THE TARANAKI QUESTION.

61

E—No. 2

has strong sympathies with Kingi, he renders the expression in question thus :—" 0 friends, this evil "is Wiremu Kingi's, and another by the Taranaki it is greater than all evils or wrongs in the whole " world." Piri Kawau speaks English perfectly well, and could not possibly be mistaken in his interpretation of Wi Tako's letter. And there is no doubt that it was understood by the Natives who received it to express condemnation of Wiremu Kingi. At the Ngaruawahia meeting in Waikato, Paora Tuhaere said : " I believe there is not a Chief in Waikato that is not convinced that Te Rangitake [Wi Kingi] is wrong. / have seen Wi Tako's letter addressed to you all, and that letter and its statements should settle the question." H the proper translation of the word " he" had been such as is here contended, viz., "trouble" instead of " wrong," it was to have been expected that a similar interpretation of it would have been given in the other letters quoted by Sir \V. Martin. In W. King's letter of 2nd July 1859, he says "Ko tenei ha he, he rawa, he rawa." This is translated " Now this will be lorong, very wrong, very wrong :" and these words are given in italics. In W. King's letter of sth December 1859, he says "Kα he, kite tae mai aie Kawana ko te he rawa tenei." This is translated "Itis a bad business. If the Governor comes, it will be a very bad business." Again in the same letter, the words "mauehomai te he" are rendered " You may bring the evil." In Ilitatona's letter of sth December 1859, he says "Kα ki atu rnatou, ha he tena." This is translated—" We said that is wrong-" Again, "ma koru a c homai te he" is rendered "if you bring evil" In the letter of Hohepa Ngapaki and others dated 29th July 1860, to the Superintendent, they say "Nα kua rongo matcu ite feupu whakatikatika mo te maid he ate Parete." This is translated " Now we have heard the defence of Parris' wrong-doing " Again, "hokona hetia atu ra c Te Teira," is translated "wrongly sold by Teira." Again, "Me lea tartgohia hetia atu o matou whenua" is translated " when our lands are wrongly taken away." In Riwai te Ahu's letter of 23rd June 1860, he says "Kua kitea te he o Iα te Teira ma." This is translated " they would have found out the fault in the statement of Teira's party." Again, Xi ta te kai hoho whenua o Taranaki he tika rawa ta te Teira hoatutanga i taua wheni/a, ahe he rawa a Wiremu Kingi. Xi a matou he nui rawa atu te he ote Teira, kahore he mea hei hunanga mo tona he l>ia ngaro at." This is translated "According to the Land Commismissioner of Taranaki, Teira's offer of that land was perfectly just, and Wiremu Kingi was altogether in the wrong. We say that Teira is far more in the wrong, and there is nothing that can hide his fault." It thus appears that when the word "he" is applied to the conduct of William King, it must be translated " trouble" : but when it is applied by Kiugi and his supporters to any act of the Government or the sellers of the block, it must be translated " wrong."

Note 53. " On such evidence as the above, the Government was prepared to assert." (Page 15.) The Government asserted their rights to survey the land sold by Te Teira and his friends, and the absentees at Queen Charlotte Sound. They had expressly saved the proprietary rights of any one who might own any land within the boundaries offered by Teira and his friends : and those proprietary rights remain saved to this day. In taking , possession of the Block the Governor must be considered rather as asserting jurisdiction over the question of title in the only way in which it was possible to asseit jurisdiction, than as putting himself in possession of a property which he had acquired "in his opacity as land buyer." The question between the Governor and Wiremu Kingi, truly viewed, was one of authority and jurisdiction, and not of the title to a particular piece of land. But even up to the present moment no final decision has been made on the title to the whole Block. No one is precluded even now from peaceably coming in, showing title to part of the block, and either retaining or selling such part as he pleases.

Note 54. " The Government also avoided the unsatisfactory course."..... (Page 15.) Two inaccuracies are suggested here. In the first place, it is notorious that no one but the Land Purchase Commissioners ever investigated any objections to purchases. In the second place, it is notorious that in the Waitara case (as in every other) it was the Governor and not the Land Purchase Commissioners who decided on the objection raised by Wiremu Kingi. But a further inaccuracy is implied in the observation. In the great majority of cases in which " objections" have ever been made to any purchase, the objections were made by proprietors, having f' yhtful claims of ownership within it. If Wiremu Kingi had at any time asserted that he possessed proprietary right, all proceedings would have been stayed till his " objection" had been investigated, What the Government refused to entertain or investigate was the "objection" of the Land League, headed by Wiremu Kingi who was its mouthpiece, to any land being sold by the rightful owners.