1300 THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. [No. 83

Lastly, he refused to listen to proposals made in person by a Minister of the
Crown, and did so in a manner which could leave no doubt as to his intention
to resist the law.

His action has done great wrong to his own people, as well as to the
colony generally. Through his words, numbers of Natives are kept back from
obtaining lands which would otherwise be given to them; and numbers of
strangers, who never had any interest in the lands at Parihaka, are being brought
to Parihaka to the detriment of the people of that place.

Month after month, Natives are assembled from a distance. They are
making themselves poor by contributing to useless expenditure upon feasts which
take them away from their own homes; and they are led to neglect the cultiva-
tion of their own lands. At these meetings, Te Whiti has spoken in such a way
as to turn aside the people from listening to the proposals of the Government,
and the sound of his voice has unsettled the minds of the people. Recently his
words were such as to promote angry feelings and incite open resistance to the
law.

This was followed, in defiance of the law, and in spite of warnings by officers
of the Government, by the erection of fences on land not set apart for Natives;
and by Te Whiti's orders his followers assembled in such numbers and under such
circumstances as plainly to show their determination to resist the law when the
fences should be removed by order of the Government. Thus a great wrong is
being done to Natives as well as Europeans, and the confusion which the
Governor said must cease is still prevailing.

The language used by Te Whiti, and the threatening attitude assumed by his
followers, have caused apprehensions among the settlers, and compelled the
Government to incur great expense and to increase largely the numbers of the
Armed Constabulary.

The Commissioners rightly said, "A time must come when the offers and
promises of the Crown must either be accepted or refused once for all. No one
would pretend that Te Whiti may on his part keep the whole country-side in
turmoil and danger as long as he likes, and that the Government on its side
must be ready to redeem its promises whenever he chooses. If the Native
people are to have the promises fulfilled, the English settlers must have some
guarantee that they too shall have done with this long suspense, and may live
on their land in security and peace." These were the words of the Commissioners;
and the time has come for their fulfilment.

Te Whiti and his adherents must now accept the proposals of the Govern-
ment, or all that they might now have under these proposals will be beyond their
reach.

In the Parihaka Block, 25,000 acres on the Mountain side of the road are,
as recommended by the Commissioners, offered as an ample provision for the
Parihaka people, besides other reserves on the seaward side of the road. About
the latter, the Government has said that it was willing to consider the wishes the
Natives might lay before it. The Government now states plainly that these offers
will, after fourteen days, be withdrawn, unless, within that time, Te Whiti and his
adherents signify their acceptance of them, and their willingness to submit to the
law of the Queen and to bring their claims before the Commission. If they do so,
the recommendations of the Commissioners, and the promises made, will be
liberally interpreted and fulfilled. Should the Natives be so infatuated as to
disregard this warning, the Government will proceed to make roads throughout the
Parihaka Block, and to lay off lands for European occupation inland of the main
road.

The claims of such Natives, under previous promises, will then have passed
away, and none of them will be allowed to occupy lands in defiance of the law.

The Queen and the law must be supreme at Parihaka as well as elsewhere.

Te Whiti and his people are now called upon to accept the proposals made to
them, which would give large and ample reserves to the people. If they do not
do this, they alone will be responsible for the passing away from them for ever
of the lands which are still proffered by the Government, and for the great evil
which must fall on them.