A LORD OF THE SOIL TO A PALEFACED FOREIGNER.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume II, Issue 88, 9 February 1863, Page 2

A LORD OF THE SOIL TO A PALEFACED FOREIGNER.

FREE TRANSLATION. Kaingatotohe, 2nd Jan., 1863. 0 Friend, salutations! This is my thought about the contention that arose between thy people and mine. My word to thee is to bring to thy remembrance my words spoken formerly. Thou knowest that my word was to prevent causes of strife betwixt me and thee. The desire of the Maori is to dwell at peace. For this cause the word of my people that was sent to the officers of the Queen, that they should cease to interfere in the contentions between Maori and Pakeha. I have got my King, and my Court, and am not willing that the -officer of the Queen of Ingarangi should condemn my brethren. Therefore my letter to this effect. Now whence is it that thy people are willing to interfere in my contentions ? Is it not that, they seek to cause offence ? Their intention is to quarrel. Of this matter at Waipureku. How was it that the Pakeha constable took hold of the Maori who was charged with theft ? Did not the constable know he was interfering in one of the matters which belong only to the King’s magistrate ? Yerily, the patience of the Maori is great; otherwise he would have smitten the constable of the Queen. Had the Queen of England’s constable gone to seize a Frenchman in his own country, would not the great man of France have been very angry ? Would not the war have been very great ? But the Maori is slow to wrath ; therefore we did not begin to fight all the Pakeha for the offence of one ignorant constable. But we could not endure that our brother should be kept in prison, hence we broke the lock and liberated him. The Queen’s constable was very obstinate, and struggled very hard, but we were determined not to quarrel; hence we knocked him down and dragged him from the door of the prison, but did not hill him , although he was the offender. We knew some bad men among the Pakeha would be glad to have cause to fight, but we desired to dwell at peace. Say not that the offence was ours, seeing the root of it was the seizing of the Maori by the Queen’s constable, contrary to our expressed intention to submit all disputes between ourselves, or between ourselves and the Pakeha, to the King’s magistrate only. Likewise the word we replied to the Queen’s officers when they desired us to yield our brother to be judged by the Queen’s law, was that we would not allow him to be punished or imprisoned by the Queen’s magistrate. This was our intention, but to please the Pakeha, and to shew more clearly our desire for peace, we allowed our brother to appear at the Queen’s court. The magistrate then let our brother go. In this he acted right. He is a wise man, and we feel satisfied, as it proved that we were correct in liberating him. As we are not desirous to quarrel, we shall not on this occasion ask payment for the offence of imprisoning our brother, more especially as we had a dinner and other presents from the Queen’s magistrate on that occasion. We accept his gifts as satisfaction for the injury done unto us. But there is one word needed for the future, and that is, “ that the Queen’s constables and magistrates be instructed in their proper duty,” so that they no more give offence by attempting to compel the Maori to “ submit to the Queen’s mana ,” as we will not allow this thing. Let it be enough that the Queen’s magistrate decides cases between the Pakeha, while our King and his runanga decide all cases in which the Maori are interested. 0 friend, attend to my words, otherwise darkness and confusion will come. Enough, from thy friond, Parauakore. Ki te Kirimakuare.