[At top] 'Copy' 6 January 1852 Listen, tribes of the north and south, Pakeha leaders, Maori chiefs, Pakeha judges, Maori assessors, ministers, and governor of the Maori assessors, all of you, hear the cause of this crime, about the horse named Million. At the beginning of January, on the 4th, the horse died but no one saw who killed it; it was not known who did it. There was a false accusation made against Mitai, simply a completely false accusation by Taituha against Mitai. And at this time Rawiri's stupidity was evident, for he agreed with the proposed false accusation. He announced that the whole world was rotten, and grabbed his gun and ammunition. He stood up and made a speech encouraging his elder relatives to be brave for the fight. It's appalling, friends, how wrong this assessor, Rawiri Waiaua, is in his thinking. This is the word of the gospel, that is, of the Scriptures, which equates with his wrongdoing, 'on the outside he looks righteous, but inside he is altogether evil and defilement without equal' [Matthew 24:28]. He does not think that the law of the Queen should be the judge, but rather believes that Maori custom has precedence. And this is the spurious talk of Rawiri and his people, their calling for £50 as payment for the animal when the person who killed it has not been seen. The Maori chiefs who live by the just laws of God, thought they would appease the people who had been ill-treated by the person who made the false accusation. Then the Maori assessors thought the tribe should be uplifted, to the heavens, to the light, to enlightenment. The first of the fine voices came from Te Tahana Hone, and after him there was Raniera Ngaere, then Hone Ropiha Te Kekeu, then Matena Ruta, and after him there were Iharaira Te Tahi and Tamati Waka Tute; these were the chiefs to enlighten and save the people. As to the propositions of my friend, Rawiri, they are wrong and no benefits will arise from his erroneous application of those customs. And as Isaiah the prophet said, 'and when we see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him' [Isaiah 53:2]. The Maori assessors properly assigned the right payment for this matter of false accusation; Te Tahana ordered £30. Well for that Rawiri became angry but it was anger to no avail at all. If in fact, my good friend, McLean, you and Governor Grey agree with Rawiri, henceforward you will be seen as stupid. And it was you who abhorred carrying guns and fighting. According to the rule of the law these are evils; he went against this rule, and so Te Tahana settled on £30 as payment because no one saw who killed it.Well, he just gave £50 as payment, when no one saw the person who killed [the horse]. Rawiri is greatly in the wrong. This was also the order of Rawiri's thinking, that he would not be taken to court, for he knew that as the crime was not witnessed, then it could not be paid for. This is the reason he disregarded the word of the minister, of Halse and of Captain King. Rawiri is such a stubborn man. Well, should he be called up as an assessor for keeping the peace? Indeed no. No one would agree to him. Let the wind listen to what he says, for man will die when exposed to open and deserted country. These words are written on account of the stupidity of this man, and with the intention that they be read everywhere, by the Pakeha, by the Maori, by the governors and judges, when printed in the press. This is the end of the statements by the Maori assessors for the rule of the law: By Te Tahana Hone, Raniera Ngaere, Hone Ropiha Te Kekeu, Matena Ruta Te Tomai, Iharaira Te Tuki [Note following] 'Tahana and others agst Rawiri Waiaua continuing as assessor with particulars of the case of horse killing.'