CoLENSO. — Ofi the Maori Maces of New Zealand. 4i21 



II. Heal : Active. 



9. The present miscHevous and costly system of " Civil Commissioners " 

 must be immediately abandoned. Tbe Maori well know it to be an office of 

 es2)iona^e. 



10. The present objectionable system of bribing Maoris (derided among 

 themselves) with gifts and with, salaries for work never performed, must 

 be wholly thrown aside. It is directly opposed to the genius of the people, 

 as it is to their advancement, and is the cause of much bad feeling and 

 jealousy. Until this is done, their suspicions and distrust will never be 

 really less. 



11. One strict, equal, but lenient law for them as for Europeans, in the 

 one Court in all European districts. 



12. Grood, useful, zealous, loving men, to be stationed as Eesident Magis- 

 trates in purely native districts — men whom the natives could love, obey, 

 respect, and work with. Such to be obtained from England, if not to be 

 found in the colony. 



13. Such magistrates to itinerate throughout their districts, say, four 

 times a year, to hold their simple Courts at the principal villages of the 

 sub-tribes ; to act in co-operation with the head or heads of the tribe 

 (not, as now, with assuming inferior chiefs and pert loquacious young- 

 sters) ; and to get reparation for almost all Maori offences, by fines 

 judiciously inflicted. Such a mode of proceeding falls in with the genius 

 of the people, is just and Christian, and is not costly. Their errors 

 among themselves should be dealt gently with ; a spirit of love and for- 

 giveness (alas ! foreign to our laws) should be inculcated. Insult not their 

 prejudices. 



14. The authority of the oldest head chief of a tribe or sub-tribe should 

 be firmly but steadily supported. 



15. Maori views — modes of reparation, fines, forfeitures, semi-banish- 

 ment from the village and tribe, &c. — should be supported and acted on 

 where proper and just, and not our unsuited Draconian laws. A celebrated 

 author says, " Humanity is one of the best fruits of refinement. It is only 

 with increasing civilization that the legislator studies to economize human 

 suffering, even for the guilty ; to devise penalties, not so much by way of 

 punishment for the past, as of reformation for the future."* 



16. Young persons, of both sexes, should on no account be allowed to be 

 enticed away from their tribe by Europeans ; on their being so enticed away, 

 and complaint made, the authorities should interfere, and cause them to be 

 restored, and the abductors severely punished. 



* Prescott, " Conquest of Mexico," Vol. I., p. 144-. 



