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The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 10

[Statement from James Hamlin]

The following written statement was handed to me by Mr. James Hamlin, who was Mr. Buller's interpreter in 1863:—

"The offer of arbitration was accepted by the Ngatiraukawa and Rangitanes; the Ngatiapa only partially did so.

"In 1863, Mr. Buller received instructions to draw out an arbitration bond, which I translated, and then received orders from Mr. Buller to take them up to Rangitikei, and get the three tribes to sign them. The Ngatiraukawa and Rangitane readily did so, but the Ngatiapa did not. Mr. Buller, finding the Ngatiapa would not sign the bond, suspended their salaries for being constables and assessors."

The following extracts from a speech delivered by Dr. Featherston to the electors of Wellington on Wednesday evening, the 21st February, 1866, will show that the Superintendent of Wellington had made up his mind to purchase the 'Manawatu block of land' at least two months before he 'accepted' it as the only possible means of preventing an inter-tribal war—will show how that the 'good old Aaron' could, when it suited his purpose, become transformed into a 'roaring lion;' will show that the gentleman engaged by the General Government of New Zealand as Land Purchase Commissioner, &c., entertained very peculiar views with respect to a native policy:—

"Dr. Featherston, who was received with loud applause, said—

"The course I pursued then was the same as that which had for its object the promoting of what I believe to be the true interest of this Province, as in getting rid of the difficulties which lay in the way of purchasing the Manawatu block of land, and more especially in rendering my assistance, however humble it may have been, in subduing the rebel natives on the West Coast, and bringing them to submission. (Hear, hear)" . . . "Is the British army degenerated? Was it not composed of men having the same metal and courage as those who have fought and conquered in every country and under every clime? I consider the Imperial troops to be the finest in the world; I say that the British army stands far higher in every respect than that of any other country. Look at what has been done by any of the regiments now in New Zealand, and then tell me that those regiments arc unable to cope with the Maori, and are unequal to New Zealand warfare. (Hear, hear.) Sir, I ask you, who long remember your gallant friends of the 65th, and many another regiment, whether you believe that they were not the same men in this country as they have ever proved them selves in other countries? Will one of you in this room say that men who have fought and lost their lives at Rangiriri, at the Gate Pa, at the Orakau, were unequal to cope with the Maori and unfit for New Zealand warfare? But if you dare to make such an assertion, what will you say to the signal success of General Chute between Whanganui and Taranaki, with a flying column of some four or five hundred men? That gives the lie at once and for ever to any aspersions on the English troops; that settles at once and for ever that Imperial troops, if properly handled, are equal to any emergency, and instead of being unequal to the natives, those natives are terrified at them, and dare not make a stand against them. (Hear, hear.)" "Sir, I confess I never held any faith in the elaborate native policies which have been at various times propounded by statesmen in this colony. I have always adhered to the principles I enunciated twenty years ago, that as it is utterly impossible to pre serve the native race from ultimate extinction, from annihilation through their connection with a civilized people, our chief duty consisted not in attempting elaborate theoretical policies, but in rendering the dying conch of the race as easy and comfortable to them as possible. (Hear, hear.) Sir, the same course which was a good policy twenty years ago, is, it appears to me, only gaining daily more strength. Twenty years ago these natives amounted to from eighty to a hundred thousand, whilst now how many are they? Not more than forty thousand at the outside, and in twenty years to come there will be but a mere page 46 handful left. What then is the use of hatching native policies for a race which you cannot possibly preserve?"

The following are extracts from Dr. Featherston's reports presented to both Houses of the General Assembly, by command of his Excellency:—

Enclosure 1, in No. 6.

"Notes of an interview between his Honor Dr. Featherston (Land Purchase Commissioner) and Ihakara te Hokowhitukuri, at Scott's Accommodation House, on Wednesday, 22nd November, 1866.

"After mutual greetings, and some desultory conversation on other subjects, his Honor referred to the Rangitikei question, expressing his regret that, since their last meeting, attempts had been made to create discontent among the natives, and to disturb the existing arrangements for the sale of the block to the Crown.

"Dr. Featherston said—' But apart from all this, he felt sure that Ihakara would agree with him that to attempt to get the ownership to this particular block investigated and settled in any Land Court would be a mere farce. Every effort had been made to induce the disputants to agree to a settlement of their claims by arbitration, but to no effect Neither tribe would admit itself in the wrong, or submit to an adverse decision of the Court. It was only after these efforts had failed that the natives talked of selling the block, and the leading Ngatiraukawa chiefs had repeatedly acknowledged, both to him and Mr. Buller, that a sale of the whole of the land in dispute was the only possible solution of this long-standing difficulty. With regard to the caricature, which seemed to have produced so much irritation and heart-burning, he would ask how it was possible that the Superintendent and Mr. Buller could, with truth, be represented as driving the natives into a sale of the land, when the offer of sale had come from the natives themselves.' Ihakara acknowledged that he could see no escape from the difficulty but by a mutual sale of their disputed claims to the Queen.

"(Signed)

"I. E. Featherston.

"Superintendent's Office, "Wellington,