E—No. 1

GOVERNOR'S DESAATCH the remaining portion of the district for the European population, and when the extent of the land so resumed has been ascertained, to determine what price shall be paid to the Natives for it ; this amount not to be paid at once, but in annual instalments, extending over a period of three or four years ; at the end of which time it may be calculated that the lands reserved for the Natives will have become so valuable as to yield them some income, in addition to the produce raised from those portions of them which they cultivate. " If possible, the total amount of land resumed for the Europeans should be from 60,000 to 70,000 acres ; a grant of this tract of land will then be offered by the Government to the Company.. " The price paid for any portion of land should not, under any circumstances, exceed Is. 6d. per acre, and the average price should be below this amount. The greatest economy on this subject is necessary.. " This arrangement should be carried out, in the first instance, with those parties who have given their assent to it, including the Natives who have offered a tract of land for sale to the south of the Sugar Loaves. " Where land without the block awarded by Mr. Spain is now acquired, and required for immediate use by the Company's settlers, sections must be surveyed for them. " Those Natives who refuse to assent to this arrangement must distinctly understand that the Government do not admit that they are the true owners of the land they have recently thought proper to occupy/ (76). 58. At first the Ngatiawa Chiefs resisted this decision ; b"t shortly afterwards it seems Governor Grey had reason to believe that Wiremu Kingi meant to submit, for he informed the Secretary of State that he had ascertained that " the whole of the Ngatiawa tribe with the exception of one family of it, the Puketapu, had assented to the arrangement, and that several European settlers had already been put in possession of their lands." (77). 59-. I have thus shown that, as in the proceedings of Governor Hobson and Governor Fitzßoy, neither the Tribal Right in the Ngatiawa, nor any "Seignorial Right," nor any Chieftain's right to forbid a sale, Was admitted at Taranaki by Sir George Grey; and that in the arrangement he proposed, he intended to fulfil the promises made by his predecessor. But Sir George Grey certainly went a step farther than Governor Fitzßoy ; he refused to recognise, as a matter of right, either Tribal Right or individual ownership. Reserves were to be laid off for the Natives; the residue of the land was to be resumed by the Crown for the European settlers; a price per acre was to be fixed (not higher thai) eighteenpence per acre); and those natives who did not choose to come into the arrangement were distinctly warned they would not be admitted to be the rightful owners of the soil at all. I beg leave once more respectfully to remind Your Grace, that in simply allowing Te Teira and his people to sell their own land, I did no more at Waitara in 1860, than Governor Fitzßoy thought it consistent with the Ngatiawa rights to do in respect of New Plymouth in 1844, aud than Governor Grey thought it consistent with the same rights to do in respect of the whole boundaries awarded, by Commissioner Spain. v. Ngatiaiva Migration from Kapiti in \ 848. 60. But Governor Grey had been deceived in the belief that the whole of the Ngatiawa tribe acquiesced in his decision. It was soon evident that Wiremu Kingi was as much bentasever on returning to Waitara. He pretended to be anxious not to act in opposition to the Government ; but pressed on Major Richmond the offer of Waikanae, his anxiety on this head being caused by the scarcely concealed intention of the Ngatitoa tribe to seize on the land at Waikanae the moment he left it. (78.) 61., The Governor hearing that canoes were being built at Port Nicholson for the migration, sent peremptory orders that they should be dismantled, and if necessary, seized and destroyed (79) : and these orders and a Memorandum recorded by the Superintendent, show clearly that at that time it was seriously in contemplation to prevent the migration by military force (80). But Sir George Grey, desirous of trying a last effort to come lo terms with Wiremu Kingi, made a further proposal of certain conditions on which he would permit him to sell Waikanae and come up to Waitara. The basis of this proposal was, that Wiremu Kingi should settle on the north bank of the river Waitara, and should "relinquish all pretensions to any lands on the south bank," (where the Block purchased by me is situate). " Upon all pretensions being at once relinquished to all lands to the south of the Waitara, the Government will, without further enquiry into such pretensions to these lands, admit that from the prompt settlement they are making of this question, the natives are entitled to such compensation as may be agreed on between themselves and the Officers of the Government. The Government will then also recognise and permit them immediately to dispose of their claims at Waikanae and Totaranui for such compensation as may be agreed on. The compensation in both cases to be paid in annual instalments, spread over a period of not less than three years." (81). 62. Thus Your Grace will perceive that even in this proposal, Sir George Grey carefully refused to recognise either the Tribal Right or any " Seignorial right" in Wiremu Kingi, and treated his claims as mere " pretensions." 63. Wiremu Kingi agreed to the condition of locating himself on the north bank of Waitara. At the end of 1847 offers to sell Waitara were made to Government; and just before the migration in tjie early part of 1848, Mr. McLean went to Kapiti, any purchase of Waitara being kept in abeyance till all the claims should be clearly ascertained. At a large gathering of the Ngatiawas on that occasion, Wiremu Kingi distinctly agreed to go on the north bank : " Let me return thither, and I will then consider the

governor's despatch, 4th Dec, 1860.

(76) Grey,lnstructions, App. B. 20.

(77) Grey, Postscript, App. B. 19.

(78) Richmond, App. B. 23. (79) Sir G. Grey, App. B. 21. (SO) Memorandum, App. B. 21.

(81) Sir G. Grey, App, B. 24.