A.—No. 18

8

REPORTS RELATIVE TO NEGOTIATIONS

That although it is an imperative duty to see that law and order are enforced and maintained in the district, and that offenders are brought to justice, it is equally the duty of the European officer to most carefully watch over and protect at all times, and in all places, the interests of the Natives committed to his charge. Now the present position of the men who have surrendered at Tauranga is not satisfactory. If they remove to any loyal district, they, from having no certificate, are liable to be apprehended as rebels, and brought before a magistrate. They have nothing to show they have surrendered, and not one of them could say he had made a " legal declaration of allegiance," as tio declarations have been duly taken in their case before any person authorized to take the samo. For that reason I intended to take the declarations of allegiance of, and issue certificates to, the Natives belonging to my district. It will however be remembered that I did not intend to do so, if Mr. Baker, or any other duly authorized person, w rould do it instead. As to Colonel Greer having promised the Natives they should not be interfored with, ho certainly said so in English, and I heard him. But I have very strong doubts whether any portion of that promise was ever conveyed to the Natives ; at least I can assert I never heard Mr. Rice tell them so. What Colonel Greer may have said after the reassembling of the Natives I cannot tell, as I was not present. All I know is, that Adjutant Covey brought me a verbal answer to my letter, after the meeting was finished. My interference therefore would have been confined to visiting (outside Colonel Greer's camp) the Natives of my own district, and acting in a magisterial capacity. There is only another circumstance to which I would allude before concluding this very lengthy report. If Saturday, the 23rd instant (first fixed for the surrender of the Natives), had been fine, and they had been assembled, it may reasonably be supposed that they would not then have been in a fit state to have surrendered, as Mr. Rice was absent from the camp negotiating with them from Saturday until Monday morning. I hope that I may have been enabled to remove any bad impression which may have arisen in the mind of the Government from the report of my having been placed under arrest at Tauranga. I hope, however, that if any censure is attached to me for any of my proceedings at Tauranga, Mr. Baker may not be included in it; for whatever I may have done, I can say he carefully abstained from speaking at Mangatapu, in the matter of the misunderstanding which arose there. I have, &c., The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, • James Mackay, jun., (Native Department), Auckland. Civil Commissioner.

Enclosure 1 in No. 1. Taurauga, Te Papa, 25 Hurae, 1864. Ko te torero tenoi o te Raihi ki nga tangata Maori i muringaiho o te tukunga i o ratou pu. Ko tana kupu tenei kei whakarongo koutou lei te korero a tetalii tangata, ahakoa ki tana taugata no te Kawanatanga i a kaua c whakarongo ki ana korero. Rawiki te Ua. [tkaxslatio*.] Tauranga, Te Papa, 25th July, 1864. Tuis was what Mr. Rice said to the Maoris after the giving up of their guns : This was his word, "Do not listen to the talk of any man, although that man may say that he belongs to the Government, do not listen to what he says." Eawiri te Ua. True translation—H. Monro.

Enclosure 2 in No. 1. Extract of Speech of Hori Ngatai, at Tauraiuja, lath July, ISGI, as copied from Mr, Baker's notes. " Tiieke will be no more evil, all have come in. Now draw in your hand; do not fire guns here, carry them elsewhere. Let the thought be yours to go elsewhere. Let it be peace to the land, peace to mankind. Mr. Rice fetched me, so I came, and peace has been made. If it had only been Maori ambassadors, I should not have come down. It was Mr. Rice's mana (courage) in fetching us, so I came. Let him not go away; let him stay to be my friend. This is "he kupu tuturu" (sincere declaration). If Mr. Rice had not come there would have been no peace. This was his good point, he did not fear our threats ; so I say let him remain, this is what I desire." JPenetaka's Speech, as copied from Mr. Bakers notes. " Welcome to your tikanga. Salutations to thee, O God, whom I have despised. I did not believe thy commands issued through Archdeacon Brown ; I was deaf to them, and went to fetch fire IVom AVaikato. Now, 0 God, lam punished by thee. Formerly I was saved by thee, now save me again. Salutations to thee, oh aroha, so long desjjised. In the days of evil I was punished, now lam snatched from death. I have led the Tauranga chiefs to death. This was.said to be sacred ground, but I brought war on it, and death in the end. The chiefs are dead, and I, the slave, remain. It is well, 0 my friend, you have saved me; be kind to me and to the few chiefs who remain. If we oft'end once more, we shall perhaps be swept away. Befriend me, I have given back your arms. Let the flag now wave over me ; let the arms be yours, flags mine, lest it be said lam going back to evil. Now befriend mo ; we will not turn to listen to false reports. (Nau te ritenga, c pai ana.) Tours is the arrangement, it is well. I agree to the proposal about Mr. Rice. (Nana tcnei kunuuga.) This drawing together has been his." James Mackat, jun.