HUNDRED YEARS AGO

Taranaki Daily News, 1 November 1935, Page 10

HUNDRED YEARS AGO

HISTORIC DOCUMENT NORTHERN CHIEFS SIGN. SOVEREIGNTY IN NEW ZEALAND. Although the centenary of New Zealand as a separate colony will not be celebrated until 1940, October 27 marked the one hundredth anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence by the northern chiefs, one of the early steps that led to the establishment of British sovereignty in New Zealand. The original, copy of the declaration is @ne of the treasures in possession -of Se Department of Internal Affairs, and e Minister in charge of that department, the Hon. Sir Alexander Young, is having the document suitably prepared for' public exhibition at an early date. Sir Alexander stated in an interview on Saturday that in more favourable times it might be possible for the department to issue publications dealing with the early history of New Zealand. Pending that, he thought a display of some of the original documents of the early days would prove of general interest. He had made a selection of documents which were essentially museum pieces, some of them beautiful /examples of the pencraft of a century ago, and he hoped to have them ready for exhibition within a few weeks. The history of the incidents leading up to the Declaration of Independence was well summarised in a Government publication of 1877 dealing with certain early historic records, this publication incidentally containing lithographic facsimiles of the declaration, the Treaty of Waitangi and the rough draft of the treaty. “PROTECTION OF INFANT STATE.” The Declaration of Independence actually represented the effort of the British Resident, Mr. James Busby, to forestall the attempt of Baron Charles de Thierry to establish himself as “sovereign chief of New Zealand ” Mr. Busby summoned a meeting of northern chiefs at Waitangi on October 28, 1835, and there the declaration was signed affirming the independence of the tribes and asking the King of England to become protector of their infant State. The declaration was signed by 35 o. the hereditary chiefs or heads of tribes, in the presence of Mr. Busby, the Rev. Henry Williams (afterward Archdeacon), Mr. George Clarke, of the Church Missionary Society (afterward Chief Protector of Aborigines), Mr. James E. Clendon, assistant British resident at Hokianga, and Mr. Gilbert Mair, merchant, of Kororareka. The signatures or marks of other chiefs were added later, among them those of the celebrated Tamati Waka Nene, his brother Patuone Te Hapuku, of Hawkes Bay, and Te Wherowhero Potatau, ariki of the Waikato tribes. The translation of the original declare tion is as follows: — “We, the hereditary chiefs and heads of the tribes of the northern parts of New Toland, being assembled at Waitangi, in the Bay of Islands, on this 28th day of October, 1835, declare the' independence of our country, which is hereby constituted and declared to be an Independent State, ui}der the designation of The United Tribes of New Zealand. “SOVEREIGN AUTHORITY.” “All sovereign power and authority ■within the territories of the United Tribes of New Zealand is hereby declared to reside entirely and exclusively in the hereditary chiefs and heads of tribes in their collective capacity, who also declare that they will -not permit any legislative authority separate from themselves in their collective capacity to exist, nor any function of government to be exercised within the said territories, unless by persons appointed by them, and acting under the authority of laws regularly enacted by them in congress assembled. “The hereditary chiefs and heads of ' tribes agree to meet in congress at Wai* fangi in the autumn of each year, for the j purpose of framing laws for the dispensation of justice, the preservation of peace and good order, and the regulation of trade; ' and they cordially invite the southern tribes to lay aside their private animosities and to consult the safety and welfare of our common country by j owing the Confederation of United Tribes. “They also agree to send a copy of this declaration to His Majesty the King of England, to thank him for his acknowledgment of their flag; and in return for the friendship and protection they have shown and are prepared to show,. to such of his subjects as have settled in their country, or restored to its shores for the purposes of trade, they entreat that he will continue to be the parent of their infant State, and that he will become its Protector from all attempts upon its independence.” AMBITIOUS RESOLUTIONS. A translation of the Declaration was duly forwarded by Mr. Busby to tn» Secretary of State for the Colonies. However, the somewhat ambitious resolutions it contained were found TO be impracticable, and nothing further resulted from the movement.

A covering letter was sent by Mr. Busby to the Secretary of State, and in this he said: “In this Declaration the chiefs entreat that his Majesty will continue to be the parent of their infant State, and that he will become its Protector from all attempts oh its independence; and it is at their unanimous desire that I transmit this document, in order to its being laid at the feet of His Majesty.”

Further light is thrown on the incident by an extract from a dispatch from Lord Glenelg to Major-General Sir Richard Bourke, New. South Wales, dated Downing Street, May 25, 1836. This •read: “I have received a letter from Mr. Busby enclosing a copy of a declaration made by the chiefs of the northern parts of New Zealand, setting forth the independence of their country, and declaring the union of their respective tribes into one State, under the designation of the United Tribes of New Zea - land. I perceive that the chiefs at the same time came to the resolution to send a copy of their declaration to His Majesty, to thank him for his acknowledgment of their flag, and to entreat that,, in return for the friendship and protection which they have shown, and are prepared to show, to. such British subjects as have settled in their country or resorted to its shores for the purposes of trade, His Majesty will continue to be the parent of their infant State and its Protector from all attempts on its independence. “With reference to the desire wnicn the chiefs have expressed on this occasion to maintain a good understanding with His Majesty’s subjects, it will be proper that they should be assured, in His Majesty’s name, that he will not fail to avail himself of every opportunity of showing his goodwill and of affording to those chiefs such support and protection as may be consistent with a due regard to the just rights of others and to the interests of His Majesty’s subjects.”