THE WAIKATO COMMITTEE.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVI, Issue 1514, 16 April 1861, Page 2

THE WAIKATO COMMITTEE.

CHAPTER I.

Introductory. " - --- In the year 18*57 when the King Move- ' ment was beginning to assume important t dimensions, an attempt was.made by Mr. F, D. Feuton, Resident r.lagislrate iri the Waikato distriot - , to give it a direction which might result in advantages, equally , to the Maori race,. and the Colonists of New Zealand. Hehadsliidied the great movement, which was stirring the Native mind all through the country, and had arrived at certain conclusions as to its character, and tendencies, as wellaa.tri the manner. in. which the. Government.., ought to treat it. Z Ha. laid his views in writing before ihe Governor, who consulted his : responsible ministers on th;e .subject; they both concurred in Mi;. Fenton's views, and the result was that > he, being ut the time Resident Magistrate Z, at Whaingaroa, was appointed to thie same office in the Waikato oountry, thegreat focus of lho " King Movement," ' toi' the purpose of carrying out his. sug-; gestions. His, work- was attended .with "marked success" for a period of 14 momhs, when in August, 1858, he was suddenly reoailed and the plans he had initiated summarily abandoned.

Except a few persona at Auckland, none of the Colonists knew anything of the matter ; the public at large having been kept in the dark 'on tliis.&s. on most othei- affairs affecting ;o,ur relations with the Native race. Early in the Session of 1860, Mr. , Forsaith, • a representative for the Gity pf--. Auckland, made a fishing motion for papers;" tl¥e object of which was to obtain the production of Mr. Fenton's minutes and journals. Papers were consequently laid on the tablo, but not those: he sought; and it was not till the Session was faradvanced, about six weeks from its termination, that those he wished for" were produced. On ttie . following day threo members, Hunter Brown, Sewell, and Fox, rose together to express their astonishment that documents of such great ini--'' portance and whioh seemed to contain tlie key to; the whole " Native case" (into which the house had been blindly endeavouring to grope its vyay for several weeks) should have been so/long kept back, and Mr. Brown immediately moved for a Committee " to enquire as lo the: circumstiiiw.es under which an "attempt was made in the year 1857 to introduce institutions of Civil Government amongst tho Natives in the Waikato district; th© practical effects of the same, and the causes which, led to its discontinuance." The Committee consisted of Mr. Hunter Brown, (Canterbury) ClMrman, Messrs. Domett (Nelson) Williamson (Auckland) Fox (Wanganui) F. D. Bell ! (Otago) Forsaith Auckland) Heale (Auokland) *T .< King (Taranaki) and Sewell (Canterbury). 77 The Committee commenced its 'sittings bit .the 27th of Sept., -and the, Report feat's date Slat Oct. The Committee saf 'almost every day, except Sunday?, duringithe interval, (inol^dingiallttho^ usually devoteclto. relaxation, by tlie .member^qf the House;, pf ; I^eprpaeitiatiyeßH andon iqorQithafl one occasion prolonging their labours ;;i?U .unci. night. Fifteen European witnesses and the same . number of Natives were examined, and immenso ilea of official correspondence aud othey docu-

ments wero oarefully perused and digested. Tlie sittings of the Committee were generally attended hy the whole of its members, and it may be safely asserted that no investigation was ever carried on with more earnestness, industry, and impartiality

The Report was brought up only one or two .sitting days before the prorogation— -when the House was deeply engaged iv the financial debates on Dr. Featherston's resolutions, and on the last stages of tho Native Councils Bill. It was impossible therefore to toke it into consideration before the end of tlie Session.

The writer hoped long before this to have* been able to perfot-m the task which he proposes to himself, ttiat of putting ijito a narrative form the results of-riie investigation ; and it is no fault of his that he has not sooner done so. When the the Assembly was prorogued on the ft th of November, 138 out of the 165 pages which the Report and Evidence fill, were printed ; and Mr. Dillon Bell who had undertaken to see it through the press, a task which he has executed with his usual ability, assured the House that he hoped to have it out in a week. No copy reached Wellington till the end of February or begining of March. The writer lias been informed that the delay arose in consequence of the printing of this and otherAssembly documents having been suspended, in order to get out Mr. Richmond's reply to Sir Wm. Martin, and the " Notes on the war by tho Governor," which aie stated to have gone home about the same date. If this be true, it was a liberty taken by the Government with the proceedings of tho House for which it deserves severe censure. It was of much more consequence to the Colony tliat the results of the investigation of tlie Waikato Committee should be widely and early dissemminated, than that Mr. Richftiond's document, or His Excellency's Notes should see the light. Mr. Dillon Bell's industry and ability are too well known to allow for a moment of the supposition that the delay originated with him ; or that, had he not been interfered with, he would havo failed to fulfil the pledge which he gave to the House. The document is no doubt one very damaging to those who have hitherto held in their hands the administration of Native affairs ; but the Responsible Ministers on the whole came well out of the enquiry, and ought to be rather glad to aid in the circulation of tho Report. It may be thought that after the notification published hy the Governor on the 24th of January fast, the writer ought to abstain from entering on the discussion of a large question affecting the Natives. I see however no reason for doing so, on any such ground. In the first place I look upon that notification (as! observe several ofthe Government papers also do) as an injudicious interference with the liberty of the press, and the discretion of its conductors ; manifesting only the weakness of the government, which after having spared no pains to circulate its own statements, attempts to stop the mouths of those who differ from it. If " disaffection has really been encouraged among the natives by speeches and writings circulated through the countiy by means of tho press," it has been by such speeches and writings as those which Mr. Richmond the Minister for Native affairs, Mr. Domett and other supporters of the Government delivered in the early part of last Session; by. the leading articles in the newspapers which supported the Government ; and still more by tho attempts made to force on the country the " Native Offenders Bill," which had it passed would beyond all doubt have converted the present local into a general war. In the second place I shall have nothing to say about the war ; shall neither " impugn its justice or legality," but leave it entirely on one side.. In tho third place, so far from what I shall write being calculated to spread disaffection among the natives, I cannot but think that it will tend greatly to remove any disaffection which exists, should they learn that a Committee of the Houset of Representatives spent more than a month, in diligently and earnestly investigating, by day and by night, the causes which have led to our present unsatisfactory relations with the WatlV«"l-MCC7ctna-cm.t-vavuurtnjj- tv -fin.! _. x-orrroiSj--for the existing evils. If in the course of the narrative, it should come to light, that much of the evil is attributable to mis-government by those who have hitherto claimed the exclusive administration of Native affairs, and undertaken the responsibility of maintaining peace between the races, it is possible that it might confirm the distrust which already exists tosogreata degree ; but when it is also made clear that the Committee of the House of Representatives recognised the true character of the King Movement, as " an effort for better government," and that the universal feeling ameng all who have studied the subject, is to put their shoulders to the wheel to assist the natives in achieving their social and political elevation, surely a confidence will be created which will rest upon a surer and broader basis than any yet reposed by them in the Government of tlio Colony. Should therefore the following articles meet the eye of any of the Native race, or be brought under their notice by any of their European friends, the writer can anticipate none but the happiest results ; nor does he believe that any thing would do more . to allay existing irritation than that the whole race should be made acquainted with the results of the investigations of the Waikato Committee and the spirit in which they were conducted.

And lastly the House of Representatives having already published the Report and Evidence which I have merely undertaken to digest, and having, for the purpose of ensuring its more extended circulation, ordered six copies tobe sent to every member instead of the single copy to which the issue of Sessional papers is ordinarily limited, and having also directed a large number to be struck off for sale to the public, has itself manifested its desire make to mako the contents of these documents as widely known as possible ; and I feel therefore that in extending that circulation in the form which 1 propose through the newspaper press, 1 am only assisting to carry out the desire of the House of Representatives expressed during the late Session.

The reader will understand that what I write is not the fruit of my own mind. I shall not state a single fact, and scarcely enunciate a single opinion which is not to bo found in the oral or documentary evidence laid before the Committee, or in the Report in which that hody unanimously concurred, or in other Sessional papers. 1 might givo a reference for almost every line, certainly for every paragraph, I shall y&ite, to some witness or other of very much greater authority in native affairs than myself. Such a course, however, while it would necessitate a more careful revision of the press than circumstances enable me to give, would be useless to such as have not the original documents, and superfluous to such as have. My aim will be, faithfully to give the substance of tlio evidence on every material point ; so arranging and digesting the subject matter of the whole enquiry, as to present to the mind of the reader an intelligent account of the question embraced by it, in the hope that the revelation of a great error committed in the past, may teach our public servants wisdom for the future.

The following are some of the most prominent topics which will be brought under the notice of the reader.

1 . The Problem to be solved. Sir George Grey neither understood it nor its solution. Condition of the Native mind at the date of his departure. Commencement of the King Movement. 2. The machinery ot government in relation to Native affairs ; legislation ; execution; Native Sc crctary's department ; Waste Lands department. Amalgamation of the two latter against repeated protests, t' Mr. Davis's memorandum. Results of the fusion of tlie offices ; present difficulties largely if not wholly attributable to it. Secret reasons for it. Some of the consequences as tbey were revealed to the General Assembly during last Session.

8. Mr. Fenton's first memorandum—how received]. Nothing done. 4. Mr.i Fenton's second memorandum. The Governor aroused— goes to Waikato. Consults hia responsible ministers, Character of the King

Movement at this dato. Mr. Fonton appointed Resident Magistrate afc Waikato to carry out his suggestion*. What the Native Secretary (M'Lean ) was doing, and what he thought about it. S.f Mr. Fenton's journals. His qualifications for tho office. Success of his labours. His sudden recall and tlie abandonment of his system. The causes which led to his recall, and the antipodean change of the Governor's opinions on the subject. 6. Defence of the Native Secretary's Department for stopping Mr. Fenton's wprk. The King and Queen parties. Neglect of old chiefs by Mr. I Fenton. The " Ruananga.'' Mr. M 'Lean before I the Committee. Potatau offended ; who to blame ? ' System discontinued. Turton and Halse, mere I shams.

7. Consequences of Mr. Fenton's removal. Great impulse to the King Movement. Nearly unanimous concurrence of opinion on this head.

8. The war of tlie departments. Conflict of authorities. Too many masters — all Lieut. Colonels and no privates. Personal jealousies. Specimens of official impediments. The instructions which were not issued. Contrast between M'Lean's and Fenton's systems. The great medicine man ; and " there is no mystery." 9. Relative value of the Evidence on each side. Mr. M'Lean's three European witnesses to whose evidence the Committee " attaches no weight whatever." The unanimous Report of the Committee, ending in the triumphant- vindication of Mr. Fenton's system, and decided condemnation of the views of the Native Secretary's Department on the subject of the King Movement.