WAITANGI.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20543, 11 May 1932, Page 10

WAITANGI.

GIFT TO THE NATION. GOVERNOR-GENERAL'S GENEROSITY. ANNOUNCEMENT TO PRIME MINISTER. In a letter to the Prime Minister (the Et. Hon. G. W. Forbes) the Governor-General, Lord Bledisloe, announces his desire to present to the nation, on behalf of her Excellency and himself, "Waitangi," in the Bay of Islands, together with 1000 acres of land belonging to the estate of which it forms part. His Excellency and Lady Bledisloe le* cently purchased the property with this object. His Excellency's letter states: — "Seeing that the Treaty 0 f Waitangi, signed 92 years ago, by New Zealand's first Governor (on behalf of Queen Victoria) and tho leading Maori chiefs, not only established British sovereignty in this Dominion and laid the foundation of its peaceable settlement and ordered government, but also safeguarded for all time the rights and privileges of tho native race, the site of its execution cannot fail to be an object of considerable interest both to New Zealanders and to British visitors in days to come. If this is so, its pre- i scrvation as a national monument would appear to be desirable. The Old Residency. "The property, including the old British Eesidency, unfortunately shows evidences of considerable neglect and decay which, failing early rehabilitation, threaten irremediable deterioration. "It is hoped that by transferring it from private ownership into the custody of a National Trust the old Eesidency, with careful treatment, may be restored in character, structure, and appearance as nearly as possible to what it was in 1840, and that perhaps one at least of its rooms may bo equipped, not only with a facsimile copy of the Treaty of Waitangi, but also, by the generosity of friends, with relics of (the chief actors in the memorable scene- enacted in its garden. I Board of Trustees. "It would be a source of satisfaction to us both if tho Board of Trustees could'include, besides appropriate members of tho Government for tho time being of the Dominion, representatives of tho Maori race, of the immediate locality, of tho South Island, and of tho families of tho late Archdeacon Henry Williams and Edward Gibbon Wakefield, thus emphasising tho national character of the memorial and healing for all time to come any old controversies which may have existed in the past between those who in different ways have contributed so materially to tho peace, the unity, and the successful settlement of the country. "The gift, apart from its historic significance, is of but small intrinsic value, but we trust that it may be accepted as a humble token of our sincere appreciation of tho friendly kindness which wo have everywhere experienced from all classes of your warm-hearted New Zealand people since it has been our happy lot to sojourn amongst them." Yours sincerely, BLEDISLOE. An Historic Spot. Waitangi, in the Bay of Islands, the most historic spot in New Zealand, which has just been presented to the nation by the Governor-General and Lady Bledisloe, is the site of the signins on February 6th, 1840• of the famous Treaty of Waitangi, which reconciled the conflicting interests of the Maori natives and the British settlers, put a stop to inter-tribal warfare (and ricidentallv, under missionary influence, to cannibalism), nnd made New Zealand part of the British Empire. It was the home of Mr James Busby, the British Resident who, at tho request of the British Government, had been sent to Now Zealand by th<- Governor of New South Wales (Sir. George Gipps) in 1833 with a view to checking the excesses of the least reputable of the British whalers and other lawless immigrants to this then foreign country, and promoting fair dealings in land between such persons and the native race.

Wakefield's Policy. The decision to take over New Zealand as a British colony—deprecated by the Duko of Wellington and opposed by successive Colonial Secretaries in England—was ultimately accelerated by the arrival at Port Nicholson (Wellington), in January, 1840, of the-first settlers —men and women of-position, capacity, and good repute—sent out by the New Zealand Company in pursuance of the far-sighted colonising policy of Edward Gibbon Wakefield. The Treaty contained three articles, the first providing for the cession by the native chiefs to Queen Victoria of all their sovereign rights, the second being a confirmation by the Queen to the chiefs and tribes of New Zealand of undisturbed possession of their lands, forests, and fisheries, subject only to the Crown's exclusive right of pre-emption over any property which they desired to alienate, and the third guaranteeing the protection of the natives by the British Crown and the enjoyment by them of all the rights and privileges of British subjects. Influence of the Missionaries. The original copy of the Treaty wasi executed on the lawn in front of the British Residency at Waitangi by Captain William Hbbeon, R.N., New Zealand's first Governor (or rather Lieu-tenant-Governor under New South Wales) in the name of Queen Victoria and the leading Maori chiefs in the extreme north of the North Island, most of whom belonged to the powerful Ngapuhi tribe. The proud and autocratic chiefs would never have consented to become subject to British sovereignty but for the influence of the British missionaries and the letters' intimate knowledge of the Maori language nad Maori mentality. These missionaries, Anglican, Wesley an, Baptist, and Roman Catholic, had worked zealously, and selflessly among them during the previous quarter of a century, and had gained their confidence and respect. Most conspicuous among them was the Rev. Archdeacon Henry Williams, who acted as interpreter in explaining to the native chiefs assembled at Waitangi the exact meaning and purport of the Treaty and the advantages which its execution, wfth consequent settled government and honest land transactions would bring to them and to their descendants. The First Copy. This first copy of the Treaty was signed at, Waitangi by. 45 chiefs, in-

eluding the redoubtable warnors Hone Heke and Tamaki Waaka Nene. Several of these native signatories had at first, with hostile gestures declined emphatically to sign, having been toia by lawless European adventurers, wno in no way desired the establishment; of law and order and equitable land tiansactions, that it would mean slavery to them and their families, but they were eventually persuaded by tne obvious sincerity of Governor Hobson and their missionary friends and trie convincing arguments with whicJi tnen objections were met. , Other copies of the Treaty were subsequently signed at Hokianga, Waimate, Waitcmata, Kaitais, Tamaki, Ivusseu, Coromandel Harbwor, Mercury Akaroa, Foveaux SU.uts, Otago, Cloudy Bay, Kapiti (by Te Rauparaha and J.e Rangihaeat.a), Hawke's Bay, Manukau, Kawhia, Waikato Heads, Opotiki, Torere, Tekalia WJiakatane, Wellington (Port Nicholson), Queen Charlotte Sound, Rangi toto, Otnki, Waikanae, Motu Wanganui, Tauranga, and Gisborne, the total signatories numbering 546. Most of these, both at Waitangi and elsewhere being illiterate, in lieu of signing their names, drew upon the parchment their moko, or face tattoo. The Maori "Magna Charta," From that time down to the present day, over a period of 92 years, the Treaty has been regarded as the Maori Magna Charta—the charter of their liberties and the guarantee for all time of their legitimate rights and of their equality in the eye of the lav/ with their British fellow-countrymen. The Estate. Unfortunately, the Waitangi estate, which has passed through the hands o± successive private owners since it belonged to the Busby family, has been sadly neglected in recent years, and the old British Eesidency (which contains some lofty rooms and good old British oak floors), and the garden surrounding it, are in a dilapidated condition, but not beyond judicious rehabilitation and restoration in general appearance and structure to what they roust have been at tho time of tho signing of the Treaty. Moreover, there has been considerable speculation in the lands surrounding the actual scene of the historic gathering of 1840 with a view to the enhancement of their value consequent upon their location and the extreme beauty of the scenic prospect overlooking the Bay of Islands. The properties immediately adjoining the house and garden have, with the. helpful intervention of the Government, been acquired by the donors, and an area (in a ringed fence) of 1000 acres will be included in their Excellencies' gift to the Dominion. It is contemplated that part of this area may be laid out as a golf course, and a considerable portion of the remainder planted lup with puriri, pohutukawa, kowhai, kauri, totara, rimu, kohc-kohe, tawa, taraire, and other beautiful native timber trees and shrubs, and become a sanctuary for rare New Zealand birds, while a further portion may be let to settlers and thus afford some small income to be applied towards the cost of maintenance of the Treaty site. It is hoped to utilise at least one of tho rooms in the old British Eesidency at Waitangi, as a musuem, in which may be exhibited not only a fac-simile copy of tho famous Treaty, but also relics, generously given or loaned by their owners, of Captain Hobson, E.N. (New Zealand's first Governor), Archdeacon Henry Williams, Hone Heke, Waaka Nene, Kawhiti, and other leading actors in the historic drama of February 6th, 1840. A Sense of Nationhood. It is the sincere hope of the donors that the transfer to the public of this the cradle of New Zealand's history as a civilised State may develop a sense of nationhood and national solidarity on the part of its inhabitants and heal for all time any old-standing traditional differences or suspicions which may have existed between the two races on the one hand, and, on the other, between the two powerful British influences, which in different ways have contributed so materially to the peace, prosperity, ordered settlemont, and economic development of this Dominion, namely, the enlightened and courageous missionaries of the north, of whom at this period Archdeacon Williams was the outstanding figure, and the New Zealand Company, with its quota of splendid pioneer settlers in the districts successively of Wellington, Nelson, Otago, and Canterbury. The Administrators. In pursuance of this -ideal it is proposed to include in tho personnel of the Waitangi Board of Trustees, who will administer the Trust on behalf of the Dominion, not only the Governor-Gen-eral, the Prime Minister, and the Minister in Charge of Scenery Preservation for the time being, but also the Native Minister, and representatives of the Maori race/tho South Island, and the families of Archdeacon Williams and Edward Gibbon Wakefield.

Other Historic Gatherings. It is noteworthy that prior to the signing of the famous Treaty, and while New Zealand was still a foreign country, two other historic gatherings took place at "VVaitangi. The first was on March 20th, 1834, when, in order to protect unregistered New Zealandowned ships from seizure by pirates, the native chiefs assembled at the British ltesidency to choose a national nag. The flag selected was one with a white ground divided by St. George's Cross, the upper quarter of which was again divided by the same cross, a white star on a blue field occupying each of the smaller squares. On the cession of sovereignty to Queen Victoria in 1840 this flag, having been superseded by the Union Jack as a national ensign, was adopted by the Shaw, iSavill, and Albion Shipping Company, and is now flown by them as their house flag. The other and more important gathering at Waitangi took place there on October 28th, 1835, when the hereditary chiefs of the tribes of the North Island, incited thereto by the claim of the French Baron do Thierry to establish a separate "kingdom" for lnmself, witli its headquarters at Hokianga, met at Waitangi and there signed and promulgated the "Declaration of Independence of New Zealand" whereby they declared their country to be an independent State under the designation of "The United Tribes of New Zealand," asserted that all sovereign powers and authoritv resided exclusively in themselves, and agreed to meet in congress at W aitangi in the autumn of every year for the purpose of framing laws for dispensing justice, preserving peace and order, and regulnting trade. By the saino declaration thev cordially invited the southern tribes to lay aside their orirato animosities and join "The Confederation of the United Tribes.'/ and nlso entreated his Majesty the Kins: of England to protect their infant State Prom ail attempts upon its independence. Link with Lord Bledisloe's Family. There is an historic link between Waitangi and the Bathurst family tp which Lord Bledisloe belongs, for Mr James Busby, whose old home at Waitangi Lord and Lady Bledisloe have presented to the nation, owed his presence in New South Wales, whence he was sent as British Resident to New Zealand, to his father's appointment in 1823 as mineral agent and civil engineer to that colony by

Henry, 3rd Earl of Bathurst, a member of I/ord Bledisloe's family, who was at the time Secretary of State for the Colonies, and, in fact, in that capacity, protested against the lack of projection afforded to the Maoris against their ill-treatment hy the crows of European vessels in New Zealand waters. Board of Trustees. The probable Board of Trustees, not yet selected, is as follows: — (1) The Governor-General, ex officio, term of office. (2) The Lady Bledisloe, "durante officio mariti," (3) The Prime Minister, ex officio, term of office. (4) The Minister in Charge of Scenery Preservation, ex officio, term of office. (5) The Minister for Native Affairs, ex officio, term of office. (6) A member of the family of Archdeacon Henry Williams, at first Mr K. S. Williams, M.P., and (7) A mnmbar of th« Hokfl, or Kawhiti, or Waaka Neno Pomare family, as signatories of the Treaty at Waitangi (one of each description). (8) Northern Maori member of Parliament; at first Mr Tan Henare, M.P. (9) One member of a Maori tribe outside North Auckland, as indicatingallegiance of the whole Maori race to the Treaty. (10) One representative of Bay of Islands residents; at first Mr Vernon .Beed. (11) One representative of the South Island (either British or Maori); at first Sir Heaton Bhodes. (12) One representative of family of Edward Gibbon Wakefield; at first the Bight Honourable Sir Francis Bell. (13) Tho Bight Honourable J. G. Coates, M.P., ex-Primo Minister. All the above have consented. Tbe, (exact) Maori representation is alone in doubt.