EL—No. 2

REPORT of an Interview, at Waikanae, on the 3rd June, 1864, between the Honorable William Fox, Colonial Secretary, and Wl Tako Ngatata, a leading Kingite Chief of the Ngatiawa Tribe: Walteb Bvllkk, Esq., Resident Magistrate, interpreting. Wi Tako (after mutual greetings). For three days I have waited for you, Mr. Pox, in order that I might see you and talk with you. Colonial Secretary : I should have been down sooner, but 1 have had much to do at Wanganui and along the coast. Wi Tako : What are your thoughts r Colonial Secretary : What they always were. Wi Tako : Are they full of love to the Maoris ? Colonial Secretary : Of course they are. Wi Tako : Before we go any further let me explain to you what Kingism is down here. Wairarapa is one side of the housej this coast is the other eide. One roof covers all. I hold the key. Those whom I lock in, remain inside the house —those whom 1 lock out, remain out. I come to you now bearing this key. You have said that your thoughts are full of love towards the Maoris. Does this include all Maoris —the bad as well as the good ? Colonial Secretary : Yes, in one sense ; but I have no love for evil itself. Wi Tako : Our Lord Jesus Christ loves all men —the wicked as well as the good. Colonial Secretary : But He will punish the wicked unless they repent and turn to Him. Wi Tako: True, but he desires to save them. Colonial Secretary: Exactly so. But if they refuse to be saved, they must perish. Wi Tako : Is your love extended to me only, or to all on the wrong side ? Colonial Secretary: To all. Wi Tako : Is that the Governor's feelings towards us as well as yours ? Colonial Secretary : Yes, the Governor's heart is full of love and compassion for the Maoris. Wi Tako : Are you willing to save all without distinction ? Colonial Secretary: All except the murderers, if you will comply with the conditions.^ Wi Tako : I have heard the conditions and know them, but let me hear them again from your lips ? .Colonial Secretary : Then listen, and 1 will explain them. The murderers —those who hare killed women and children and unarmed men—will be handed over to the civil authorities to bo tried. If convicted they will be hung as murderers. Wi Tako": That is dear. It is right to hang the murderers. Colonial Secretary : Those who have killed pakehas in fair fight will not be treated as murderersBut their lands have all been taken in payment for their rebellion. When they give up their arms and return to their allegiance they will be received into friendship again, the past will be forgiven, and the Government will give each of them a piece of land secured by Crown Grant. Those who have been hoisting king's Mags, drilling soldiers, and committing other acts of that sort, are all rebels, and are liable to have their lands confiscated. But the Government is not obliged to take the lands of such, and if they voluntarily come forward, declare their allegiance, and endeavour by v future good behaviour to atone for the past." their case will receive every consideration at the hands of the Government. With regard to you in particular, Wi Tako, I will say this: the Government have heard with satisfaction from Dr. Featkerston and others that the continued peace of this district has been owing, in great measure, to your individual exertions. You have restrained the violent ones, and you have always declared against the cowardly murder of unarmed pakehas. The Government are therefore disposed to consider your case very favourably. You are liable, as well as the rest, to have all your lands taken from you. But if you are prepared to-day to make your submission —to give up kingism for ever and sign the declaration of allegiance—the Government will not touch any of your land nor punish you in any way. You will be received again into favour and all the past will be forgotten. Wi Tako : lam (juite prepared to make my submission. I told Dr. Featherston that I should, and it was for this purpose that I came here to-day. But I want to know about the others. You say that your love extends to the bad as well as to the good, and that you desire to save them all. Colonial Secretary : And I say it again. Wo did not want to fight, but they compelled us. We did not want to continue fighting, but they compel us by refusing to submit. As soon as they want peace they shall have it. But they must give up their guns and declare their allegiance. As soon as they do this all the past will be forgiven ; and, as 1 said before, a piece of land will be given to each of them out of the lands we have conquered, Bewi, Tamihana Tarapipi, AVi Hapi —all will be fully pardoned, unless it be proved that they have taken part in the murders. The prisoners on board tho hulk-they too will be pardoned and set free as soon as peace is made. At present they are fed, clothed, and well eared for, and when they are liberated the Government will give them each a piece of land, clothed with a Crown Grant. Mr. Whitakcr and 1 went on board the hulk and told them this, and we sent Iwo of their number through Wnikato to tell it to their friends About two hundred Natives—many of them chiefs —have lately given up their arms, and are now waiting till land shall be marked out for them. It was found that 'one of the prisoners, Tangataware Iwataia, had murdered a pakelia in cold blood. He was at once handed over to be tried in the Supreme Court, and is now undergoing his sentence of imprisonment for life. As for Waikato it is clean swept—as completely as you would sweep tliis floor with a broom ! Here is not a single kingite between Maungatawiri and Mauugatautari, Mid only a few of them about Ifangatiki. As for the king he has vanished like a dream"1; and disappeared like a cloud, and is nowhere to be heard of! The fighting is no longer for the king, but for the proud heart of Be* i, and for the double heart of Thompson. Wi Tako : I have heard all that from Wi Hapi, every word of it. He told me that Waikato was completely swept. He told me that there was no longer any fighting for the king, but only for tho name of Rewi and for the name of Tamihana. 1 then decided to give up this king work, and I wrote letters to W'airarapa and to Ahuriri, inviting all the chiefs to a great meeting, so that all the people

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PAPERS RELATIVE TO NATIVE AFFAIRS.