THE TARANAKI QUESTION.

39

E—No. 2

a Te Heuheu, ki Te Papa, ki a Te Paerata, ki Arohena, ki a Te Ati, ki Kihikihi ki a Epiha, ki Hairini ki a Ihaia, ki a Hoani, ki Kangiaolua ki a Hori Te Wsru, ki Tamahere ki a Tamihana, ki Ngaruawahia ki a Rewi, otira ki a koutou katoa i ki mai nei ki a au, maku c ki atu ki a koutou nga kupu tika, koia tenei na. • Eh >a ma, no Wiremu Kingi tenei he. No Taranaki tetahi he, nui atu i nga kino katoa ote ao. Kia tika te whakaaro ki nga kupu ano i whakaaetia mai ai c koutou ki a au, kua kite ne ma.ou. E hoa ma, ko te mahi ma koutou ko te tika anake. Kei titiro mai koutou ki nga mea kuare o te ao. E hoa ma, kia rongo mai koutou. No mua te he, no muri te tika ; heoti ano te mahi ma koutou, ko te kupu a te Matua ri'-i ite Rangi, ara, kotahi te pito o te taura kei runga, kotahi kua tatu iho kite whenua. Ko te hoa riri tena mo tatou, kia pono ravva tenei korero a koutou ki a au. E hoa ma, kia rongo mai koutou, Ko te take o tenei he mo te whenua anake. Ehara mo te kingiKji whakawaia k outou c te Wairua kino. Na to koutou hoa pono i roto i te Ariki, Na Wi Tako NgatAta.

No. 2. Copy op a Memorandum by Me. Weld. The following Notes, on Sir William Martin's Pamphlet, have been published by the General Government. Feed. A. Weld.

NOTES ON SIR WILLIAM MARTIN'S PAMPHLET. Note 1. " The present is a land quarrel." (Page I.) This opening proposition has a tendency to mislead. It is true that the dispute as to a piece of laud at the Waitara has raised the present question. But it is only one of the many instances in which a matter, apparently small in itself, has unmasked important designs. It has proved what was before only suspected, that the Taranaki and Waikato Land Leagues are not combinations to obtain an object by peaceful means, but are armed coalitions to carry an object, when other means have failed, by rebellion itself. The question raised in the original dispute with Wiremu Kingi was one of authority and jurisdiction, ajid not a question of the title to a particular piece of land. Since the intervention of the Waikato King-party it is past all controversy; that the contest is not whether that piece of land belongs to Wiremu Kingi or Teira, but whether the Governor has authority to decide between the two, and power to enforce his decision. It is the prevailing fallacy of Sir William Martin's argument, that he treats as a question of Title that which is in fact a question of Sovereignty, and is so regarded by the Natives themselves. The practical issue now is, whether the Natives are peaceably to appeal to the justice of the British Government for the recognition of their rights, or whether, if they think those rights are infringed, they are to resort to force of arms. It is impossible to arrive at a right understanding of the causes of the insurrection at Taranaki, without a reference to the Leagues which have been formed among certain tribes to prohibit the further cession of territory to the Crown. In the year 1854, the Taranaki Land League was formed at Manawapou, in the Ngatiruanui country, south of Taranaki. " All the head chiefs from WelUngton to Waitara, a distance of nearly " 300 miles, assembled. Five hundred were present, and much bad spirit was displayed. The " result of it was, their determination to sell no more land to the Government, and to hinder any who "felt disposed from doing so." (Rev. R. Taylor's New Zealand, 1855, p. 278) —" A confederation. " has been established for some years, which extends from Waitara at the north to Kaiiwi near " Wanganui, one of the laws of which is that any Native offering land, although his own, shall " suffer death." (Commissioner Rogan, Evidence before Native Board, 1856, —" It was not many "months after this meeting [at Manawapou] that a chief of New Plymouth did offer his land for " sale [Rawiri Waiaua]; and when he went out to mark the boundaries he was shot with several "of his tribe." (Rev. R. Taylor, ut sup.) —-"This was the origin of the notorious Taranaki Land " League, which evidently contains the elements of the present King movement; which has proved " so fruitful a source of dissension among the tribes of that district, caused so much bloodshed, and "brought about the present collision between Wiremu Kingi and the Governor." (Rev. T. Buddie, Origin of King Movement, p. 6.) The Taranaki Land League was closely followed by the establishment of a similar League at Waikato. "The present King movement has been initiated in the Waikato district In Decem- " ber, 1856, the first public meeting held to deliberate on the subject and to prepare some plan, was " held at Taupo, at which several influential Chiefs from various districts were present. Many pro->