NEW ZEALAND WARS AND THEIR ORIGIN.

Timaru Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 1479, 18 June 1879, Page 8

NEW ZEALAND WARS AND THEIR ORIGIN.

• The following letter has been addressed lo the Rangitikei Advocate by the Hon. Sir William F..x, M.H.R.:— "Sir, — The special correspondent of the Auckland Star, who has lately been m attendance on Sir George Grey al the Waikato meeting, writes thuß : — ' A few notes for lbe Hon. W. Fox. — The Hon. W. Fox kindly quoted extensively from the Star reports of Ihe Hiliurangi meeting last Best-ion. Probably he will be anxious to select some portions of the report of Ihe present meeting to edify honorable members ; therefore I present bim with the following : I was m the Kingite camp with Te Whsrepu, and Borne other influential chiefs, when tbe conversation turned on the origin of the Waikato war and confiscation. One chief said it was Te Fokiba (Fox) wbo caused all the troubles m this is'and. He made a plan to kill all the Maoris and take the land and sell ii, m order to get back the money spent m killing üb. We did not want to fight tbe Pakehas, but he so forced us with war m order to carry out his own designs.' " I am afraid, sir, that tbe Waikato Maoris have lately been m bod company, and bad their minds poisoned by ' wicked white men,' or tbey would hardly bave made this very serious charge against me. In order to refute it, wi'l you allow me to gire a short account of the origin of all the wars and confiscations which have occurred m New Zealand. My Waikato friends will, I think, be surprised to see how they have been misled, and how little I have had to do with either wars or confiscation. I shall also send a copy of this letter to tho Waka Maori, where it will ba translated into Maori, so that all the Maoris may read it and know the truth. The first war wss begun m 1844, when Jobn Heki destroyed Kororareka, m the Bay of Islands. That was m Governor Fitzroy's time. Fitzroy was recalled, and Captain Grey sent m his place. He continued the war with Heki. There was fighting at Kororareka, at Ohaewae, and other places. Tbat war was badly managed by Grey and the Queen's soldiers, but with the assistance of Nene Walker, chief of the Ngapubie, Heki was at last defeated, and shortly died. I had nothing to do with that war. I was living quietly at Nelson all the time. Tbe next war was at the Hutt and Porirua, with JRangihoeto, Te Eittgakuri, and others. Rauperaha was helping them from Otaki. Sir George Grey came to Otaki at midnight, n a man-of-war, took Rauperaha out of bis bed, and carried bim away prisoner to Auckland. That was the end of that war. I had nothing to do with tbat war. I was still living quietly at Nelson. The npxt war was at Wanganui. Governor Grey was the governor m that war. There was one fight at bt. Johns-wood, close tothe town. Much powder was expended but "Tew lives. Thirteen thousand rounds of tall-cartridge were fired by tbe Queen's troops, one Maori killed and no white man. That was the end of that war. With that war I had nothing to do. I was still living quietly at Nelson. There was no more fighting till Governor Browne came. Then tbe Waitara wor began, m 1860. I was living quietly at Rangitikei ; but wheu the Assembly met at Aucklond, 1 opposed Governor Browne on account of that fighting. I thought he was wrony m fighting for thst land. So thought also Dr Featherstone, Mr Fitzberbert, and a great many more. We were culled by Governor Browne's friends, the " Peaee-at-any-price Party." We made Governor Browne's wrong-doing known to tbe Queen, and next year he was re-called. William Thompson (Tarapipihi) had at that time made peace, but. Governor Browne was going to begin fighting again when he waß recalled. Then Bir George Grey was sent again by the Queen, to be Governor, and to try to make peace. When Governor Grey came, I was Prime Minister, ond for a whole year he and I tried, to moke peace. I said, " Let there be no more fighting ; let there be cix commissioners appointed to inquire into and ta decide the Waitara trouble, and all other grievances. Let one Pakeha and two Maoris be appointed by Ihe Governor, and one Pokeho ond two Maoriß be appointed by the Maoris." This was at a great meeting witb Bewi and the otber chiefs ot Hongitikei, m Waikato. But Tarapipihi and the King would not agree to this peaceful solution. Was I desirous of killing all tbe Maoris when I aoted thus ?

At the end ot lhe yeir I ceased lo be Pr.me Minister, m consequence of a vote of the llouea of .Representatives, who relused to continue responsible Government iv Native affairs, wliich hid been established between Mr Oeorge Giey and myself I think he hal got tired of it, and wus desirous to have more absolute power. Mr Don eit was the Piime Minister m my plr.ee. He and his i.-ollragui-s continued toadvi-e the Governor oa Native affairs, but they were not responsible. He ulouo was so. A few montlis after this, by a complication of blunders on the part, of >ir George Grey, hostilit es were iigain renewed at Taranaki. Tbe fighting began at Tataiaimakß, by Sir George Grey sending soldiers there. Some of these eoldiera were ati aeked by ambuscade, and killed. The Woikiitoa joined m. There was one fight there between thera and Generul Cameron, und many of Ibe Waikatos were killed. Then the Waikatos mado preparations to aitnck Auckland, and Sir Geoigj Grey sent General Cameron wilh the Queen's solniers lo tight with Waikato, lo prevent them coming to Auckland, and to punish them for tlieir interference (Pokenoa) at Taranaki. With all tbat I had nothing to do. I was living quietly at Rangitikei. The law of confiscation was made at this time by Grey and Domett. I will say more about that by-and-by. The fighting went on m Waikato till about October, 1863. Then the Assembly met. On reaching Auckland, I was met at thc wharf by Sir George Grey's private rccretary, who told me the Governor wanted me immediately. He had quarrelled with Domett and bis colleagues, and they resigned. He asked me to form a new Ministry, which I did. Whitaker was the Prime Minister ; I was Colonial Secretary and Native Minister. The fighting m Waikato went on for some months, till Mcri Meri, Hangiriri, Ngaruawahia, Raugiawhio, Orakei, and Mungatuutari wero taken. Tliere was fighting nlso with the Ngatiterangi at Tannings. I was a Minister all that lime — about one year. At the end of thnt Ime (November or December, 1864) Sir GeorgeGrey quarrelled with us, und we resigned. 'lhe next war wus wilh the Ngateranuis, Ngarauru, and other tribes, between Wanganui and Taranaki. Sir George Grey was Governor, and Mr Weld Prime Minister. I had nothing to do with that war; I was m Kngland. Then there was more fighting at Poverty Boy and the JEo-t Coast. ; Governor Grey was Governor, onn Mr Weld ond Mr Stafford (I think) were Prime Ministers. I hod nothing to do with it ; I was m England. '1 hen Governor Grey was .recalled, and Governor Boweu camo. Mr Stafford was Prime Minister. Te Kooti, who had escaped from the Chatham Islands, where be had beeu sent a prisoner, committed the Poverty liny massacre, und fighting broko out again on the East Coast, m the Upper Hawke's Bay country r.nd ut Toupo. Also ut the came time, Titikowaru began fighlir-g on the West Coast, at To Ngulu-o'-te-Manu, at Tauranga ika, and nil the country between Wanganui and Taranaki. I had now returned from England, and was living quiet'y at Eiiegitikei. After these wars had been going on for a year, and Titikowaru ha«l been defeated, only Te Kooti and the Uriweras still fighting at Taupo and elsewhere, I again became Prime Minister. Sir Donald McLean was Native Minister. The fighting with Te Kooti went on for about a year. We had no Queen's Soldiers, but. only tbe Constabulary and a fores of native alließ— WaDganuis under Major Kemp and Topia, and Ngaliporos under Major Ropata. Te Kooti wurat last defeated, and took refuge with the King, who still protects this murderer. He was ul the meetings last year when Grey was there ; also, I believe, this year. Since that there has been no fighting, and I Binceroly hope there will never be any more. If only Sir George Grey and Mr Sheehan will keep from teasing the King, and will act justly übout the reserves at Woimote, I believe there will be no more. I think the above will Bhow my Maori friends how little truth there is m the statement that I bad been the cause of all the troubles m this island. There have been nine wars m New Zealund With only two of these have I hud anything to do, and m those two caees I did not begin the fighting; I only continued the fighting already begun by Sir George Grey, Mr Domett, or Mr Stafford, as a matter of self -defence on behalf of thn white man and the friendly Maoris. Observe lhat. I om not saving whether these wars were right or wrong ; lam only stating facts which chow how little I had to do wilh bringing "all these troubles " on the country, and how great a falsehood it is to say (hat I have been the cause of them. 2. I will now state the facts regarding confiscation : "Up to tbe date of the renewal of the Taranaki wur m 1863, no landß bad been confiscated as a punishment for fighting. After that renewal of the war, and the Waikatos mixing themselves up m it without ony reaßon or piovocation, Mr Domett, who was then Prime Minister (but not responsible), suggested to Sir George Grey (who was Governor and respmsible) that extensive tracts of land should be confiscated m Waikato and Taranaki, on which Furopean military settlers should be placed, ub a protection to the other settlements, and as a punishm°nt to the Waikato and Tararaki tribes for their rebellion against lbe Queen. This was on the 31st July, 1863. [See Appx. Pari. Papers, 1863 : A— No. B.] Sir George Grey gavo his full consent to this proposal, and he wrote to the Queen's Ministers m England approving it m these words : " I leel certain that the chiefs m Waikato baying m so unprovoked a manner caused Europeans to be murdered, und having planned a wholesale destruction of somo of the European settlements, it will now be necessary to take steps for the permanent security of the country, and to inflict upon those chiefs punishment of such a nature as would deter olher tribes. I can advise no otber plan by which both these ends can be obtained, tban by locating large bodies of settlers m those natural positions of this province which will give us the command of it. * * * And secondly, by taking the land on whiob the European population is settled from those tribes who have been guilty of the outrages. A punishment of thiß nature will deter other tribes from committing similar acts, when they find it is not a mere question of fighting, wbioh they are to be allowed to do as long as tbey please, and then to return to their former homes as if nothing bad I aken place ; but that suoh misconduct is followed by the forfeiture of large tracts of territory, which they valuo highly, whilst their own countrymen will generally admit that tbis punishment is a fair and just one, which tbe Waikato chiefs have well deserved. —(Signed) G. Gbey." Tbis was the beginning of the law of confiscation. My Maori friends will see that it wob mado by Mr Domett and Sir George Grey. I had nothing to do with it. I wss livins quietly at my farm m Rangitikei, when that litt'e ' Parliament of two ' made that law. Ido not say that it was not a good law, and tbat it was not right and just that the fighting tribes ehould be punished hy the loss of tbeir land, as they would bave been if they had been fighting among themselves. lam only denying the fact thut I was the caker nf that law, and that 1 got up the -war m Waikato to enable me to take od vantage of that law which I had mode. As Ihe war was none of my making, so the confiscation was not proposed by me. Both were the work of Sir George Grey ond his Ministers, and not of me. One word more nbout the confiscation of Waikato. Wben Waikato was conquered I said to Sir Gerge Grey, ' Now put your law of confiscation m force," and I showed him a map of the lands I recommended to bn confiscated. But he had changed his mind ; be went round like a weathercock and would not do it. On this, I and my colleagues resigned, and Mr Weld became Prime Minister. The first thing he did was to ask Sir George Grey to confiscate the Waikato land. He asked for more to be confiscated than I had done, and Sir George Grey going round again like the weathercock, instantly did as be was told, and confiscated all that Mr Weld asked for. Afterwards, wben the fighting was on the West Const and on the East Coast, more land was confiscated ; but I had nothing to do witb those confiscations. They were all made by Sir George Grey and his Ministers, either Mr Weld or Mr Stafford. I was m England all that time. It is a fact, therefore, lhat not only did 1 not invent the law of confiscation, but no

J single acre m ISew Zetland has been co ;fisCite'l by me or under my advice, unless it be a small portion at Tauranga, about which I am not certain. On the contrary, when I returned to office m 18P9 with Sir Dona d McLean, we cave back to the natives large tracts on both Fast and West Coasts, where they a c now living m peace. Tt was with my consent that land was given back. I have only one word more for my friends m Waikato who have been told that I have been the "root of al] theae I roubles." No war and no confiscation has ever been made or could be made m New Zetland, unless the Governor was willing it ahould be bo. When the Queen's soldiers were here, General Cameron would not listen to the word of lbe colonial Ministers. The only person whose orders he would obey waß Governor Grey, or Governor Browne, before Grey rame. No fighting his ever gone on m New Zealand without the Governor being desirous, or ot least, willing, to fit>ht. His Ministers could not force hira. It is the same with confi'eation. The Governor alone can confiscate, and no Ministry could force him to do it. And except m that case where Sir George Grey reused to confiscate the land I oßked for (and did it immediately afterwards for Mr Weld), there baa never been any ditFculty made about it by Sir George Grey when he was Governor. He carried out the law made by himself and Mr Domett, ' the only plan which he said he could devise for the snrurity of the colony, and lhe punishment, of the rebels.' What a pity that he could not now let well aio^e ! The patient ane" prudent administration of the last years of Sir Donald McLean's life, followed up m the same spirit by Major Atkinson's Government, were bearing excellent fruit, and steadily iromoling our friendly relations with that comparatively small seciion of the Maoris, m whoso minds Btill rankle some recollection of past events. The uncilled-for, not to cay impertinent, irtru-ion on the remnant of the King party, which has been going en since the dny when Sir George Grey took office, and which has culminated m co humiliating a manner for him at the late meetings m Waikato, together wilh tbe unfortunate indiscretion exhibited t-y Mr Sh -ehan m hiß interview with Te Whiti, and his rashly offering for Bale Wamale lands withoul making reserves for the resident natives, hae cone far to undo most, if not all, of the good wliich had resulted from many years of patient and discreet oction of previous Governments. The action of these gentlemen during their term of office has, m my humble opinion, shown an abeolute ignorance of every principle which past experience should hare taught lhem ought to guide our dealings with the native raco. At one moment ' bouncing ' nn important chief, and rashly surveying land which wns affected by a Berious dispute, and the next crawling m on all fours, uninvited guests at tbe greal gathering of the King party, and when defeated m their attempt lo make political capital out of it, leaving it m anger, and wit.-i a display of disappointment which must hove been gralifying to those on whom they hod inflicted their unwisbed-for presence! Let us hope that the rebi.ffs Ihey have r ceived on these occasions moy make them olitlleless confident m their fitness for Ihe task they have undertaken, and m wliich they appear to me to have miserably failed. — I am, kc, William Fox, M.H.R."