No. 12. Despatch from Lieutenant-Governor Grey to Lord Stanley. Port Nicholson, 17th February, 1846.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume III, Issue 160, 10 February 1847, Page 3

No. 12. Despatch from Lieutenant-Governor Grey to Lord Stanley. Port Nicholson, 17th February, 1846.

Mt Lord,— l beg to transmit, for your lordship's information, the copy of a very remarkable letter which has just been addressed to me by fifteen of the most influential chiefs in this part of New Zealand ; indeed every chief of great importance but one has signed it. These chiefs express, in the most deliberate and decided manner, their desire that the laws of the Queen should be firmly and permanently established among them, in order that they may be raised to a more enlightened state. I have quite satisfied myself that this letter is entirely their own production, and that the idea of addressing it to me originated with themselves, and that it was written at a distant native village, where they were not in communication with Europeans. It, however, accorded so entirely with my own known and recorded views, that I entertained, in the first instance, some suspicion that it might have heen an artful piece of flattery, written with some ulterior object. Subsequent events, however, convinced me that it was written in complete sincerity. I likewise enclose, for your lordship's information, the copy of the reply which I returned to the letter from the natives. In this reply, I expressed my readiness to receive any of them ; and I instructed Mr. Kemp, the Protector of Aborigines, whom I sent with this letter, to inform any of the natives who might be apprehensive from past occurrences of being regarded as enemies by the Europeans, and who might, therefore, as they had done on former occasions, request that their personal safety might be guaranteed in the event of their coming to Wellington to see me, that he was quite satisfied their apprehensions of injury from any Europeans were wholly groundless ; but that he could not venture to propose to me that the safety of any one should be specially guaranteed, as I would certainly take care that both Europeans and natives moved wherever they pleased in perfect safety, by punishing all persons, to whichever race they belong, who ventured to molest or injure others, and that proposing such a thing as a special guarantee to me, would be to evince a distrust of my ability and intention to punish tffenders. Mr. Kemp did not reach the pa of Taupo until late on the evening of the 16th, when both my letter and message were received with a satistaction which left no doubt whatever of the sincerity of the fifteen chiefs who had written to me, and my letter was immediately forwarded by a messenger on horseback to the chief signing the letter who lived nearest to the pah at Taupo, at which my reply had first been received ; whilst Puaha, a chief of great influence, to whom Mr. Kemp had delivered my letter, started at once, and travelled all night, in order that he might wait upon me this morning. It was impossible that any one could have expressed himself with greater propriety than Puaha did when he saw me, and I have every reason to believe that he will exert the whole of his influence to preserve tranquillity and good order in this part of New Zealand. — I have, &c, (Signed) G. Grey. Enclosure 1, in No. 12. (Translation.) Taupo (Torirua), 19th January, 1846.

Friend, the Governor, — "We salute you. We are now living in considerable uncertainty ; we are living in considerable anxiety in reference to your intentions, as to what they really are. This was not the case formerly, while our friend and guide, Mr. Hadfield, was dwelling in the midst of us. We used to hear what your (the Government's) intentions really were : then our minds were free from anxiety ; and however frequently it may have been said to us by white persons, " Your land will be forced from you, you will be destroyed," or expressions of like character have been used, Mr. Hadfield used at once to say, " Regard not these expressions :" whereupon our irritable feelings became calmed. Therefore, oar request to you now is, that you may be pleased to provide for us some friendly adviser, who shall be able to understand both our customs and those of the white people, that he may constantly explain to us the laws of the Queea. We are anxious that the laws of the Queen should be firmly tind permanently established amongst us, that by that means we may be raised to a more enlightened state : for we have already ministers of God, teaching us the laws of God. We now end this communication, deliberately considered. (Signed) H. Tracy Kemp. Protector of Aborigines, South. Div. (Signed) the Ngatitoatribe : (Signed) the Ngatiawa Te Rauparaha William King White Te Watarauki Nohorua Wata Te Herepounamu Rawiri Kingi Puaha Riwia Te Abu Henry Martin Te Wiui Robert Hurumutu (Signed) the Ngatiraukawa Thompson Te Rauparaha Te Watanui Noble Te Taiepa Zachariah Te Ringa Paea Solomon Toremi