Original Correspondence.

New Zealander, Volume 3, Issue 166, 1 January 1848, Page 3

Original Correspondence.

Sir,— l forward to you a copy of a letter to HU Excellency the Governor, relating to an importantpublic question, and request you will imert theiame in your paper, and remain, , your moit pbedient f errant, HENRY WILLIAMS. Paihia, Dec. 1, 1847

Sir,— l contidfr that I should not be acting at a faithiul tubjtct of Her Majesty the Queen, were I to abitain fro» addressing to your Excellency a few words upon the preient state of freling amongit the Aborigines in this part of the island. Forebodings of evil, and feelings of distrust exist, emanating from the re*

cent instructions from Earl Grey, the nature of whi Ca is now widely disseminated, and ai yet no assurance has been given from Your Excellency that no attempt will be made to put them in force, either at the present, or at any future period. Some of the Missionaries who took a prominent part in the early formation of the Colony, have expressed their fear of impending danger, in consequence of thes^ recent instructions seriously affecting our relations with the Aborigines. I took also a prominent part in those early d«y», and have done so frequently since, as your Excellency is aware, and did then stand pledged to the Aborigines as to the faithfulness of the treaty. I theiefore feel myself bound to speak upon the present serious question, and do so under the conviction that this Colony is rjot in that healthy and tranquil state which hns bren rcjiusented to her Majesty's Government. It is moit evident to eveiy one competent to form an opinion, that her Majesty's Government is in error in supposing that the Aborigines were subdued in the Jate war in the North, and vow submit to the authority ot the Queen's Government. The feeling of the Aborigines towards the Coloniits istdoubtlets, m >st favorable. They havein all instances •hewn great kindness, and so long as the treaty of Waitangi should remain undisturbed, the fear* of the Aborigines would not be excited and nothing serious need be apprehended. r Jhnt good understanding which has generally existed between ihe two races would be nourished and daily incieHsed. Your Excellency 18 aware that the Hesoiutions of the Committee of the House ol Commons passed in 1844, did contribute much to the iiritation of the feelings of the disaffected in the late war — yet these same Resolutions are now put forth in Earl orey'i recent despatch. The Aborigines are only quiet at present under the confidence that there is uo adequate power to enforce them. There is already much disapprobation evinced in various quarters at the payment of a sum of money to the Government for a license for cutting timber upon Native land, or depasturing cattle or sheep upon land in the possession of the Aborigines, or claimed by them, conveying the idea that the Government claim authority over their lands and liberties. Every movement of the Government is watched by the Aborigines with suspicion, and even the lucat.on ot tae pensioners it regarded as a prelude to the seizure of the country. I have teen with much satisfaction the petition to her M jesty upon this subject, but ere any reply can be given to the petition, the evil anticipated any be begun. That petition is to be regarded prospectively — 1 am considering the present critical state and what may befal the country through one f&lse step. Your ExcelUncy will observe that Earl Grey's despatch (strikes at the t. rv root of liberty and life of the Aborigin. s, for, all whom I have heard speak Hpon the subject declare without disguise, that with their lands they will lose their lives. By the despatch, all who maintained the honor of her Majesty's n.ime to the Aborigines, have lost the power ot speech. The question is asked*—" Has the Queen given aiders to seize our lands?"— We are unable longer to give a negative — our silence is regarded nsan affirmative. We receive this notice — ''Let them begin to take possession!'' the infeience of course it leit tor conjtc'ure. I trust that your Exrellency will not comider these remarks as an intrusion of my private opinion — I speak at this time, that when the evil shall arrive I may noi be to d that I kept silence when I saw the gathering storm. Upon the two following questions surely the whole should be allowed to rest: — Will the Auorigines surrender their lands to Earl Grey, to become the Demesm-lnnds of the Crown ? Can the lands of the Aborigines be tnkinby f, rce, under an order from Earl Grey, to become the Demesne lands of the Crown ? The answer to those two questions is obvious. Then why this dangerous agitation r and why, upon the possibility of a trenty being violated, should the honor of our gracious Queen, and the honor of England, which has stood so high amongst the na ions, be called in quest'on. To admit such an idea to go forth amongst the Aborigines, who have shewn themselves not only, friendly in every respect, but have proved themselves noble allies, and by whose noble and gallant conduct the Colony as yet exists, is indeed unwi«e, and it must be humiliating to every Briton, so justly proud of his nation and his Sovereign, to witness suchduhonor put upon both. The full and minute explanation of the treaty, on the first symptoms of disaffection from the commencement of the Colony, alone, composed the excited feelings of those who have since stood fortli as the allies ot the Government in the late war, and caused others to remain neuter. The firmness and integrity of this loyal nation was own^ to the angur-mee given to them of th* inviolable character of the treaty of Waitangi, This was the only means whereby the Missionaries who stood in the breach, were enabled to maintain the security ot the Colony. i Upon the subject of their lands the Aborigines have ever been mo«t bensitWe. The feeling whs strongly cxi hibited on the landing of his Excellency Governor Hobson. The friend* of the Aborigines and .supporters of t ! ie Government, were then enabled to speak with con* fi lence or the hon »r of her iVSaj-isry and the integrity of tlie tren'y, but these recently proposed measures have astonished and alarmed us. I may not be out of order in c lling your Excellency's attention to consider the weakness of our position It cannot be denied that vre are dwelling l>y sufferance amongst this people— this I pointed nut in 1840, t> some influent 1 *! men in Wellington. What I then said hat since been verified at Wellington Mid Wanganui, and may any day take place at Taranaki and Auckland. Your Excellency is fully sensible th t much fear has been expressed upon tl.is ar ject. A single accident, with the piesent ftelmg of the Natives, may invoke a whole district, as in the present war at Wanganui, in conn*x on with disputed land. From the position of Wangiinui, and the nature of the country in that locality, ii will be seen that no force can maintain that place, so long as the Aborigines continue their hostile disposition. The late melancholy murder within half-mwquet-shot of H.M.S Dido, tends to shew the insecurity of human life and property — hid this been a political movement, how difficult would it have been to have suppressed the same-— under such circumstances, how impoliti t9 allow any cause of irritation to remain As to the supposed possibility of the seizure of lands, so destructire to the best interests of the Colony, particularly to the out Settlers, who, in retreating from their secret foes, bring inevitable ruin upon themselves and families Thus may be seen how this Colony stands in comparison wi'h any otfcer of her Majesty's Colonies : this serious obstacle in the way, of bringing the Aborigines under the jurisdiction of British law, Yonr Excellency's late visit to the Bay of Islands in September last, created much txcitement amonnst the Aborigine!, in consequence of the severe reflections taid to have been cast upon the Missionaries by your Excellency. As my object in this letter is merely to point out wherein the faith of the Aborigines is shaken towards her Majesty's Government, I do not notice here the imminent peril in which your Excellency would have placed the Missionaries and their families, had tteh c

Chiefs with whom your Excellency communicated been unfriendly towards us. In a recent letter from WaUa to myself, in a month after your Excellency's visit to the Bay, and communication with the Aborigines around, that Chief observes: — " Oct. 12, '47. Me he men i wawai ratou me te wenua, c kore a hav e wawai ki a ratou, tena, i he ta ratou wawai — ko nga kapu ate Pakeha, taurekaroka kua riro temann, to kutou wenua, mea raw a ratou, be pono aua kupu, aua Pakeha." Translation.— If the} (H ke and Kiwiti,) had fought for iheir land, I would not have fought against them, but their fighting was wrong. It was the savings ofthePakeln — Taurefcareki, you arealaves! Your power or influence and land is gon* 1 ! and they (Heke aud Kawiti,) said the sayings of the Pakeha are true." ' Your Excellency will observe that Waka pronounces Heke and Kawitt to be wrong in allowing themselves to be I* d away by certain Pakeha, but had their cause been good, had they really fought for their land, he should not have oppostd them. In the above eXtiact from his letter may be seen the real feeling of Waka, and all the other well-disposed Chiefs upon the question of seizui eof the landi. The reliance of Waka was upon the faithfulness of the treaty, hence his loyalty and good ft-elmg. Let Waka ba informed that the tieaty is now withdrawn, and with it it withdrawn loyalty and good feeling. The sentiments which actuated Heke in his movement against the fligstaff. your Excellency will observe in two letters to Governor Fi zroy, to be found in — " Flam Facts,'' pa§e 32. The copy of one of these letters with the translation I forward to your Excelleucy. ••May 21, 1845. Na nga Pakeha o Hokianga, o Wtngaroa, o Kororareka, o te Wahapu, o Otuihu, na ratou i wakarite, ka riro to koutou wenua i a Kawana. Ko muri i ho, ko wakama'ca koutou titiro ki Poihakena, ki Haina, ki nga motu katoa, ko te ritenga, ia mo tenei wenua, n*, o Ingarani, ki mm, nmri iho, na, te Wiwi, muri iho. Na to Mank -na, heoi ano. ka wakaaeahau ki enei korero c wha tau i mahi penei ai ; no to lima o ng& tau ka wakaaetia taua korerotan^a maha a to Pakeha ki aftrnatau. Na ka tahi matou ka pa atuki taua rakau. Kapiutou kia hinga, muri iho, ka wakaarahia ano, ka tahi matou, ka mea he pono, inahoki, ka totohe, ka mea matou kia mate matou ki runga ki to matou wenua." The translation of the above*-" We are taunted with this language by the white people — by the wh t<> people of Hokianga, of Wangaroa, of Kororanka, ot Te Wahapu, of Otuihu, they made the statement — • Your land will be taken by the Governor, and aftei that you will be killed. Look at Port Jackson, at China, and at all the islands— after that manner will this island be treated — the flag takes possession of the land' — the English first, after that the French, and then the Americans (made this statement), then I assented to these statements. They did this for four years, on iho fifth year we assented to those of ten-re-peated statements of the whi'e people, made to us. Then firit we touched the flag-staff it w« chopped tint it might fall ; after that it was put up again — we then said it is true, for they urge the point and we said ice Would die upon the land?' There ia a second letter, also of July 15, '45, and tnttßy others could be brought forward bearing upon the same qustion, but it would be too tedious to insert them here. The sentiments set forth ia these letters shew that these assertion! made by Heki and his pa rtizans are not very dissimilar from the Resolu.ions of the Committee of tht House of Commons, in 1844, and now repeated by Eirl Grey. Let the Aborigines be once persuaded of the correctness of the reports they have heard recently of Eirl G ey'n despatch, and I do not hentate to assuie ynur hxce'l3ncy,after a iesi lence of twenty-five vearsj ia th's country, that the whole isUnd will be actuated bv <n ■ patriot c feeling of resistance, and ihe result of such a movement may be surmised by the experience of wha r has transpired already under such circum-tances. Wh t value can be attached to property of any description — and what hope or security can be guaranteed to the in dustrious Settler that his labor is n t in vain, and himself and family ruined from the effect of so impolitic a measure being allowed to remain unextiuguisherf, amongst so volatile a people as the aborigines of this country. The preceding remarks are preiented to your Excellency under the impiession of the serious importance of the su' jict, from one who has had long intercourse with the Aborigines, and has ever been a promoter of peace, of long standing, of much experience, and of considerable connexion in the Colony. But whether your Excellency will receive or reject tiem, I shall have the ia istaction of having expressed my opinion fearlts ly, Hnd of having <3 scharged my duty faithful y to my Sovereign, to your Excellency, tithe Aborigines, to the Settlers, and to the community at large. I have the honor to be, &c, Sea., Stc, HENRY WILLIAMS. Paihia, Dec. 1, 1847.