1048 AUSTRALASIA ILLUSTRATED. 



promptly cut short the pleadings or the evidence, and gave his decision. In one case, 

 where his judgment was palpably wrong, the losing party expostulated after the sitting 

 of the Court, and explained the rest of his cause. Ti Oriori said he was very sorry 

 for him, but he never allowed a case to be re-heard. This chief apparently was not 

 troubled with what the French call la mauvaise hontc, for he was quite willing to act 

 as his own bailiff, and made himself very useful to Europeans by enforcing their claims 

 against natives in his own Court, recompensing himself for his trouble by charging a 

 commission on the amount recovered. 



Heteraka Nera, who held a court at Raglan, appears to have acted in much the same 

 way. Apart from this short-lived and rather comical juridical system, the Government 

 hardly made even a pretence of governing the natives. The Colonial Authorities shrank 

 from the cost of the undertaking all the revenues were required for the settlers' 

 purposes; and, on the other hand, the Imperial Government, thinking the cost of the 

 military establishment a sufficient contribution to the expense of managing the country, 

 urged that it had no funds to spare. Therefore the policy pursued was one of absten- 

 tion from purely native affairs. At the same time, by liberal distribution of blankets, 

 sugar, flour, and other European commodities, as well as by pensions, it endeavoured to 

 win over and attach the affections of the leading chiefs. This has passed into history as 

 " The Flour and Sugar Policy," and it is still disputed whether it worked more harm or 

 good. After a time it became matter of common reproach that turbulent and notoriously 

 hostile chiefs received more indulgences than those whose friendliness had never been doubted. 



All these things were conspiring to give form to the aspiration after unity and self- 

 government. Tribal wars had become so common that a thoughtful chief described them 

 as "a river of blood" flowing through the land. Drunkenness was increasing, despite 

 the strenuous efforts of the chiefs to check it. Wiremu Tamihana Tarapipipi (William 

 Thompson), head chief of the Ngatihaua, saved his tribe from demoralization only by 

 causing every European settled in his territory to sign a bond to pay one pound for 

 every Maori found drunk on his premises. 



Notwithstanding Matene te Whiwhi's failure to secure the definite acceptance of his 

 proposals in 1853, the movement rapidly progressed, and in May, 1854, another grand 

 runanga was convened to discuss it at Manawapou, in the country of the Ngatiruanui. 

 A council-hall was erected, one hundred and twenty feet long and thirty feet wide, with 

 two entrances, and it was called " Taiporohenui," or the finishing of the matter. There a 

 league for the preservation of native lands, similar to that at Taranaki, was formed, and 

 a tomahawk was passed round to signify that all would agree to put to death the 

 individual who should depart from its purpose. In 1856, Te Heu Heu summoned another 

 runanga, the French flag was hoisted, and several schemes for the maintenance of Maori 

 autonomy were discussed without any conclusive decision being arrived at, although it 

 was distinctly proposed thereat that Potatau te Wherowhero, the great chief of the 



Waikato tribe, should be king. At the beginning of 1857, an incident happened that 







quickly led up to a settlement of the course to be pursued. Wiremu Tamihana Tara- 

 pipipi, to whom reference has just been made, visited Auckland in order to see the 

 Governor, represent to him the lawless state of the country, urge the necessity of some 

 remedy, and obtain a promise that a European magistiate should be stationed at his 



