F—No. 3

34

CHARGE PREFERRED BY DR. FEATHERSTON

Mr. Parris. 19 August, 1861

184. How do you reconcile your statement that Teira's offer was first made in March, 1859, with the following one, in your letter to the Chief Commissioner, dated September 13th, 1860, (1860, E—No. 4, paragraphs 1, 2, 3,) as follows:— " I have the honor to forward for your information the following further particulars relative to meetings and interviews with the Waitara Natives, for the purpose of discussing and investigating the title to the block of land sold by Teira and party to the Government. " The first meeting was convened by Teira, to declare publicly his intention in the matter, on the 28th November, 1857, at the Kuhikuhi Pa, Waitara, which meeting I attended. On that occasion, Rawiri Rauponga appeared undecided, although both ho and Patukakariki had intimated to me their desire to sell land, on the South bank of the Waitara. Patukakariki has some substantial claims in the pieces excluded from the block sold by Teira and party. Wm. King has also two very small allotments there. For this reason, I refused to allow that part to be included in the block, although the parties selling are the largest claimants there. Previously to this, Horima Kumukumu had been to inform me that his father, Patukakariki, had decided to sell the land in question, on account of disputes they had had with some of Wm. King's people about the occupation of it, —and very shortly after this he died: had he survived, I have no doubt that he and his father would have supported the sale, and that they would have sold also the piece of land to which they have substantial claims, but which is now excluded from the purchase. At the before-mentioned meeting, Teira, Retimana, and Hemi Pataka, spoke and declared their intention to sell their land. They warned Rauponga and Patukakariki not to betray them, intimating that they had encouraged them privately to be strong in the matter, but now were afraid to speak out. William King was the only man who spoke for the opposition. He said nothing about claims to the land; but threatened war, if any land was sold, —as he did also in his letter to Ihaia and Nikorima, respecting the sale of the Tarurutangi block?" -—That letter does not say the land was offered. Teira convened a meeting to talk over the matter; I was present, but the land was not offered to me. 185. You commenced negotiations with Teira and others in November, 1857, and continued them off and on till March, 1859, when you received positive instructions? —I did not commence negotiations for the land in 1857, unless my attending the meeting can be construed into the same. I submit it could not be negotiated for, unless offered for sale. 186. When did you commence negotiations for the Waitara block?—l do not remember waiting upon Wm. King and his people to negotiate, before the land was offered by Teira, in March, 1859; but, knowing that there was a desire on the part of some of the claimants to sell, I endeavoured to make myself acquainted with the question. 187. You state in your letter, September 13th, 1860, (E —No. 4, page 4,) "The negotiations for the Tarurutangi block were resumed at the request of the Natives themselves, and reopened Teira's offer as a collateral question;" when was Teira's offer reopened? —I do not remember the exact month, but it must have been towards the middle of the year 1858. 188. You stated the other day that, previous to Teira's offer in March, 1859, you had never received any instructions or suggestions from any member of the late Government with regard to acquiring land at the W T aitara; did you never receive any instructions from Mr. McLean?—l do not remember that I ever did. 189. Did you ever intimate to the Government that you had commenced negotiations, towards the middle of 1858, with Teira for a block of land at Waitara; and if so, when?—l believe I reported the meeting that took place in 1857, and, no doubt, intimated to the Government there was a desire on the part of some of the Natives, to sell land at Waitara. 190. Did you intimate to the Government that you had commenced operations with Teira, when the question was reopened, in 1858? —I do not remember: if I did, the letter would be on record. 191. Were yoci aware of His Excellency Governor Browne's disapproval of Mr. Commissioner Cooper's conduct, in 1858, "in commencing [I quote His Excellency's words] a survey before he was assured that all who had even a disputed claim to the land desired it should be sold, and that His Excellency had declined to make a demand for reparation which could only be enforced at the expense of a general war?" —Not being in the service of the Government at the time, I was not aware of the Governor's views on the subject. 192. Were there not many Natives who had, at any rate, disputed claims to portions of Teira's block, who not only did not desire to have it sold, but protested against its sale?— They never protested to me; only in the shape of a general protest, against the sale of land within the boundary alluded to in Wm. King's letter—that of Waitaha and Mokau —but always refused to explain their claims in Teira's block. 193. In your letter of the 16th February, 1860, addressed to the Colonial Treasurer, you stated that, at a meeting, Wm. King used those words:—"l will not consent to divide the land, because my father's dying words and instructions were to hold it." What was the date of that meeting?— • On the Monday previous to February 16th. 194. Was that the only occasion on which Wm. King used that or a similar expression?—He generally used that expression when I was talking with him on the subject. 195. In your letter to Mr. C. W, Richmond, of the 21st September, 1859, you hold out no hope of Wm. King withdrawing his opposition to the sale, and you state that you are looking out for the arrival of Mr. McLean, as the state of Teira's question is such that it is desirable it shall be settled one way or the other. In your letter to Mr. C. W. Richmond, of November 19th, 1859, you express a hope that His Excellency will nut think that you have unnecessarily delayed paying an instalment, "for it was a matter which gave you great anxiety of mind on Teira's account;" and, in your letter to Chief Commissioner McLean, of the 2nd December, 1859, (1860, E—No.