PETITION OF WILLIAM THOMPSON, TE WAHAROA.

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1865 Session I, G-06

G.—No. 6.

PETITION OF WILLIAM THOMPSON, TE WAHAROA.

PRESENTED TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, 9th AUGUST, 1865. RECEIVED AUGUST 10th, AND ORDERED TO BE PRINTED 15th AUGUST, 1865. WELLINGTON. 1865.

G.—No. 6.

Waihou, IS Hurac, 1865. Ko aliau ko William Thompson Te Waharoa ka tuliitulii atu kia Tianara Kunanga Huihuinga o Poneko kia whakarongo ki oku korero c takoto rei; ki toku mamae ka tukua atu nci kia koutou, hei kai-titiro i tenei he whakapae —teka ki an, kia tika te titiro, kei puta he take whawhai a inuri ake nei. Kua ki, He tangata kino ahau, He tangata rebel ahau—Kohuru. Kua huihuia c au tetahi huihuinga tangata hei kohuru Pakeha ; kite pei atu kite moana; kite tahu kite ahi i a Akarana, me era atu i tahaki atu ranei. Kua he i au enei korero. Kua tuhituhi <i Te Pokiha ratou ko ona hoa kia Te Kuini Wikitoria, kua korero whakahe moku. Is ro reira, kua hiahia aliau kia tirohia ko wai rate inea tika, ko wai rate mea he. Tukua ma te Ture c titiro. Ka ac anau ki tetehi Ingirihi hei whakftwa i waenganui ote tika o te he; otira mehemea he Ingirihi wbakaaro rangatira, ngakau tapatahi, c wehi ana kite Atua, c hopohopo ana kite kino. Ka pai au kite whakaatu i tetehi Kai-Whakawa, ko Arene ranei, ko Pekarnu ranei. E hara enei ite tangata whawhai. No enei, ka tahi ahau ka mohio ka tika te Ture. Mehemea c kore koutou c pai ki enei Kai-Whakawa 1 ika, waiho ma te Kuini c rapu tetehi tangata pai, tika, koia tera te tangata ;ka tukua mana c titiro toku mate. Waiho oku hoa pouri kia korero kino ana ki ahau. Taihoa kia kitea taku iwi me ahau kite aroaro o oku hoa pouri, kei reira ka tukua nga mea he kia kererotia ta ratou he tukua ma te Kai-AVTiakawa c titiro na wai te take o tenei whawhai Ka hiahia ahau ki oku hoa a te ra whakawa, ara a Te Manihera, a te Ahiwera, a Tc Paraone, a Te Matcnga, a Te Pihopa, a lion Kereama, hei Kai-whakarongo. If a te korero ahau i kawe kite whawhai. Kanui toku hiahia kite noho marire ;ka nui aku hoa pai Pakeha c aroha tetehi ki tetahi. Oiira i taku rongonga i o ratou kainga i Ihumatao, i Pukaki, i Mangere, i Patumahoe, me te maunga o Ihaka ratou ko tona iwi kite whare herehere, kahore ahau i hapai i te pu i tenei takiwa. Te weranga o nga whare o Pokeno, tae noa lei te whitinga o nga hoia i Mangatawhiri, mate noa oku hoa ite Koheroa, ka tahi au ka mau ite pu ;he pouri noku. Ka hapai nga c toku ringa pu ake taku pu hei tiaki moku. I te timatanga o te whawhai ki Taranaki ka nui taku pouri, ka tae ahau ki reira, ka tuhi atu ahau kia Te Tianara kia whakamutua te whawhai i reira. Kua hiahia ahau hei hoa mo te Kawana kia whakahokia paitia nga Pakeha ki o ratou whenua ki Tataraimaka, ka kapea aku korero c ia. Ko wai rate mea hiahia kite whawhai ? Kua whakamatauria c ahau i reira te uoho pai. Tukua ma te KaiWhakawa c titiro, ka he enei. Ite taenga mai o Kawana ki Taupiri, kahore koia ahau me taku iwi i whakapai ki aia i reira? I liaere mai koia ia me ana hoia kia matou ? Kaore koia ia i tona hokinga atu i whakarite mea hei whawhai ? Kaore koia i whakamahi i nga hoia kite hanga rori ? Xi te whakatu pou waca, kite hanga pa, kite tiki hoia, me nga tima hoki. He aha taku he i reira, me toku iwi hold i hanga ai he mea: — 1. I mate koia tetehi Pakeha i reira ? 2. I pau ranei tetehi whare ite ahi ? I tahaetia ranei ite takiwa i aia atu ai nga Maori i o ratou kainga i "Waikato ? Tukua ma te Kai-Whakawa eki ko wai ra te tangata he. Xi Waikato kua hiahia ahau kia pai i te takiwa i a Te Kohi i tana hiahia kite ngangare : a i whakamntau ahau kite pehi i nga ngakau riri kino. I tona hekenga atu ite Awamutu, ka tukua paitia ona taouga; he tangata Maori te kai-tiaki o nga whare me nga taonga o roto, o waho. Ko nga Pakeha i noho ki o ratou wahi, i tiakina paitia ratou me nga taonga etc Maori. Tukua ma te Kai-Whakawa c kite ki. Kaore koia ahau i whakatupato i a Te Ahiwera kite kino kia haero atu nga Pakeha o te takiwa whawhai me nga tamariki, wahine, i pena ai ahau, he tupato noku kite tangata hikaka kino. Kaore koia ahau i tuhituhi atu kia Paraone o Tauranga, hei whakatupato ki aia ? I mahara pea iahe kupu tuturu mo ratoa, he whakaaro kino noku ake ki nga Pakeha o tera kainga. Tukua ma te KaiWhakawa c ki, kaore tenei c tika. I murua koia nga Pakeha o Hauraki c nga tangata Maori o reira, o Waiau, o Tauranga ? Mehemea i hiahia matou ki tera mahi, ma wai c arai? Ka nui taku kaha ki nga mea i kaha aliau. Ite pakarutanga ote whawhai, c taea koia tc arai te kino ote tangata kua uru te kino ki tona ngakau. Otira, tukua aliau ma te whakawa. He iangata kohuru koia ahau ? Heoi ano taku whawhai, he tiaki i toku tinana ;me toku whenua hoki. Kore rawa toku hiahia kite whawhai. Xi muri ite horonga o Itangiriri kua hiahia ahau kia mau te rongo. Ko taku pukapuka kia Te Tianara kaore i rongo. Kawe tonu te whawhai. I te takiwa i whiti mai ai nga hoia i Mangatawhiri chara i a ratou te hiahia kia kino ki au, ki toku iwi hoki: engari na to ratou Kai-whakahaere to mea i hiahia kia kino ki au me taku iwi hoki. Tae mai ahau ki Ngaruawahia, kawe tonu te whawhai. Ite mutunga o te whawhai ote hoia, ka mutu hoki te Maori. Tukua kite whakawa, mana c patai na wai i hanga tenei whawhai.

PETITION OF WILLIAM THOMPSON, TE WAHAROA.

G.—No. 6.

No te taenga mai o Hori Kereama ki to whawhau rongo, ka ki mai ki an, " Tukua kite Ture kotalii mo te Maori mo te Pakelia." Ka ki atu au, "Ac kia kotalii to Ture, hei whakatika ite mea tika, hei whakahe i te mea lie." Ite taenga mai ote Kawana tuatuhi lie aha tana Ture i liomai liei tiaki i nga Maori? I tiakina koia te Ture ia Wi Kingi me Waitara? He Tare koia i tiaki i a matou i o matou whenua, taonga, i reira ? He Ture koia nga Pakcha ate Kawana i tuku mai nei ki tenei motu, Pakelia kai waipiro, kohukohu, korero kino, whakaiti rangatira ? No reira ka ki aliau kia whakaturia taku Kingi, ta te mea ckore tatou c pai kite Ture. I naianei, c boa ma, ko te turo ote Kuiui lie ture hei tiaki i taku Kingi, me te iwi katoa hoki. Tukua atu ma te Kai-Whakawa c titiro kite mea lie ho takn whakaaturauga o taku hei tiaki ia matou kei kino. Kaore au c pouri ki oku hoa i kino mai ki aliau. No inua taku hiam'a kia pai kia kake taku whenua kite pai, kia whai taonga kite hoa pai ote Pakeha. Ma te ture oto Kuini c whakatuturu ki te pai. No te mea ka nui te whakapoheine ki aliau, ki taku iwi hoki, naianei ka pai ahau kia whakatu tetahi kai titiro hei whakamarama mo tenei poheketanga ki au. Mohemea ka tirohia paitia, ma reira pea ka mohio na wai te whakaaro wliawhai na wai rate hiahia kite noho pai. Tukua atu taku tononga kia kite Te Kuini, kia rongo hold ki enei korero, kia whakaturia c ia, c koutou ranei, ia Arena i a Pekamu Kai-Whakawa, kia whakawakia tikatia kei wliawhai a muri atu Heoi, na to koutou hoa. Na William Thompson, Te Wahaboa. [Translation.] Waihou, July 18, 1865. ; I, "William Thompson Te Waharoa, write to the General Assembly, meeting at Wellington, beseeching you to hearken to my words which here lie —to my anguish'which. I now send to you, for you to be persons to see into this error —false accusation against mo ; see rightly into it, lest a caase for fighting arise hereafter. I have been said to be an evil man, a rebel, a murderer, —that I have collected a number of men for the purpose of murdering Europeans to drive them into the sea —to burn Auckland and other places beyond with fire. 1 have shown these word:: lo be wrong. Mr. Fox and his friends have written to Queen Victoria words damaging my reputation, hence my desire that the whole matter be seen into, bo that it may be found who is right and who it is that is wrong. Let it be for the law to determine. I agree that some Englishman be appointed as arbitrator, that is to say —if he is an Englishman of good principles, single-hearted, God-fearing, and fearful of doing wrong. I consent to point out an arbitrator : either Arene (Sir George Arney) or Pekama (Mr. Beckham), these are not men of war, but if cither of these are selected as arbitrators, I know that the law will be correct. If you do not consent to the selection of (either) one of these just judges, let the Queen seek out some good and just man —let that be the man who shall be authorized to see into my trouble —-leave my friends who are in the dark to s jeak evil of me. 73y-and-bve when my tribe (people) is seen face to face with my friends who arc in the dark, then let the misdoings (be told), and for their misdoings (also) to be told. Let it be for the arbitrator to determine with whom originated the cause of this war. I shall wish for my friends to be also present, i.e., Mr. Maunsell, Mr. Ashwell, Mr. Brown, Sir "W. Martin, the Bishop, Mr. G. Graham, to hear what is said. It was words which carried me to the fight, great was my desire to live peaceably: I have many Eurojjean friends (and wished) for mutual love to exist amongst us. But when I heard of the expulsion of the Natives from their settlements at Ihumatao, Pukaki, Mangerc, Te Kirikiri, and Patumahoe, and of the capture of Ihaka and his people and their imprisonment; even at that time I had nottaken up the gun. The burning with fire of the houses at Pokeno, even until the crossing by the soldiers of MangatawHri, and the subsequent death of my friends at Tc Koheroa —then for the first time did I take up the gun— on account of my grief I took up my gun with my own hand to defend myself with. At the commencement of the war at Taranaki great was my grief; when I arrived there I wrote to the General desiring him to cause the fighting there to cease. I desired to be a friend to the Governor, for the Europeans to be caused to return quietly to their lauds at Tataraimaka, but my words were set aside by him. Who was it that desired fighting ? lat that time tried peaceably living. Let the arbitrator determine whether these are misdoings. When the Governor came to Taupiri did not I and my whole tribe do honor to him at that time. Did he come with his soldiers to see us, and did not he upon his return concert measures for war; did not he employ soldiers at road-mr.king, to put up posts for telegraph, to build redoubts, to fetch soldiers and steamers also? What was the misdoing of myself and my tribe at that time that things were made. 1. Had there been one European killed at that time ? 2. Had {here any house been burnt with fire at that time? 3. Had thefts been committed at that lime that the Maoris were driven away from their settlements in Waikato ? Let it be for the arbitrator to say who is the man in the wrong. In Waikato it was my wish during Mr. Gorsst's tenure of ofiice for them to be peaceable whilst they desired to fight, and I then tried to suppress the desire for fighting. When he went down from TeAwamutu his effects were sent down in a proper manner, a Maori being in charge of his house and the property therein and that which was without. Those Europeans who remained at their places were well taken care of, with their property, by the Maori (people). Let the arbitrator say his say. Did I not give Mr. Ashwell warning of cvil —for the Europeans, women and children, to remove from the scene of fighting. My reason for doing so was caution for what men rash to commit evil might do.

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G.—No. 6.

Did not I write to (Archdeacon) Brown, at Tauranga, to put him on his guard ? Perhaps it occurred to him that that was a fixed word for them, and that it was an evil thought which originated with me, affecting the Europeans of that place. Let it be for the arbitrator to say that this is not right. Were the Europeans of Hauraki plundered by the Maoris of Waiau (Coromandel) and Tauranga ? If we had desired to have done so, who could have hindered us ? Great was my influence in those matters where I had authority. At the breaking forth of the war, could it be possible to prevent the (commission of) evil by man, when evil had entered into his heart ? But hand me over to the arbitrator. Am I a man of murder ? I only fought for my body and my land ; I had not any wish to fight. After the fall of Eangiriri, I desired that peace be made. My letter to the General was not regarded, but fighting was still carried on. At the time the soldiers crossed Mangatawhiri, the desire to fight was not theirs —to fight with me and my tribe —but it was he who directed them who desired to fight with me and my people. When I retired to Ngaruawahia, the fighting was still carried on; when the soldiers ceased to fight, the Maoris also left off. Put it to the arbitrator, for him to ask who was it that made this war. When George Graham came to make peace, he said to me, " Give it over to be decided by the one law for both the Maori and Pakeha." I replied, " Yes, let there be one law to justify him who is right, and to condemn him who is wrong." When the first Governor came, what was the law that he gave to be a protection for the Maoris 'r Did that law protect Wiremu Kingi and Waitara ? Did a law protect us, our lands and property, at that time ? Were the Europeans which the Governor sent to this island—Europeans who drink spirits, curse, speak evilly, who make light of those in authority —were these a law ? Then did I say, let me set up my King, for we do not approve of the law. But now, 0 friends, the law of the Queen is the law to protect my King and the whole people also. Let it be for the arbitrator to see whether the plan I have set forth for taking care of us lest evil befall us is wrong. I am not grieved because of my friends who have become inimical towards me. My desire originated long since for peace, and that my land prosper and become wealthy through their friendly relations with the Europeans. That the law of the Queen confirm us in peace, because great is the bewilderment of myself and my tribe also at the present time ; I wish (I am willing) that some investigator be appointed to clear up this bewilderment from me. If it be properly looked into it will be seen perhaps whose was the desire for fighting, and whose the desire for quiet living. Forward my petition to the Queen, so that she also may see these words, and so that she or you may appoint either (Sir George) Ariiey or (Mr.) Beckham judges to investigate the whole affair lest fighting occur hereafter. That is all. ■ From your friend, William Thompson, Te AYaharoa.

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