A.—6

1883. NEW ZEALAND.

PETITION FROM MAORIS TO THE QUEEN (PAPERS RESPECTING A).

Presented to both Souses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

No. 1. The Earl of Kimberley to His Excellency Sir A. H. Gordon, G.C.M.G. Sir, — Downing Street, Bth August, 1882. I have the honour to transmit to you, to be laid before your Government, a copy of a memorial to the Queen, which was handed to me by certain Maori Chiefs, complaining of alleged breaches by the New Zealand Government of the Treaty of Waitangi, with a printed translation of the same, which I received in a letter from the liev. P. Walsh, of Parnel.l, Auckland. I also enclose a newspaper extract, which gives a brief but fairly accurate account of an interview which I held with these Chiefs and several members of Parliament, and others who accompanied them on the occasion. I request that you will lay these papers before your Government. You will invite them to favour me with any observations they may wish to make in regard to the memorial. I have, &c, The Hon. Sir A. H. Gordon Kimberley.

Enclosure 1. [Translation.] To Her Majesty Victoria, the Good Queen of England, and the Empress of India, Greeting: Go forth, O our messenger, on the soft airs of affection, to remote lands, across the ocean that was trodden by Tawhaki,* to Victoria, the Queen of England, whose fame for graciousness has extended to all the kingdoms of the world, including New Zealand. 0 mother, the receiver of the sentiments of the great peoples and the small peoples under the shade of your authority, Salutations ! May the Almighty preserve you on your Throne, and may men applaud you for your goodness to your peoples living in these Islands, who are continually directing their eyes toward you, the mother who is venerated by them. O mother, the Queen! on account of the desire to protect these Islands, your father sent hither, in 1840, Captain Hobson. At that time the enlightened administration of England was discovered by us, and the Maori Chiefs came to the conclusion that England, in preference to other countries, should be the protector of New Zealand—to protect and cherish the Maori tribes of New Zealand. The conclusion brought about the Treaty of Waitangi, and the appointment of the first Governor, Captain Hobson. In consequence of the ignorance of some tribes, including Hone Heke, the flagstaff w ras cut down at Maiki, Bay of Islands, for the tribes in question imagined that the flag was the symbol of land confiscation. Nevertheless, there was no blood in the flagstaff which had been cut down, making it needful to raise armies to fight the Maoris. If the Native Chiefs had been summoned to a conference at that time, and matters had been explained to them, there would have been no war; but the Europeans flew as birds to make war against Heke, which brought about the bloodshedding of both Europeans and Maoris. In the year 1860 another evil was brought upon the Maori tribes by the Governor himself, who, without any grounds, drove Wiremu Kingi from his own lands at Waitara, and this war about land renewed the shedding of both European and Maori blood. On this occasion, O mother, the Queen ! the grievous lamentation of this Island was raised, and you recalled, in consequence, Governor Gore Browne, whose administration closed here. It was said by the

* Tawhaki, the God-man, whose name frequently occurs in all the ancient mythology of the Maori race.

I—A. 6.