The Native Minister and Te Kooti.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume IV, Issue 591, 7 April 1891, Page 2

The Native Minister and Te Kooti.

A BEGGAR’S WHINE FROM THE OLD EX-BEBEL. PRONOUNCED OPINION BY’ THE MINISTER. TE KOOTI SAYS “NEVER AGAIN.’ 1 (SPECIAL TO THE STANDARD,) Auckland, last night. An interview took place between the Native Minister and Te Kooti at Otorohanga. Te Kooti, in applying for some land, said :— The only thing in which I trampled on the mana of the Queen was my persisting in going to Gisborne, but I did not intend to trample on the Queen’s authority, or know that I was breaking the law by going to Gisborne, Jealous Maoris and Europeans of Gisborne charged me with having arms in my possession on that journey. That was only an invention of their ill feeling. I had given up my arms to Mr Mitohelson and Mr Lewis and told them that all I would carry for my protection in future was the law and authority of the Queen. In all our movements since then I have never carried arms, but always trusted my protection to the laws and mana of the Q ueen. The Native Minister replied:—At the time of your journey to Gisborne, and when I had no idea of becoming Native Minister, I told my constituents that I did not think you had been altogether fairly treated by being imprisoned. Personally I have respect for any chief who sticks up for his tribe and his friends, and the fact that he has formerly fought against us does not weigh with me. I have more respect for one who fights for what he thinks is right, than for one who is a sneak, and who crawls to you. That is my opinion as a private individual. As Minister I look upon a Po;erty Bay visit in this light, not from fear of you or of your arms, or of your breaking the law yourself, but from the fear of the Europeans breaking the law. It would be the duty cf the Government to prevent such a thing coming about, To illustrate what I mean, I may tell you that .lime I have been Native Minister I have had applications from Europeaus to enter the Uriwera country to prospect for gold. The natives bold strong opinions about prospecting, in the same way as the Gieborne people hold strong opinions about you. Government have really no more power to prevent prospectors from going into tbe Uriwera country than they had to prevent you gojng to Qisborne, but I have distinctly refused to allow prospectors to go there, aud if they were to persist in going there I should stop them. I should do this to prevent trouble arising, tbe law being broken, and perhaps both natives and Europeans being punished. I look upon your visit to Gisborne in the same light While you have the same right as anyone elsp to go to Gisborne, your going there would cause trouble, and should occasion arts. I should feel it my duty a. Minister to prevent that trouble. Te Kooti i I will now give up all thought of going to Gisborne, out of respeot for the wishes of the Government, As regards the Tuehoe (Uriwera) people, I am the person that has the tying up of that district, I bare always told them to bo careful not to commit any wrong on Eluropeaus, There two things objected to by that. people, surveys and gol<J prospecting. I am very P'eased to hear you say that you have refused to allow gold prospectors to go into that country.