E—No. 1

APPENDIX C; EXTRACTS FROM REPORTS AND SPEECHES OF CHIEF COMMISSIONER McLEAN AND DISTRICT COMMISSIONER PARRIS. , 1. SPEECH OE MR. MCLEAN AT THE NGARUAWAHIA (WAIKATO) MEEIING, MAY, 18G0. D. McLean, Esq., inquired, " When did that thing of which you speak [the King's flag] reach Wairarapa? Wairarapa is mine, it has been sold to the Queen, and is in the hands of Europeans. The men that took the flag to Wairarapa are worthless characters, over head in debt. They have no further claim or right to dispose of that land. This is a trick of yours, in order to obtain adherents. You make false statements, and say that men have joined your movement, who have not done so. You have been unjustly censuring the Governor about Waitara. I promised to give you a history of the case ; I will now do so ; I am well acquainted with it ; I know all about it from the beginning. When Europeans first went to Taranaki, they found the remnant of the tribes you had conquered. Wiremu Kingi Te Rangitake was not there. He had left the land and never expected to return to it. The men you spared sold it to us ; they said, " Give us pakehas and we will give them land." You also (Waikato) sold it to us in all its boundaries; therefore I say that land has been fully ceded and given into our hands ip open day light. You (Waikato) gave it, to us openly, and how can you repudiate your own act ?—an act performed by your great Chiefs Pofatau and Kati. They asked lor payment because their friends had fallen there; we gave it to them, and they ceded to Governor Hobson all their claim. After this the Ngatimaniapoto and Wiremu Nera released their slaves, and sent them to re-occupy the land from whence they had dragged them. But Rangitake was at the South, and never thought about returning to Waitara. It was Te Whero Whero who invited him back; Taonui Hikaka added his word, and Rangitake returned. When the people had returned, each man sold his own land, without reference to Rangitake. You wish to know how the matter stands between Rangitake and Teira. 1 will tell you. When the former thought of returning to Waitara, he sent to Teira and said, " Let us return to Waitara; you take one side, I will take the other, as Waikato gives us permission to return," Rangitake wished to occupy the north bank, to protect himself against Waikato, and was prohibited by Sir George Grey from settling on the south side; but he built a pa on the south bank by permission of Teira's father, and soon after his return began to fight about the land. Men were killed in battle; some were murdered in cool blood. Then two families (hapus) said ' We will sell our land at Waitara,' and they offered it for sale, but the Land Commissioner was not in haste about it; he let it stand. Then the Governor went to Waitara, and land was offered. One got up and said, ' I desire to sell my piece,' and another got up and said ' I wish to sell mine; Ido not want to sell what is another's, but my own.' 'I (McLean) replied, 'We cannot purchase those small pieces.' Then Teira said to Wi Kingi, ' Listen, lam about to offer mine : Governor, here is mine ;' but the Governor did not speak. Teira said again, ' Give me your word, Governor; McLean, will not you and the Governor consent to mine ?' Wi Kingi sat. there all the time and heard. When Teira had urged it once, twice, thrice, four times, the Governor said, 'If it be an undisputed claim, I accept it.' Then Teira laid down his parawai (mat), but Wi Kingi did not take it away ; he only called out and said, ' Waitara shall not go,' and went away. But we did not take it at once. You say we were hasty, but we were not. Eight months passed over before the bargain was closed. We inquired of all the people, and could not find any rightful claimants but Teira and his friends. We said ' If Wi Kingi has a piece in this block, we will not have it; we will leave it outside.' Do not say, then, that the Governor made haste to buy it :he took time enough to investigate the claim. You have said that one man sold the land, but that is wrong; there were seventy persons consenting to the sale. After this I went South, and visited the Middle Island. I saw Ropoama Te Ore, of Arapaoa. I said to him, '. Waitara is offered for sale :' be asked by whom? I inquired of him, 'Is it Kingi's?' He said, 'No, his land is on the other side of Waitara ; that piece is mine, let me have the money for that. 5 I replied, ' No, lam not at present clear about the ownership.' 'Let it be settled ; give the payment to me,' he said again. ' I do not understand it yet,'l said, 'but give me the names of the real owners.' You have then unjustly accused the Governor. He has done no wrong. The land was offered to him, he would not consent at once, but look time to obtain information on the character of Teira's claim ; he had said he would buy no land the ownership of which was disputed, neither would he allow any man who wished to sell his own land, to be prevented by another. He has kept his word. Whose land has he taken 1 whose rights has he violated ? But you have allowed yourselves to be deceived by false statements. You have charged the Governor with making haste to go to war, but had you waited to hear and understand the subject, you would not have done so. The Governor has no wish for war, and would not take up arms but in a just cause, and then not till all other means had failed." To this address the meeting listened with great attention ; but, as the evening was advancing, Te Heuheu arose and interrupted Mr. McLean, saying Ka po (it is night). The probability is that he saw how the remarks were telling on Waikato ; and Mr. McLean broke off, promising to finish the next day. Many of the Waikato Chiefs were heard to say, Ka tika te korero a Makarini, ka nui te marama —" The speech of Mr. McLean was quite straight; great was its light." Potatau

commissionf.es' reports AND SPEECHES

D. McLean, Esq,, (at Ngaruauiihi'i), May, 18S0,

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