in the same condition—as savages—as we were in under pur ancestors and forefathers. It is on account of that great and boundless love which has sprung from the power represented by you that I hail with satisfaction your coming here. I shall cease. I have said enough. (Song of welcome.)

Hiwawa Whataui said,—Although I met you, the Premier, at Galatea, I then met you socially and listened to your address at that place. Although I was pleased, that is not sufficient. I am now on my own ground, and I pay my respects to you. Welcome, Timi Kara! Take the Premier over the four corners of the kaianga. Salutations to the Premier and all of you I May you live long! You have come among your people: that is right. Come, see them, and hear them. The visit of a Premier to the Native districts and people was a thing unknown in the past. When Mr. Cadman visited certain districts in New Zealand, in some of these districts he was the first Minister they had seen; but you and your colleague Mr. Carroll have excelled that step, because you are the first Ministers to visit Te Whaiti. I can hardly find words adequate to convey to you my pleasure, and the gladness of my heart at the honour you have conferred upon us and this settlement by your visit. Come, O Premier I Come unto us who are weary and heavy-laden! Come and lighten our burdens! This is Te Whaiti, and it is the Ngatiwhare who are addressing you to-night. Our hearts have yearned over and over again for a sight of the Native Minister, for a sight of the Premier. Come and witness our troubles—we will lay them before you to-morrow. Treat them kindly; treat them justly. It will rest with you to consider the several matters we shall lay before you. Discard that which is bad, reject that which is unreasonable; but sift them, dissect them, and separate the good from the bad. I know you have travelled over many parts of this Island, and have seen many Native tribes who have placed their different projects before you. It is your duty to select those which are entitled to consideration and leave aside those which are not suitable for practical purposes. In my case I give you notice that I will not analyse—I will leave that for you to do; but I will lay everything that is in my mind before you, and you can make the selection. To-morrow I will keep nothing back; I will lay everything at your feet. I would have you understand that the occasion of your visit to these parts is one which gives extreme joy to us the rising generation, who have had greater opportunities than the older people of witnessing the advancing works of the Europeans. We the younger members of the tribe congratulate ourselves that your visit should have taken place during our time. We may profit by what you will give to us in time. There is a generally progressive movement among the rising generation of the Native people throughout all the districts in New Zealand in the direction of grasping the benefits of civilisation. They are brought more into contact with the Europeans, and are observant of the strides the European works are making in the present age, and the spirit of emulation is strong in their breasts. There is no need on my part to waste words in offering you my respects. Many speakers have given you their congratulations, and it is no use my travelling over the same ground. When the time is limited to one subject alone, and that subject is an interchange of compliments between us, it necessarily follows that the tribe is confined to a margin for talk. So I will bring my remarks to a close. But before I sit down I will address you in song. It is an old practice to season speech with song. (Song of welcome.)

The Premier: Ngatiwhare, greetings I greetings of the most friendly character. It has been left to the Ngatiwhare to give to my colleague and myself one of the kindliest welcomes we have received during our visit among the Native race. Though you are few in number, still, proportionately, your speeches this evening have been such as would reflect credit on the most intelligent and most learned among the pakehas. With no advantages, being simply children of nature, children residing in the forest, to speak as you have spoken, I, as a fellow-being, should be wanting in my duty to a noble race did I not express the very great pleasure I feel at the kind remarks that have been made; and when I heard my friend that met me at Galatea, when I heard his speech, I was very much impressed with it indeed. I felt that to some extent at Galatea I had done him an injustice, because I said time would not permit me to remain any longer there. But it is well, because when he came and spoke in his own home and among his own people, it lent greater weight, and it was much more pleasant to my ears than if I had heard him at Galatea, because at that time I was very anxious to get to my midday meal. But it seems that I am unfortunate, and doing an injustice to the older generation, because an injustice has been done to my aged friend here on my right. When I asked who he was Mr. Carroll said it was the same old man who was at Galatea. He has suffered because he is so much like the other old man in the corner. At the same time I know his words and those of his comrades at Te Whaiti were words of welcome and kindness to me. I am well repaid indeed for the fatigue of the journey from Galatea to Te Whaiti; but there are people who do you an injustice because they say the journey is much more difficult than I found it. page 79 They tell others that it is a much greater distance to come. Hence the injustice to Ngatiwhare and Te Whaiti. Now I have the honour, as you have stated, of being the first Minister that has come to this place and to see the Ngatiwhare and to speak to them as I do now, face to face. But I hope and trust I may not be the last; and though I am the first, I will endeavour to deal with matters in such a way that others will come and see you and hear you with pleasure, as I have listened to you to-night. You are, so you have said to-night, children of the forest, to some extent in darkness, and you seek to have light thrown upon you. You seek for information which you hope will be for the benefit of the Ngatiwhare. If I can in any way lighten your darkness—if I can in any way ease the burdens you have to carry—rest assured I shall do so, and it will be a labour of love. I am hero for the purpose of doing you good. I am seeing the Native race in all parts of the island; and before I commenced this trip—perhaps it was an inspiration—but whether it was or not, the sole object I had in view was to benefit the Native race. I have been fortunate in having the assistance of my colleague, Mr. Carroll, who has satisfactorily performed his duty to you. I tell you honestly, speaking man to man, irrespective of colour, it was honestly my one desire to benefit the Native race that made me undertake this journey. I would indeed be a bad man were I to come, as I have come here amongst you, partaking of your hospitality, sleeping, as I shall, under your roofs, did I intend any wrong to those who have treated me so well and so kindly. No; if I cannot do you good, I will do you no harm. Neither will I permit others to harm you. But I do feel confident that, after having met you as I am meeting you now,—after we have finished our business to-morrow, you will, as men having the interest of your wives and children and those whom you love most dearly in view, help me to arrange matters between us so that your position in this world will be improved. I speak plainly—I speak truthfully. I know that, talking of the older generations of the Native race, and speaking as the old man has spoken to-night, in former days you were always in dread, and were never sure but that the enemy might come amongst you, and you had to live together for mutual protection. There is always an uncertainty as regards life and property, and the children you love so well. That uncertainty has now been removed: that anxiety has gone, because you accept the protection of the Government, the law, and our Queen, who reigns over both races justly, fairly, and with love. I am her servant, and the chief adviser of her representative in New Zealand. The Governor, when I informed him of the journey I intended to undertake—when I told him the objects I had in view—wished me every success, and assured me he felt that, in doing what I proposed, I was doing it in the interest of both races, and that it would promote the welfare and prosperity of both. There are many great changes taking place. This is an age of progress. The circumstances are altering day by day. You in your isolation are prevented from knowing what is going on in the outside world. You have no opportunity of reading. There is no literature that can find its way amongst you. For you there is no possibility of visiting the large centres of population, and if you were to go there you would find yourselves strangers, and would scarcely recognise the surroundings. It is almost impossible that the older men could do this, but the younger generation probably have had an opportunity of seeing the larger centres; and when these younger men and women have this opportunity, and see the comforts, and the great strides that have been made, and see the surroundings of the pakeha, and even those of their own race, they will come back to Te Whaiti amazed with the scene. They would like to improve their position and the position of those they love, but all is darkness; they do not see how it is to be done or by what means, and their perplexity makes sadness come over them. They would like to better their position, and the surroundings of those they love, but they do not see how it can be done. Seeing that they are in doubt, seeing that all must be to some extent in doubt, if my coming here will help to remove that doubt, and show you how a brighter and happier future can be obtained, I say I shall be happy, and will try to remove that doubt with pleasure. Nothing would give me greater pleasure, while a Minister of the Crown, than to know that I had done something to promote the wellbeing of those who are here. Ministers go to the large centres, go to meetings where pakehas assemble by the thousand, and explain to them the position of the country, and what it is in the interest of the country to do by legislation and administration. The pakehas have their papers—two or three each day; they have a morning paper, an afternoon paper—perhaps two or three in one town. Each can read what is going on in the outside world. Notwithstanding this advantage. Ministers consider it advisable to see them and speak to them as I am speaking to you to-night. To be just, to be fair, how much more necessary is it that Ministers should meet the people who are isolated from the world, as you are here, to explain to them what is going on, and what concerns them. This in the past has not been done, and the fault lies with the Government, and I myself will take some share of the blame. Still, it is not too late. For the future we ought, so far as we can, to meet the Natives face to face, so that they can open their minds to us, and we can tell them what is best to be done in their interest. Since I have been round I can see that you are misjudged, and thereby wronged. The pakehas take up the position and say the Natives at the present time are doing a wrong to themselves, and a wrong to the country, and they throw the blame upon the Native race. But the fault lies with those who page 80 have never taken the trouble to ascertain directly from the Natives themselves what it is they want, and what would be best to do under those altered circumstances. The Native race does not know what to do. They are in doubt. They say, "We are in the dark; we are willing to do what is right. Show us the right thing to do, and we will help you. We do not want to injure the pakehas. What we want to do is to conserve our rights. We are the descendants of a noble people, and do not want to injure the pakeha. We do not want this, for we are afraid we will destroy our race. We only want to conserve our race, and that is why we are in the position we are in to-day." Still, as you have said here to me to-night, "Show us the way we should go; if you are here for good, you are doubly welcome; but let us know—give us the information we seek. You have knowledge, impart that knowledge to us. We are good people, teach us what is right so that we may do good to ourselves and our children." Since I have been through the country every one I have met has expressed the greatest pleasure at meeting me, and they gave my colleague and myself heartfelt thanks for coming amongst them to reason with them and show them what could be done to improve their position. As I have said before, if any of the pakehas had the land which belongs to you, they would be living in comfort on it, and would be a well-to-do, prosperous people. It is this doubt, this great uncertainty, the fact that you really do not know what a valuable possession you have got, that keeps you in the position you are now in. There are others who claim your lands, and there is no one to decide to whom they especially belong. In days gone by when any dispute arose you had a way of settling it which did not increase the numbers of the Native race. You took means of settling these matters in a way of your own; but that is done away with. You still live in a state of uncertainty. You are wealthy and do not know it, and it is this uncertainty that is destroying you. Now, the Government and myself—speaking to you as a friend—tell you that we are desirous of removing that uncertainty. We wish to give you that which belongs to you, and with it you shall do as you like. We will protect and maintain you in that position, and the day that uncertainty is removed, the day the Ngatiwhare know absolutely what belongs to them, that day will be as the dawn of prosperity upon the tribe. Your forefathers, looking a long distance ahead, looking into the future, considered that the time would arrive when this should be done. By the Treaty of Waitangi they laid it down that the Government was to do this for you, and the Government was to be your protector. They also foresaw that if their children were to be brought up in ignorance it would prove their curse. To prevent this ignorance obtaining, they stipulated that education should be given to the Native race. Ngatiwhare, you are rich. Are your children being brought up so that they can read and write? Can they write to their parents and tell them what is going on in the outside world, or are they going on in darkness so as not to be able to hold their own for want of education? Does the Ngatiwhare desire to remain with darkness overshadowing it, or do you want to receive the enlightenment of education which the Government is only too pleased to give to you? Does the Ngatiwhare desire still to remain isolated, with no means of communication with the outside world, or would it prefer to have roads so that the people may visit other places, and enjoy the benefits of what is going on throughout the colony? I speak to you as a parent would speak to his children, advising that which is in the interest of those that he loves. You must advance with the times; if you do not do so, and prepare for the day that is coming, disaster will overtake the Ngatiwhare. The pakeha, in order that his children can keep pace with the times, and that disaster may not overtake them, are spending in education for the children of this colony over £300,000 a year. Now, how is it possible for your offspring to compete fairly with people who are receiving the benefits of education and civilisation? You cannot have these benefits if education is not given to your children. By keeping your children in ignorance you are absolutely making them slaves—you are leading them into slavery. A parent who loves his children would not do this wilfully. The Native people love their children. You are not leading them into slavery wilfully, you are doing it in ignorance. If you had the means of communication to-morrow; if you were to grow maize and oats more than sufficient for your requirements; if you were to raise sheep or cattle, you have not children amongst you who could tell, when you sent your produce to market, and received the money for it, whether you had been treated honestly or not. Your children should be able to make out your accounts and see whether you are being dealt with fairly or not. If we were to send amongst you to-morrow books or papers to be read, which would show you what was going on in the outside world, how many are there of you who could read them, and get the united opinion of the Press of the colony? How pleasant it would be if the children were to sit and read to their parents and enlighten them where ignorance now reigns supreme. How pleasant it would be for the aged, your grandfathers and grandmothers, how pleasant it would be for them to have read to them, through the lips of their grandchildren, that the dreams of their early years were being realised, and the race was improving. But it is impossible as things are. They live in darkness and pass away without the light of true civilisation being communicated to them. You seek honestly, I know, to improve your condition, and even to-night, while we are amongst you, the greatest desire on your part would have been to have entertained us in a much more fitting condition than you have, but you have entertained us in the page 81 best way at your command. It is not that we have not been well received; on the contrary, we have had a kind and friendly reception, and have been well treated; but what I mean to say is, that your desire would have been to have received us in a different manner, but it is this uncertainty that prevents you. I am here to direct and advise you as to how you can improve your position. What is more than that, I am in a position to protect you against those who would do you wrong. What has fallen from your lips is now recorded; it is a matter of history. It will go forth to the world; it will go to the Queen. It will show to the outside world that you are not a people taking up a negative position, keeping back the colony, or injuring the pakehas. You want that doubt removed so that both races may prosper. The position that my friend and colleague, Mr. Carroll, and myself are placed in is, that there is an almost overwhelming pressure being brought to bear upon the Government. Some advocate extreme measures being taken towards the Native race, because, they say, you are taking up a negative position, and will not allow the Government to do anything for you. This pressure is becoming so great that I determined to see for myself, and place matters fairly before the world. (Laughter.) Well, it is no laughing matter. Do not treat it lightly. My words of warning should not be treated lightly. Treat them lightly, and do not give them consideration, and trouble must eventually overtake you. You are not aware, perhaps, that there are now in this colony six hundred thousand pakehas, while there are only forty thousand left of the Native race. The Native race is decreasing and the pakehas are increasing so rapidly that I have warned you of the dangers that beset you. Last year, I think, we had an increase of twenty thousand people. To-night you have wisely said that you will go into business to-morrow. I will then make matters plain to you, and, while I am doing so, you must open your minds to me, and keep nothing back. Though you may hurt my feelings, still, keep nothing back, let me know what is troubling you, what the mist is that enshrouds your minds; because it is only by dealing fairly, straightforwardly, and plainly that good can result. Your words to-night, so far, have conveyed a kind greeting. You have followed what has always been the custom of your race, to treat the stranger who comes into your midst with hospitality. I know that you are sincere in all you have said, and that you wish my colleague and myself well. Your words were pleasing, and the songs of welcome I shall ever remember with the greatest pleasure. I am a lover of song and music, and it is pleasing to me that in that respect you possess the accomplishment. In your so possessing it, it reflects great credit upon you. All the nations of the earth enjoy the pleasure of song and music; hence, when I heard your songs to-night I felt pleased indeed. I will conclude my words to-night by offering to one and all a kind and friendly greeting. Salutations! (Applause.)