The Gisborne Standard AND COOK COUNTY GAZETTE Published every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday Morning. Tuesday, September 18, 1888. A COLORED TRIBUNE.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 197, 18 September 1888, Page 2

The Gisborne Standard AND COOK COUNTY GAZETTE Published every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday Morning.

Tuesday, September 18, 1888. A COLORED TRIBUNE.

Be just and tsar not; Let all the ends thou nim’st at be thy country’s, Thy God's, and truth's.

An incident which has lately occurred on the Coast, though in one sense trivial, opens up a very important question. That is, to what extent are the Native Committees to be allowed to exercise their powers, whether recognised or self asserted, over the different tribes? A short time ago two natives at Kawakawa were converted into Mormonism, and this being very objectionable to the other natives in the same district, they ordered the erring ones to renounce their newly-accepted faith or depart from the place. This the latter refused to do, and the Committee ordered them to be tied up, tor the purpose of intimidating them, end the first tying up having no affect the experiment was repeated, every care being taken to Prevent injury. The offence was of the ipildeff nature, but the principle involved will not admit of its being lightly disposed of, and the chief wl;o is responsible for the case under nqtiqe has previously been brought before a Court and cautioned. There is no doubt that these Committees are to be credited with the performance of an infinite amount of good. In many cases they set our European Courts a worthy example, and it must be acknowledged they are the means of saving the .country a great amount of expense. For iihese reasons we should be sorry to see their work interfered with in any way, unless it were found absolutely necessary to do so, and when complaint is made in the proper form it is impossible to ignore it. When matters b»ve gone so far it is dear there must be only

one Court of justice: all the native Committees must be subservient the lawfully constituted Court. In this case our sympathies are certainly with the Committee, because we have no patience with these Mormom fellows; but it is clear that when the legality of the edicts of the Native Committees come to be tested they must be pronounced valueless in point of law. Therefore if the Committeemen break the law in carrying out the sentences which they themselves have imposed they must be held personally responsible. On the information of those natives who feel aggrieved in this case a charge will be heard next month. Though, as stated, the offence is a trivial one, we attach much importance to the result.