TREATY OF WAITANGI

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 11281, 11 August 1930, Page 7

TREATY OF WAITANGI

MAORI MAGNA CHARTA...

NARROWLY SAVED' FROM

FLAMES

“Tbo following interesting reminiscences regarding the Treaty • of Waitangi are from the pen or Mi’. George Elliott-Elliott. who in tlie year 1841 was Record clerk in : the Gqyernment service: “This celebrated clocumerit, a sort, of Neff' Zeafeitd Magha CliaHa iii-its importanco;yis not a single document, but is -'composed of a number of separate Shcfets, and, if I femembef rightly,' ffomo few are of parchment and some' of paper—the text; is the same, in' all; these separate sheets were sent to the different tribes find hanus of natives for tlie signatures of of the different chiefs and influential men amongst them. Some could write, and signed their names; others affixed their marks, in the shape .of ffdiat was supposed to be an inut'ak tion of the tatoo oil then- fadhsi' Each of these sheets was in- charge of some well-known European,- generally , some one in connection' with the Church of England or Wesleyan Missions, who attested the signatures and marks of the various persons on the document, and, cm completion, returned it to the Government.

“There is lio doubt thatthis treaty has a maha'peculiar "to itself, and that the natives regard it with respect-. They believe .that they huyc hereby voluntarily given up to tlie pakehu a something..ffTiicli is thenloss and tbo Pnkcha’s gain; but •what that, something, is,'they, are' finite unable to define. - I feel pretty sure that if, from any' accident in, the. early days, this document > had been lost or destroyed, the natives would never have been induced to sign another. That it was. once saved from such action the following will show: in 1841 the Government offices were field, in a four T - roomed cottage in Official Bay, Auekr land.' The Colonial Secretary, the •Audit, tlie Colonial Treasurer, and the Customs each had quo room. Air Short-land was Colonial Secretary (the Audit was also under liis control), Mr. Cooper was Colonial Treasurer and Collector, - of Customs, , There were lour clerks in the establishment —Grimstono on . the Treasure, Leech m the Audit, ..Freeman and myself in the Colonial Secretary’s. We were the Governmentin those prehistoric days. I wax called Clerk of Records, and had charge of tlie various records and papers —not many then—amongst them this Treaty of Waitngi. This, with the seal of the colony, I kept in a small iron box brought from Sydnev in the Westminster the year before". I was living in a raupo where in Queen Street, close, to Shortland Street, at that time (’4l), when early one morning—l can’t remember the precise date—l. observed a great body oi smoke ascending from Official Bay. Udt once- ran .up Shortland Street, and on reaching the top of the hill found that the Government orn es were on fireWhen I got to the budding one-end v.as in names and the place full of smoke. I saw that nothing could save the place. I at puce tied my handkerchief over by lace, got the door open and rushed into the . room which the Colonial Secretary occur pied. I could not see for tlie smoke, and the handkerchief both blincc-u and choked • me. The- room was small, and I knew it so . well I; could put- rnv hand on anything in it blindfold. * I at onco went’ to the iron box,' unlocked it. took out the Treatv of Waitangi, and the seal of the colony, and ran out again directly. 1 suppose from the time I entered the building until I left it- was not more than a minute, but it seemed an hour. I carried the seal and the Treatv to the house or Air. Felton Alathew (Surveyor-GeneraL), which was close by, and gave them into liis charge. When I got outsiae the burning offices several people had come up, amongst them some seamen from a French juan-o’-war, then in the harbour. They had a. portable fire engine, but. it was useless, for there was no nvater. Of course the building and its contents were all destroyed, amongst them from the iron box .which I-had taken the seal and the treaty. The box was made of common sheet iron. “I subsequently fastened the dnferont sheets of- the treaty together' and deposited if in the Colonial Secretary’s office, where I presume it has been ever since.” .... To commemorate the signing ch the treaty. Airs. Busby planted the pohutukawa tree still growing m front of the old Residency. . The Aiaoris have also erected it monument on the opposite side of the river, beside what is ■•known na Treaty House, where tliov at one time hoped to establish, a Parliament of their own. The monument, was unveiled by the' Hon. William- Rolleston. Native Alinister, on Alarcli 23, 1881. ‘

The original documents comprising the Treaty ot AVaitangi are now m charge -of tho-.Dopartiuent oE-Intoriial Affairs."