TREATY OF WAITANGI
PROVISIONS NOT COMMON LAW SHOULD BE ON STATUTE BOOK At to-day’s session of the Methodist Conference, the Rev. A. J. Seamer asked permission to make a further statement regarding the Treaty of Waitangi. Mr Seamer has retired from all other positions, but has been retained by the Methodist Church as official adviser on all Maori questions; His purpose in making this statement, Mr Seamer said, was to clear up some misunderstanding which seemed to be abroad concerning what actually was being asked for by the Maoris. The following is the statement which he then .made to conference:—“ The Treaty of Waitangi is binding upon the conscience of the Crown, and consequently upon the conscience of the Privy Council and of Ministers of the Crown, but its provisions cannot be quoted as common lay in New Zealand; and though they may be quoted to create an ‘ atmosphere ’’ during the hearing of any case, there is nothing on the Statute Book that can be made the basis of any judgment. “ Rightly or wrongly the Maoris have long been "dissatisfied with this state of affairs, and at last the_ agitation amongst them on this question has bocome general and very disturbing.” The statement was adopted by the conference.
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Evening Star, Issue 23512, 28 February 1940, Page 8
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208TREATY OF WAITANGI Evening Star, Issue 23512, 28 February 1940, Page 8
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