The Recent Trouble.

You thank the Government and myself for having tendered the advice we did to His Excellency the Governor to use the clemency of the Crown on behalf of those who had broken the law, and who are suffering in consequence of their misdeeds. Now, I will take you back to the time of the trouble. It was the most painful and anxious time I have had since I have been Minister of the Native race. With it there was a great responsibility thrown upon the Government and myself. A few misguided men might have been the cause of bloodshed and loss of life, and such injury to the Native race as could never have been repaired. Your ancestors had implicit faith in the Queen, their Mother. They had so much confidence in her that they placed in her hands their lives, their lands, and everything else that they possessed. The did this for protection, and were placed on the same footing as the Europeans. Your forefathers were quite right, for it is the strong power of the law which must be your protection. Parliament passes the laws, which are approved of by the Queen. The law for the protection of life and property is placed in the hands of the Government to administer, and this is your salvation. If it were not for the strong power of the low, the great majority, all powerful, would crush the minority. You are the minority. I therefore say to you in all sincerity, Look to the law for protection; see that the law is observed, and let there never again be any desire on the part of a foolish few to violate the law, for if the law is violated, the result might be the destruction of your race. You are only the remnant of a once powerful, ever noble, and hospitable race—one of the finest races that has ever existed and which has been protected by the British flag; and it is the earnest desire of the Government and of all in this country that the strong power of the law shall be used for your preservation. If, however, you break the law, how can you expect its aid to protect your lives and property? To-day there are only some forty thousand of your race in this country, whilst there are some seven hundred thousand white people. Speaking for the pakehas in New Zealand, I assure you that their desire is to help you, to succour you, and to preserve you. But you will weaken that desire if you break the law by threatening to destroy property and to take life. In this way trouble might be caused which would never be forgotten, and you would weaken that tie of love which exists between the two races. I said a few minutes ago that on learning there was danger of serious trouble I did not know of anything that I have had to do since I have been Native Minister which pained me so much, as to feel compelled to send an armed force here to see that law and order were maintained. I know that the Native chiefs, and that those who love the Native race who were here in the district at the time of the trouble, were just as much pained, just as much grieved, as I was; and I consider that this colony is deeply indebted to those chiefs who rushed to the spot where the trouble was to hold conference with the disaffected ones and to prevent serious trouble arising. Both races are deeply indebted to Mr. Hone Heke, Mr. Clendon (Stipendiary Magistrate), the Rev. Mr. Gittos, and to the chiefs and Europeans who by their wise counsel helped to stop what threatened to be serious trouble. I therefore take this opportunity of being in the district to thank them very sincerely on behalf of the Government for the services rendered to both races on that occasion. There were Native chiefs in other parts of the colony who sent communications, earnestly entreating those causing the trouble to abide by the law. Every power that they possessed was exercised to prevent serious trouble arising. Now I will take your memories back to a communication which was sent by me to the gathering at Waima. In this I said that the law must be observed—that those who had broken the law must submit to it, and that if they did this it would afterwards be a matter for the Government to decide as to when the punishment should end. They submitted to the law, and they have behaved themselves whilst confined in prison, and as there was a general wish on the part of their friends here, and as the Government have had the assurance that there will be no further trouble, and the law having been complied with, the Government considered that it would be a convenient opportunity at this great historic meeting, for the Governor, as the representative of Her Majesty the Queen, the law having been vindicated, to exercise the Royal clemency. The Government desired to let it be seen that there was no feeling whatever in the matter; and we further desired that your friends should be brought back to you in commemoration of this day. Now, to show you that the law is no respecter of persons, I desire to say that we punished the pakehas who had broken the law by selling arms to the Natives. Some of them were fined heavily. And one of them was put into gaol with those of your race who had broken the law. Those, who violate it, whether Europeans or Natives, must put up with page 76the consequences. The law must be maintained, no matter at what cost, because it is by upholding the law that we preserve your lives and property. When there was trouble in the minds of the Natives of this district, when they were pouri, certain business-men, knowing that to be the case, sold them firearms and ammunition. In my opinion, these Europeans deserved a more severe punishment than the Natives themselves. I will show you now how that action has injured other Natives in the colony. It was only a few years ago that the Government introduced a Bill into Parliament with the view of allowing the Natives to purchase arms and ammunition without restriction. Parliament did not then pass the Bill, but as things were going on peaceably, the time was not far distant when it would become law. Had it not been for the trouble of last year there would have been no restriction; but all that is now stopped, owing to the action of selling these arms, and the Natives throughout the whole colony are injured in consequence; the in innocent are made to suffer by the action of the selfish, ill-guided, and rash. Enough of this. The cloud that has hovered over you for some time has now passed away, and I hope it may never reappear and that you may live together, love each other, and assist each other as years roll on. Yesterday the Europeans deputationised me, asking the clemency for those who had violated the law in providing the Natives with firearms; they asked that, as the Natives had regained their liberty, the same clemency should be extended to the Europeans. My answer was that they should petition the Government. Let their petition go before the Judge, and let us know the particulars, so that we may know how far they were to blame in respect to giving means to the Natives to take life. On the result of that investigation will rest the decision of the Government. The European who helps the Natives and who assists to protect and guide them has my respect and love, and will receive every encouragement from me; but the European who poisons the minds of the Natives for his own purposes, and gives them means to break the law, will receive no mercy from me or my colleagues. There may, however, by exceptional cases, and it will be for us to deal fairly and impartially with them when the petitions come before us. In the meantime I wish to let you see that we are determined that Europeans shall keep the law, just as we are determined the Natives race shall do so. Enough of that. My heart was gladdened yesterday when I heard the statements come from the chiefs assembled that they and their people were determined to observe the law; that they loved the Queen, their mother; that they would do their best to preserve law and order, and that there would be peace between the two races. Those cheering words are still fresh in my ears. It was that pledge given in the light of day by your chiefs and the others assembled yesterday which had a good deal to do with the clemency of the Crown being exercised, and which resulted in the gates of the place in which your friends were confined being opened, and in your friends being restored to you. Always keep to that pledge which you gave yesterday in the presence of His Excellency Lord Ranfurly, the representative in this colony of your Mother the Queen. (Applause.)