WAITARA.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 7, Issue 348, 18 June 1863, Page 4

WAITARA.

[The following, from the New Zealander of May 19th, gives’the most satisfactory account we have seen of the abandonment of the Waitara, and as its appearance in the above paper is understood to give it a semi-official cliaracter we reprint it for the information of our readers]:— Some foul’ yeai’s since there was a very

general indisposition manifested on the part of the Na tive people in this island to alienate their land, and their existed at the same time, a burning desire on the paid; of certain Europeans—the outward manifestation of which, in this Province, was what is remerixbei*ed as the “ direct purchase ” agitation—to obtain these very lands which the Maories seemed then determined not to sell. Taranaki, however, was the place at which the determination to obtain possession of the native lands was most fiei'ce and was expressed with the least disguise. The memorial on this subject -presented by the'Provincial Council of New Plymouth has become historical. The “ dissatisfaction ” of the Taranaki settlors, because of the refusal of the Natives of. that Province to part with land, and* the effoi’ts made by his Excellency‘Governor Brown, to “satisfy them,” are, matters of record to which we have recently referred. The “ Tribal ” title, it. appeared, was the great difficulty ; individuals were always ready to offer land biit the title so; obtainable was rarely valid. The way to simplify purchase was ■ clearly to break through the tribal right aud : to recognize the individual or “ the minority.” In March 1859, a neat little

pei'formance was arranged, in which Colonel Gore Browne was made catspaw in the attempt to get this very tempting chestnut out of the fire. Then the famous declaration was made about the purchase of land, aiid then “ great pains having,” according to. Mi*. McLean, “been taken before and after the offer to enquire who the real claimants were and to settle with them ” —-Te Teira laid his mat at the Governor’s feet, and 1 Waitai'a was gone.’

, ./The breach in the wall of the tribal right thus supposed' to have been made practicable, was “ vigorously ” stormed. Blood has jbeen poured out like water ; treasure has been wasted; the fairest Province in the land lias been made a desert, and its once healthy and thoroughly English population utterly demoralized ; the progress of this Northern Island has been arrested : the safety of its outsettlers endangered, and a sentiment of hostility engendered between the : races which it will take a very long time to modify or efface. . At the end of four years from the time of Te Teira’s offer, we have a Proclamation by Govei nor Grey, renouncing on behalf of the Crown all claim to Waitara, first because that purchase never was completed on our side, by the payment, of the stipulated price ; and . secondly, because deception had been practiced on the Governor or Government of the day. This act of Sir George Grey has been subjeqted, on the part of the extreme “ war ” ;men, r as well as by some who ought to know better, to severe criticism. It appears to ’us that the question to be “ investigated ” was a very simple one, tried even by the rule which Governor

Browne himself laid down—\ iz., was Teira’s title to the land good ?

It appears now that William King’s claim to his shave “ in the bedreom of us all ” at Waitara is upon Te Teira’s own showing, substantial and good according to Native custom. When Ngatiawa re- - turned to Waitara in 1848, as it now appears, it was William King’s intention to have looated fliimself on the north bank of the Waitara. The whole tribe however became so alarmed at the danger of an attack from Ngatimaniopoto of Waikato that, after full deliberation at general meetings of the tribe, it was then settled that for mutual pi’otection they should all live together on the south side. It was finally agreed upon by all that their pas should be erected close to each other near the mouth of the river, and accordingly Hurirapa, Werohia and Kuikuhi were built. Tliey were so near to each other that, for defensive purposas, they might be regarded as one pa. In their pa, within the surveyed boundaries of the Waitara block, it appears that William King and his people lived for years in happiness and peace. Teira now says that he never intended to give up his own pa, Hurirapa, or that the land which belonged to the others should have been included in the survey ; he declaims that besides the particular “ pieces ” there was to have been a reserve of 200 acres made within the block, and lie further declares with great truth, that he has never been paid for the land which was said to “belong to the Queen.” Mr. Parris, we have been informed, now says the Teira did not state, at the time when his offer was made, that lie intended to reserve the pas, and that he (Mr. Parris) had never heal’d of an intended reserve of 200 acres. Mr. Parris however, we believe, admits that “ the Government” had certainly promised that Reserves should be made ; and this was the way in which that pi'omise was to have been kept j the object of “ the Government ” was to form a township at the mouth of the Waitara, and they- contemplated giving certain allotments in the township to the Natives in exchange for the sites of their pas, but the war had, unfortunately, prevented the benevolent intentions of “the Government” from being carried out. The “mixed settlement” scheme was intended to have been tried “vigorously” at Waitara j but it appears that William King objected to exchange his pa and his lands far a town allotment, and, therefore, we went to war!

We have detailed, as we have learned them, a few of the “circumstances” which have satisfied Sir George Grey and his Executive Council that Waitara ought to be renounced. It had been better perhaps, as all the facts were known if that act of duty had been performed before the fatal 4th of May. The delay has given occasion to those who have no sense of honor or no sentiment of justice, to say that Waitara has been abandoned through fear or policy. There is in these matters but one policy—honesty ; and when, after the recent brutal murder Sir Geoi’ge Grey announced to Waikato that “he had not stopped in his peaceful work about Waitara,” he simply showed that his determination to be just to Ngatiawa was not affected by the natural 'horror and-indignation which the detestable outrage of the Taranakis produced. Again we repeat that the history of the recent discoveries at Taranaki can only be obtained satisfactorily when the General Assembly is in session.