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Page 50.

It was publicly read to William King and a large assembly of Natives and Europeans on the 29th November, 1859. It is misleading to urge that it "could have no legal effect." No one ever pretended that it had. But what is absolutely certain is, that William King and all the Natives present knew perfectly well that its effect was to save their proprietary rights if any, while the Government absolutely repudiated their claim as land-leaguers to prevent the rightful owners from ceding their own proprietary rights to the Queen.