MAORI PETITION

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 278, 29 August 1872, Page 3

MAORI PETITION

The following is a copy of the petition, with a translation, of the Mauris of this district in re the Government proclamation : Hotereni Taone, Akuhata. Ki te rununga nui o Nuitireni. Ka whai Honore matou ia matou, ka tuku atu nei i tcna tono ki tou arouro. He mohio hold no matou he nui rawa te whakaaro e rapua ana e koe mo te Tangata, ahakoa Pakeha Maori ranei. Koia tena te take matou tono. Kua rongo matou kua whakaputaina e te Kawaua ratou ko tona Runanga tctehi Ture, i te 23 o Hurae, 1872, e ki ana. kaua nga tangata Maori o te takiwa ki Hauraki, puta noa i ona rohe katoa, e whai mana kite hoko kite rcti ranei i ona wlienua, kite Pakeha noa iho. engari kite kawanatanga anake. Ta matou i kite ai kua mate matou i roto i tenei Ture. 1. Ko te wlienua kua taunahatia kite moni a tetelii Pakeha noa iho i raro i te rarangi 33 o te Ture, wlienua Maori, 1867. 2. Tera hoki e id te utu mo taku wlienua i raro i taua Ture. 3. Ko te whakakorenga rawatanga a taua Ture i toku mana ki runga ki toku wlienua mo te pewliea, mo te pewliea. Otiia tera atu to malianga e kore e taea te korero whakatepe atu i naianei. Na whakarongo mai i ana i nga tau o mua atu i te tau 18G5, i to kawanatanga anake te mana kite hoko wlienua ki nga waahi katoa o te motu nei. No raro ano hoki i tana Ture ko te mate i timata ki Waitara, a. liorapa atu ana kite motu katoa. Whaihoki ko tenei tera ano c pcra Koia matou ka tono nei kia whakakahore tia atu tenei Ture i runga i to matou takiwa, kua whakahuatia nei nga rohe e taua ture. E kore hoki tenei e kiia he nui no te aroha o te Kawana kia matou i tona arolia ki era atu iwi ote motu nei. Koia i whakatakotoria ai taua Ture moku anake. Engari he aroha ki tctehi mea. E nga, Rangatira o te rununga nui, e te liuuga, whakaaronui, whakarangona atawhaitia mai ta matou tono. Whakakorea atu tana ture i runga i to matou Takiwa. Kia rite rate liaere a to pakeha raua ko i o raua ra c tupu tahi ai raua. Ka nui rawa to matou koa me hemea ka taliuri koe kite whakaaro i ta matou tono, a ka whai Honore. Katoa matou e tuku atu nei i tenei tono kia koe. Mohi Maungakahia, me ctahi atu. ■ [Translation.] Shorthand, August. To the Assembly of New Zealand : We will honor ourselves in sending our request before your faces. We have a knowledge that very great are the thoughts which are searched for by you for the people should they be European or Native. Hence the reason of our request to you. We have heard that the Governor and his Council have issued a law on the 23rd of duty, 18i2, which says that all native people residing within the District of Hauraki and all its boundaries should have no authority to sell or lease

their lands to any' ordinary European, but to "the Government alone. We have discovered that this law renders us powerless

1. The lands on which deposits have been paid by ordinary Europeans under the 33rd clause of “ The Native Lands Act, 1867.” 2. Also the smallness of the price for our land under that law.

3. The complete prevention by that law of my authority upon my land. For what cause? For what cause? Great are the words which we are not enabled to give for the present. Now hearken respecting the years previous to 1865. With the Government alone was the authority to purchase the lands in all places in this island; under that law the evils commenced at Waitara (the Taranaki War) and spread all over the island ; now the same results will follow. Hence our request to you that that law should be abolished from over our district, the boundaries of which are given in that law. It will not then be said that the love of the Governor is greater towards us than his love to other tribes in this island. Hence the laying down of this law for us alone ; also a love for some other thing. 0 ye Chiefs of the Great Assembly—the persons who have great thoughts—hearken and consider our request. Do away with that law within our district in order that the progress of the Europeans and the Maori may be equal during the days in which they live together. Exceedingly great will be our rejoicing should you turn to consider our request, and all of us who send this request to you will be honored. Mom Maungakahia, And others.