Greedy Settlers

Te Ao Hou, September 1964, Page 49

Greedy Settlers Governor Gore-Browne's actions, when compared with those of Wiremu Tamihana, do not show up in a good light. Likewise all those occupying responsible positions in the Government and the settlers who ‘gazed with greedy eyes at the empty spaces …’(page 81). Archdeacon Maunsell—the beloved ‘Manihera’ of the tribes, who made such a wonderful translation into the Maori language of the Old Testament in the Waikato tribal dialect—comes to life as a cultured Christian gentleman. Quoting from the ‘Richmond-Atkinson Papers 1, page 658,’ the author quotes an extract from a letter from Maunsell in which he (Maunsell) declared that ‘he would, as he put it, “have taken the King by the hand,” given him any help with any legal adviser he might have chosen …. He would have tried to support the mana of the Chiefs and of Waikato.’ The account of the visit of Governor Gore-Browne to New Plymouth in March 1859 which was the prelude to the sale of the Waitara block by Teira is plainly told by the author. He correctly describes it as ‘one of those turning points in history’, for this sale finally led to the outbreak of the first Taranaki War. The author takes his courage in both hands, and when it is a case of apportioning blame for the outcome of various actions by men holding high positions in the Government of the day he brings out the facts clearly and gives judgement without equivocation. For instance when discussing the Waitara purchase and its validity he describes Donald McLean, the Chief Land Purchase Commissioner, as having ‘played a less conscious and even less honest part … when his advice would have been most useful to the Governor, McLean kept silent. One has the uneasy feeling that the Chief Land Purchase Commissioner was acting the part of Pontius Pilate.’