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THE ABORIGINAL PROTECTION SOCIETY AND THE COLONIAL GOVERNMENT.

We copy the following correspondence from the " New' Zealand Gazette" :— Aborigines' Protection Society, 34, Newington Crescent, S., London. 26th January. 1864. To His Excellency Sir Geo. Grey, X.C.8., Governor of New Zealand. Sir— l h<\ve the honor to forward you an address, which, as you will perceive, is very numerously and infiuentially signed. I do not enclose the antogrnphs of the memorialists, as each signature was' attached to a separate copy of the address,^ and they would form a too bulky parcel to send by the Marseilles mail. We have taken the liberty of publishing the letter before its transmission to your Excellency, in order thnt tbere might be aome expreßsioa of public opinion on the subject. I- am, bir, &&, ! F. W. Chbssok. I

Duncan M'Laren, Nevington House, Edinburgh, Edward Smith, Pmithfield, Frpderick Baiues, Leeds, Benjamin Kcatt, F K.A.S., Edmond Reales, M.A., Lincoln's Inn, Edmund Stunre, Birmingham, John Lee, L L. D., Hartwell, Jabez Burns, R.D., Joseph Cooper, L oyds, John Cropper. Liverpool, John Hoilgkins, Lewes, Henry Vincent, Washington Wilks, L. A. Ch«merovzow, George Gilfillan, Dundee, John Casiell, Arthur Trevelyan, J. P. Teinholm, Tranent, N. 8., J. J. Colman, Norwich, Bichard Smith, 7, Highbury Crescent, F. W. Chesson, A X, Isbister. M.A., John Ks>ps. M D., Joseph Co wen, Jnr., Neweastle-on-Tyne, John Mnyßeld, 300, Holborn, Francis E. Fox, Tottenham, Justin M'Carthy. James Cropper. Kendal, James Taylor, Juur., Birmingham, Wilson Armistead, Leeds, William Anderson, L.L.D., Glasgow, Frederick Wheeler, Rochester, Henry Richardsoß, Newcaatleon-Tyne, Josaph Lupton, Leefa, Caleb Fletcher, M.D., York.

Colonial Secretary's Office, Auckland. 4th May, 1864. My Lord— The letter which you and other noblemen and gentlemen connected with the aborigines Society addressed to his Excellency Sir George Grey, X.C.8., Governor of this colony, in January last, has been referred by his Excellency to his responsib'e advisers. They have submitted their opinions on it to his Excellency, in the form of an official memorandum, of which, at his Excel ! ency 1 s suggestion, they have now the honor to forward a copy to you, and of whi"h his Excellency will forward one to her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for the colonies. As the letter in which your lord=hip and the other subscribers impugned the policy of confiscation, which the New Zealand Government has adopted, was published by you at the date of its transmission to thecolony, in the Londo i "Times" ani other newspapers, I venture respectfully to p-xpress a hope that you will give similar publicity to the enclosed memorandum. I have, *i<s., William Fox, Colonial Secretary. The Risrht Hon. Earl Chicbester, 22, Grosvenor plac?, London. B.W.

3. With regard to the ft at of there points Ministers regret to *Uta that down to this date the rebels have not as a '»ody, nor have any leading tribes m.=de the smallest overture of peace. At *he commencement of the present nnnanpy struggle, th^y api>:>ir to have entertained a hrni conviction 'bat they onld drive tha Europ ana out of the island, and they coramencvl by adespeato attack upon nd the seat of };overnm°nt fcarly in tue straggle Thompson, who raav be resrardr d ;n the leader of the rob°! party, announcer! i* writing under his own hand, h>s determination to carry the var to the utmost extremi'y. not even &piring uintrae! p»rs->ns 4ctin* in 'hia -■pi-t.tns Maoris thro* tbem e elves into the heart of the settled districts of the Pro viuce of Aucklnnd, murdering an ! destroying the sutlers within seventeen miles rf the town, cutting down the Government fhisiaff at the Manukau, tha western harbour of the City of Auckland Itsolf, and driving from their farms and homesteads a tolerably dense population of agricultural settlers over a space of sorao 29 miles square. So sudden was their onslaught, and so completely did they succeed in getting possession of the country close around Auckland, tint it was not till after the faU of Rangirir!. five months at leastaftertho struggle, commenced that they were driven back, and routed out of the wooded ranges to such an extent that even the c|ty and the immediate suburbs of Auckland could be considered safe. Since that period they have been driven or escaped from one stronghold after another till they have been compelled to evacuate the whole of the Waikato proper; they have retreated before our troops to a distance of 120 miles from Auckland, and their main body is understood to be broken- into two or three sections, the principal of which, appears to have descended upon Tauranga in the Bay of Plenty, wherewith the resident rebels of that district, they are again defying the British troops and throwing up aggressive works within a distance of three miles from our posts. During all this , time they have not as a body shown tha smallest symptom of any desire to terminate the war h nor have made any overtures of peace. On the contrary, they continue to make the most strenuous efforts to recruit their forces by enlistment amons? the East Coast tribes, whom they encourage to joia them by the most monstrous falsehoods, which' are circulated by express authority of Thompson and the other leaders, and by means of j which they have hitherto succeeded in deluding considerable numbers into a belief that the rebellion has been successful, and that they have only to join it to see the final establishment ift triumph of the Maori King. (See Appendix; AJI It is a weH-known faot that in their intertribal wars, the natives invariably regarded any overtures of peace as a sign that the party "who makes it ia beaten, that it is an acknowledgement of defeat. It is a matter, therefore, of the utmost delicacy to initiate such negotiations, as nothing conld be more fatal to the prospeot of actual peace than that the rebels should be able to

announce to the distant or non-committed tribes, that we had placed ourselveß in^that position. Such tentative efforts in that direction as the Government has though it prudent to make, have at once being seized on by Thompson as indications of weakness; and he has on various occasions encouraged his followers (and no doubt it has operated to keep them in avnw) by assurance that *' the Governor and General are now suing for peace." The time, however, has now arrived, when, hv the full of Maungatauteri, the last of the fort i fie 1 strongholds of the Waikafco, the conquest of that district and its inhabitants is practically complete, though the latter may, no doubt, still carry the war into the other parts of the island, as they are doing at Taura 1 eta. Still, the event referred to seemed to Ministers to afford a fair opportunity for making a general announcement of the terms on whioh the rebellion might be terminated, by the issue by hia Excellency the Govsrnor of a proclamation, and Ministers have accordingly advised his Excellency to issue one. the terms of which have been settled by them after much earnest thought and di*cu«sion. While such has been the action of the Government in reference to tha rebels as a body, the door has never been closed Bgainst such individuals ai might b* desirous of laving down their arms and resuming their allegiance, without any personal punishment whatever. Numerous efforts have been made by tb.9 Government to induce them to do so. On the 16th December last, immediately after the capture of Ngaruawahia (the king's Pftlaoe) a document was sent to the rebels, in which their principal chief* were invited t"> visit the Governor in order that they might learn the future intentions of fhe Government towards them, and they were distinctly assure i under the hand of the Governor, that if the rebels would give up their arms, they would not be made prisoners, nor he in any way molested in their persons for any part they might have taken m the present or any former war. On the 6th January last the Colonial Secretary issued instructions to the fiesidnit Magistrates is to the course to be pursued towards rebels who might surrender, and an abstract of these instructions was circulated, and has been kept before the eyes of the natives in every part of the island. The terms hwve been generally admitted, at least by those not actually engaged in hostilities, as extremely fair, and a very considerable number of rebels have actually corns in under the terms offered, given up their arms, and signed a declaration of allegiance. On the 30th March last, immediately previous to evacuation of Maungatautari, William Nero, a friendly chief of the highest rank, closely related to the leading rebels, informed the Colonial Secretary personally and by letter that he had reason to believe that the rebels were desirous of miking peace, but were deterred by the fear that the leaders would be hung; and he suggested that he mixht be allowed to proceed |p the rebel camp in order to disabuse their minds of this suppssition. The Colonial Secretary at once acquiesced in the proposkl. (See correspondence ( appended — Append'X B.) Nero proceeded on his mission, but entirely failed, not even an interview being granted with the leading chiefs. Two or three men of rank whom he persuaded to come In and sign a declaration that in two days they would hring in all their tribe, left again on the following day under ipfetenca that they would return with all tfceir people, amounting to some two hundred souk. They did not, however, even return themselves, but very adroitly contrived to thrust upon ns some sixty or seventy women, children, and old decreptd men who were a burden on thair commisniriat and an impediment to their movements. This is all that wa* gained on our side by this well-intentioned but certainly not very sucoeastnl attempt to remove what was believed by some to be the only obstacle to the restoration- of p?ace It should be observed also that during these negooations, Thompson, by letter addressed to Nero, affccfce ! a great desire to see peace restored, , yet at the very moment he was writing such lotted, lie appeared to have been organising a nPwcimrmi(»n. j Ministers 'vpoat that iv their opinion the very greafpst ciutiin ou^hi to be exercised in press'n? the natives »r> com" to terms. Every one who knows the Mioii must know, that, even in the ordinary businew of life, any exhibition ofj ••iiixiVy to get hi-a ta do anything is the certain w»y to mak<; him hang back from do : ng it— hi* iTiini, cunning and suspicious beYon<HKato£m'jat.t3wC0 < <, inferring at once that such juuief v i* :i giga of w>aknpss on the part of him i who .sh.ws.it, and that by standing out he can obtali his own terms, however extravagant and unrevonahl-. On tha other hand .ministers haveentire faith ia the natural results of. an actual defeat of the rebel armies enforced with prudence, with firmness, with mercy and in. such.broad general principles as may operate not on the mind of' one individual here and there, but on the feelings and sentiments of the -entire nation, both that part which has been, engaged in active hostilities and that which has nof. And it must be borne in mind that this latter portion of the -native -community is to be considered in what is done equally with the actual rebel. It would be of little benefit to patch up peace in Waikato if rebellion were by that to be encouraged in Cook's Straits ,or at Ahuriri. Waika*o has been and is the head of the rebellion, and the neck of it must be broken there. If a final, permanent and complete subjugation of Wajkato. ia effected, .this .will in. all human probability be the last instance which will pcour of any. combined resistance ,te British authority and British lay. .If in our anxiety to spare the erring Maori race, we press and persuade them to come to .terms before they are really convinced of our superiority, and before we have taken those material, guarantees for the future which it. is contemplated to take, we phall to a certainty have at some future day to repeat the lesson which .we are now endeavouring to teach. If the present strangle should be terminated without convincing the natives all throughout New Zealand of the folly of trying their strength agunst the Europeans, and without a sufficient materiel guarantee being taken, new outbreaks will undoubtedly occur from time to time which caaonlyendin chronic hostility of the race and in wars of extermination. The only hope of saving a remnant of tie Maori race is the termination o{ the present struggle by their full acknowledgment of their mistake, their, fall acceptance of its consequences'." and submission' to the'iu*' premacy of law. It will not be done by. treaties of peace, which might leave the impression that they are an independent people and at liberij ft viy future imaginary casus belli xo take up the sword. 'In concluding this part of their remarks. Ministers would observe that no time has yet been allowed for the r«aultaof the iatoownp»lg«

to bear their natural fruits. It is only three, weeks since the final blow was struck in Waikato by the capture of Orakau and evacuation of Mauugatautau. The mind of the rebel cannot, yet have fully realised to itself the magnitude of the defeat and its consequence? ; at all events it does not appear to have done so. A little patience on our side may, and there is little doubt will, enable us to reap the fruit of the late costly raili* tary operations while, as already hinted,- undue pressure brought to bear on t'<o natives to induce them to c?me to terms, or undue anxiety exhibited on our part to escape the prolongation of the war, will probably have exactly the reverse effect to that which is intended.

One thing must be borne in mind. This is nob a war between two independent nations living on separate territory, Derhaps hundreds or miles apart. When this rebellion h put down, we hare to govern the Maori, to reinstate him in out community, to live with him, to coma under numerous mutual responsibilities social and political. A war simply between independent nations involves n<J such an d may be terminated on a very different basis, while its termination may be brought about by negotiations which would be very unsuitable means by which to terminate * struggle of the sort which exists in this colony, • i. As regards the question of the confiscation of Maori lands, against which a protest, is raised, Ministers beg to make the following observations :—: —

In the first place, it is a custom whioh has bien always recognised by the Maoris themselves. In their wars, a conquered tribe not only for* felted its lands, bat the vanquished survivon were reduced to a tributary position, and large ' numbers to ppwonal slavery. The Government of New Zealand his always recognise! such a title as valid. The Waikatos themselves were paid by Governor Hobson for such « proprietary right over the district of Taranaki; and a very large proportion, if not an absolute majority, of the purchases of land from tha Maoris in various parts of the island, have been made on tde basis of a recognitioa of this right of conquest. There is therefore nothing in the course proposed abhorent to the moral sense or previous habits of thought of the Maori race. LSee Appendix C] In the second place, they n?ver do consider themselves conquered unless their lands are taken. In previous wars between the British Government and the Maori, which wera not followed by confiscation, friendly Maoris have expressed their surprise at our moderation. " What is the good," they have said, " of taking the man 1 Yon should have taken his land, then that work would have been finished." In the third place, when this struggle began, the Maoris openly avowed their intention of taking the land and farms of the Europeans when they should have driven us into the sea. It was not uncommon, even befo/e the war commenced, for some of the more iirsolent to come -to a settler's house, and after looking the place over to say, " Ah, this house wjl't suit me very well ; that room will do for my wife, that shall be my bed; wait a little by and bye you will see." An instance of this is witbin the personal knowledge of a Minister. The feeling was general among the tribes which engaged in, or sympathised wita the King movement, after it assumedan aggressive charactsr, hostile- towards the European occupants of the country. Fourthly, the chief object of the Government is, however, neither punishment nor retaliation, bat simply to provide a material guarantee against the recurrence of these uprising) against the authority of law and the legitimate progress of colonisation which are certain to occur if the rebel is allowed to retain his lands after involving the colony in so much peril, disaster and loss., •Th 9 natives ara fond of war, as almost their only source of excitement. The practice of incessant hostilities with each other for centuries has become a second nature, and though circumstances have to a great extent suspended the operation of their military impulses for some few years, they have neither lost their in fighting, nor their taste for it. If they can have the excitement and many advantages of a summer's campaign when it pleases then with liberty to retain their lands when it ia over, without suffering any losses except their wretched dwellings and a season's crops, while the colony ia nearly broken down by the loses and cost of the war, they will not easily be deterred from renew* ing hostilities. Mere defeat in the field will not deter them. There mast ba soma substantial and material guarantee. . The guarantee which the Government ha 9 proposed, is to introduce.colonists chiefly direct from Great Britain into those districts now sparsely inhabited by the rebels, and; from which they make their inroads into the settled districts. It is only on the, lands of the rebels, at least in Waikato, that population can be so established. But it is not. and never his been pro* ' posed to leave them without an ample qnantity,o( land fpr ; 'their fuiure occupation. A quantity, much larger per head than the average occupation of Europeans -in this island; ia proposed to be set apart for them, on a graduated scale, according 'to rank and other circumstances. (These lands would no longer beheld under the pernicious system of .tribal right, but as individualized proprietors under the security to each proprietor of a Crown grant. Ministers believe that nothing has been or can ,ba- nvore pernicious, to the native race t;h >n.the possession of large territories , under tribal titles which they neither nse, know how, to use, nor can. bo induced to' use. It has, in the opinion of fie Ministers, been the prinoipal cause of the slow progress, and in some res< pects (particularly their physical condition) of the , actual retrogression and decay 6t tha race.,' And though, while the Maoris ackaow,)edgedi toe a'u. , premacy of a protesting Government, andpeo-,, fessed submission to law, it was. just to res Mci . these semi-feudal proprietary righta 'which .they, declined to surrender," yet now that they have abandoned their allegiance, renounced all submission to law, and staked their all against onr all, their seems no longer any reason for,re«pecting privileges which . arc, believed,, to- ,b© equally injurious to their >inoral.'^Jma^ lA and political Condition. In ; the- D^Sit state of this colony it is not a questiott^^&h . argued by reference to the rights of theMa^upi) J times past, whea as an independent people, stey, <r were, recognised as competent to surrender or retain whatever power op property, they,- rafght please. It can, scarcely' beheld that, aftejr jther, event* of thelast year, the're,bel Maori'je entitled *• ,te take this position. On the other handTUhe^ struggle has become one for^bare -existence of tue <wlqtt£ n wbioh n tnouga noirapparently secured for the time by the results of the late campaign, but still only held by military pouts, it is no less the duty of the ttorernment to take «uoU pree*n~ tfonsaa may prevent it» being again imperilled. The deliberate voA Almost uaanimoui opinion ol

both Houses of Assembly determined the course of action in the matter which forma the basis of the policy of the Ministry in reference to the confiscation of the lands of those who have been engaged in the rebellion. The deliberate opinion of Ministers is, that to terminate the fpresent insurrection without confiscation of the lands of the rebels, making, cf course, ample provision for their future, would be to surrender every advantage that has been gamed, and practically to announce that British rule over the Maori rase must cease, and the Northern Island be abandoned as a safe piaoe of residence for her Majesty's European subjeccs. William Pox. sth May, 1861. APPENDIX A. Extract from a letter from the Bishop of Waiapu. dated Tauranga (Poverty Bay), April 15th 1861. " The reports which, are conveyed are of the most absurd character, such as you have had instances of in other quarters— that the losses sustained by the soldiers are something enormous — that the Queen will not send any more Bo'diers — that England is at war with America and Russia, and other parts of the world— that tte soldiers have been driven out of Rangiri and Meremere — that Auckland is nearly depopulated— and that the natives of the coast have only to go there and take possession. The latest accounts which arrived while I was at Waiapu, spoke of 156 Ngatiwhakaue being killed, and the coast natives were invited to go and finish the rest., and drive away the soldiers from Maketu and Tauranga. It was to little purpose that I explained the onward march of the troops to Awamutu and Mangatauturi. My story was all English and one-sided. I pressed upon their attention^ the assurance of the Governor that the lands of the natives who remain quiet will not be interfered with, but that those who go to fight will lose their land. Those who have gone to Waikato have held out threats against all who remain at home— that on their return from destroying the pahekas, they will serve them in like manner, because they would not join with them." Extract from a private letter from a Missionary on the Sast Coast The most absurdly exaggerated reports are in circulation about our loss on the Waikato. When the poor Avon steam transport on the river was injured, she bad on board 1000 men, all of whom perished. The General must have more lives than a cat, Hewas killed at Waikato and L2O taken Out of each of his boots. He went in disgnise as a minister to one of the pahs (I think Paterangi). The bell was rung, and he took his station in the pulpit, but counted each person as he entered. As the ' kerakia' (Church service) was proceeding, a Maori noticed some part of the uniform under the surplice ; the alarm was given and the Unfortunate General was despatched. There are several other atiries of the same character flying about, which are all implicitly believed." Extract from a letter written by W. Thompson to natives on the East Coast, professing to report the engagement at Rangiaohia. [The actual loss j to the natives was above 100, and only one horse i 3 said to have been killed on our side.] " Those tribes then went on, and came to close quarters, the one with the bayonet, tbe other with the tomahawk. Twenty of the pakehas fell. It was a hand to hand fight. Then came the cavalry. They now came upon our party. I called out ' fire- One volley was fired, and every horse was killed, not one escaped. There was end. Ngatiraukawa lost three, Turewera two, and Bangiwewehi one. These were all our dead ; as for the pakeha*, they had the bed (of death) to themselves. " The General bas proposed to make peace. It is ended. " From Wi Tambhawa." Extract from a private letter from Cook's Straits: - " A man from Sangiaohia [Waikato] bas come here. .... He has damaged Mb cause by exaggerated statements, among others that 1500 soldiers were killed at Rangiaohia, and that Bishop Selwyn was now second in command, and rode about, with a sword at his side, APPENDIX B. corekspondenok between w. Nero and Mb Fox: " Auckland. 30th March, 1864. " O Friend ! O Mr Fox '.—This is the cause of my thoughts which cause- me to speak of our going to Wm Thompson and the chiefs of Waikato, namely, their desire to come towards life {meaning to leave off fighting,] also to give up their guns, cartouch- boxes, and other munitions of war. The only reason for delaying (carrying into execution) these thoughts is fear lest after having given up thsir- weapons, Wm Thompson And Matutaera should be seized and hung. This is their fear. Therefore I reflected and said, lei me go to Inspect these words that I may see the truth of their words or the falsity. If I see that It is true (as stated), I will let yon know. " Enough from your friend, "WiNmo. "To Mr Fox." "Auckland. 31st Msrch, WM. ** Friend Wm Nero,— l have read your letter in which you say that the road to life for Wm Thompson and the chiefs of Waikato Is stopped because they are afraid if they give up their weapons Wm Thompson and Matutaera will bn bong ; and you ask that you may be allowed to go to tell them whether this thought is true or fids*. " Friend William ! great Is our love for Waikato to save these men from destruction. This is good, The Government also desires that they should not perish. But that thought of theirs v wrong altogether. The word of the Government is, that all will be spared if they lav down their arms and agree to live under the Queen's law. Their laud will be gone to the Queen, but they will be allowed enough to live on well. A Crown grant will be given to each. This word is for Matutaera, for Taraplppi, for all Waikato ; "none are excepted but the muiderers." Let sot these men then be afraid ; but let them be quick in giving up their arms, for otherwise the General will not be held in— he will go on till the rebels are laid down. , •'This is a true word. Now if you like to go. g». If joa •will go. that also is well. This is 4hat your love lor Waikato may tare tbe lives of those men, of Matutaera, of Thompson, and the •then. "From yourloviniiMend, . "Tb Pohika."

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Bibliographic details

Otago Witness, Issue 654, 11 June 1864, Page 3

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THE ABORIGINAL PROTECTION SOCIETY AND THE COLONIAL GOVERNMENT. Otago Witness, Issue 654, 11 June 1864, Page 3

THE ABORIGINAL PROTECTION SOCIETY AND THE COLONIAL GOVERNMENT. Otago Witness, Issue 654, 11 June 1864, Page 3

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