The Treaty of Waitangi Part 35

_Hori Ropiha to the Under-Secretary, Native Department_

WAIPAWA, _July 8, 1885_.

FRIEND--Greeting! Greeting to you, and all the honourable members of the Parliament of the colony!

You have written to inform me of the receipt by the Government of New Zealand of a despatch from Lord Derby, in which he acknowledges the receipt of the letter expressing the satisfaction of the Ngatikahungunu at the principles laid down by us and Lord Derby in England.

Friend, I did send such a letter to Lord Derby, and the information contained in Lord Derby's despatch to you is correct--namely, that he does not doubt that any well-founded complaints on the part of the Maoris will be dealt with fairly by the Government of New Zealand, to which Her Majesty has given over the whole question.

Friend, I am greatly pleased at the receipt of your letter. I was absent at Mohaka, the Wairoa, and the Mahia, where I went to make known the principles laid down by us and Lord Derby, in order that my Maori tribes might hear my report of my visit to England. On my return from England I addressed the Maoris, and the people of my district were greatly pleased with what I told them. It is true that they have joined the Blue Ribbon Army,[199] and keep it faithfully.

Friend, continue to carry out a policy that will benefit the Maoris in accordance with what Lord Derby said--namely, that any well-founded complaints on the part of the Maoris will be dealt with fairly by the Government of New Zealand--and justify Her Majesty's action in giving over the whole question to be dealt fairly with by the Government.

I know what course of policy would be beneficial to the Maori people and establish friendly relations. Sufficient.--From your loving Friend,

HORI ROPIHA.

To Mr. Lewis.

_Tawhiao to Sir W. F. D. Jervois_

(Translation)

WHATIWHATIHOE, _September 21, 1885_.

FRIEND--Greeting. I have received your letter of the 27th of August, with the copies of communications from yourself, your Ministers, and Her Majesty's Government relative to the subject-matter of the pet.i.tion from the Maori people that I and my fellow Native chiefs took to lay before Her Majesty's Government and the people of England. In your letter you inform us of one only of the words of Her Majesty's Government--namely, that the government of all Her Majesty's subjects in New Zealand is controlled by Ministers responsible to the Parliament. Your so informing us is well. But you did not also inform us of another important word of the Government of England with reference to the Maori people--namely, that you should intimate to your Government that they should protect and promote the welfare of the Natives by a generous consideration of all their reasonable representations. Well, we see that these directions from the Government of England are no mere random words, but have a bearing upon the pet.i.tion, which pet.i.tion your Ministers said had no significance, and that England would not interfere. Your communications and those of the Government of England have been circulated among the Maori people of this Island.

However, with reference to the statement made by your Ministers that they do not consider that there is any allegation in this pet.i.tion that they have not answered before, I and my fellow Native chiefs would say, Where are the replies taking exception to those pet.i.tions?

And why are they not quoted in connection with this pet.i.tion for the consideration of the Native people? And who is it that can say that the complaints raised in those pet.i.tions are similar to those made in this?

And, further, with reference to the statement that since 1865 England ceased to interfere in the management of affairs in New Zealand, and left them to be managed by the Government of New Zealand, it may be so. But the Maori people are not aware of the reasons that led their _Pakeha_ friends to apply to have the sole management of affairs in New Zealand; and the a.s.sent thereto of the Queen's Government was given without considering the Maori people, or making any inquiries of them. Because the right of governing and the occupation of the Island by Europeans dates from the Treaty of Waitangi; and it was left to the chiefs, the _hapus_ of the Native people, and Her Majesty to carry out the provisions of the Treaty of Waitangi, which became a covenant on the descendants.

And, further, with reference to the statement made by your Ministers that "there has been no infraction of the Treaty of Waitangi," we would ask what portion of the Treaty of Waitangi, what _hapus_, or what chiefs placed the authority over the Native lands under the Native Land Court, or gave the Europeans the sole power to deal with Maori lands in that Court, as stated in the paragraph respecting the Native Land Court in that pet.i.tion.

And, further, with reference to the statement respecting the presence of Native members in the Legislature, the status of those members was pointed out in the pet.i.tion: Taking the basis of population, one Native member is returned for more than twenty thousand persons, whereas one European member is returned for every five thousand. When, indeed, have the applications of those members for increased representation been acceded to by that Parliament? When, indeed, have the applications of those members to have the grievances of the Native people redressed been acceded to by that Parliament? When, indeed, have the applications of those members asking that the Natives should have the power of administering their own lands been acceded to by that Parliament? Well, it is seen that the reason why the Government admitted Natives there (into Parliament) as members was merely in order that it could be said that Natives dealt with the wrongs now practised on the Maori people, and in order, too, that such wrongs should not be looked into, and finally to abolish those members.

And, further, with reference to the statement made by the Minister that Kawhia is a Native district: Well, if the Government really considered it to be such, why, then, did they a.s.sume to themselves the right to do certain acts in that district, such as establis.h.i.+ng a military post on Native lands, which was a menace to the Maori people?

When, indeed, have the Government paid any heed to the application of Tawhiao and the people of that district desiring that Tawhiao should have the management of matters in that district?

Do you forward a copy of this letter to Her Majesty's Government.

Sufficient.

KING TAWHIAO.

His Excellency the Governor.

_Sir W. F. D. Jervois to the Right Hon. Colonel Stanley_

CHRISTCHURCH, _December 16, 1885_.

SIR--I have the honour to state that I duly forwarded to Tawhiao, a copy of your Despatch No. 39, of the 23rd June last, concerning the Maori chiefs' memorial, presented by them to Her Majesty's Government whilst in England.

I have received from him in reply a letter, a translation of which, in accordance with the request contained in the last paragraph, I transmit herewith. I have, on the advice of my Ministers, informed him that there is nothing to add to the communications that have already been made.

It is the desire and practice of the Government of this colony to treat the Native population with the most perfect justice, and, as far as possible, in the same manner as the other subjects of Her Majesty in New Zealand. I submit that no good end can be served by prolonging this correspondence.--I have, etc.,

WM. F. DRUMMOND JERVOIS.

The Right Hon. Colonel Stanley, M.P.

_Sir W. F. D. Jervois to Tawhiao_

CHRISTCHURCH, _December 16, 1885_.

SIR--I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 21st September last with reference to your pet.i.tion to Her Majesty. I do not think there is anything to add to the communications that have already been made. I have, as you requested, forwarded a copy of your letter to Her Majesty's Government.--I have, etc.,

WM. F. DRUMMOND JERVOIS.

To Tawhiao, etc.

_Tawhiao to Sir W. F. D. Jervois_

WHATIWHATIHOE, _December 22, 1885_.

To the Governor of New Zealand.

GREETING!--I am not quite certain about the copies of the letters from your Government and Her Majesty's Government that you forwarded to me on the 27th day of August 1885, in Maori only. I am very desirous that you should send me copies of the same in English, which would be right. Sufficient.--From your friend,

KING TAWHIAO.

The Governor, Wellington.

_The Under-Secretary, Native Department, to Tawhiao_

WELLINGTON, _January 29, 1886_.

FRIEND TAWHIAO--Greeting. His Excellency the Governor has forwarded to Mr. Ballance the letter you wrote to him on the 22nd December, in which you asked that copies in English of the despatches from Lord Derby, the Governor, and the Government of the colony might be supplied to you, and by direction of Mr. Ballance, I forward copies of those despatches by the mail.--From your friend,

T. W. LEWIS.

Tawhiao, Whatiwhatihoe, _via_ Alexandra, Waikato.