Page 27.

The Government, of course, did not disavow their intention of pursuing the same policy everywhere. But what policy? It is very material that no doubt should be allowed to be insinuated as to what the policy was. It certainly was not the denial of any lawful rights of Chief or Tribe which had been recognised by former Governments, or had ever been understood to exist: these were always intended to be maintained in the future as they had been in the past. But it was the denial of any right in Chiefs of these Land Leagues which have been formed throughout the country, to prevent the rightful proprietors of the soil from selling their land to Her Majesty if they please. This policy the Government had openly declared long before the Waitara purchase, and specially in the case of the offer of land by the Waikato Chief Wiremu Nera te Awaitaia, (See note p. 25.)