fc—No. 2.

A Maori version of the following declaration was then read by the Eesident Magistrate, Wi Tako repeating it after him in a clear and distinct voice. " DECLARATION. " I hereby declare that I am a true and loyal subject of the Queen, and that I will for ever hereafter bear true allegiance to Her Majesty : that I will obey her laws, submit to her magistraaes, and yield obedience to the lawful command of all in authority under Her Majesty." Wi Tako having subscribed his name thereto, the honourable the Colonial Secretary shook him warmly by the hand and congratulated him in kind and friendly terms. MEMORANDUM for His Excellency the Governor. The Colonial Secretary begs to forward a Memorandum received from his honor the Superintendent of Wellington, enclosing aii account* of his visit up the Wanganui River, and recent events connected with the repulse by the friendly Natives of the rebels. This is the document referred to in the Colonial Secretary's notes of his own visit to Wanganui, forwarded to His Excellency on the 5th July instant. The Colonial Secretary begs respectfully to suggest the transmission of this document, his own notes above referred to, and Mr. Buller's notes of the Colonial Secretary's interview with Wi Tako, to Her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for the Colonies, as they complete the history of events on the Wanganui River and West Coast, of which partial reports were forwarded by His Excellency in his despatch No. 35, 30th May, 1864. W • X OX. Auckland, 20th July, 1864. FURTHER PAPERS ON THE SUBJECT OF CONFISCATION. MEMORANDUM for His Excellency the Governor. The Colonial Secretary begs to forward copies of a correspondence between the Bishop of Waiapu and himself relative to the question of Confiscation of Lands belonging to rebel Natives. His Lordship's opinion is entitled to so much weight that perhaps His Excellency will excuse the suggestion that this Correspondence should be forwarded to Her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for the Colonies. William Fox. 5th July, 1864. Enclosure 1 to No. 1. Tauranga, April 15th, 1864. I learn from the late English papers that a Memorial has been sent to the Governor urging His Excellency " to avail himself of the first favourable opportunity of endeavouring to terminate the war by negociation ; and also deprecating a proposal which has been made to confiscate the lands of all contumacious and rebellious natives." . , . , ■ , T i u I take the liberty of expressing an opinion on this subject, which 1 form upon long observation and personal intercourse with this people. That I am a friend of the natives no one will for a moment doubt who is aware of the fact that I have spent nearly forty years ol my life lor their benefit; and it is because I am a friend of the natives, that I would not endeavour to screen them from punishment, which I believe to be necessary, and likely to have a salutary effect upon them. In the circumstances which led to the present war, the natives were blind to their interests, and have rejected the often repeated advice of their best friends. They had organized the king movement, which seemed at first to be of a harmless character, but when it was clearly tending to evil, the leading men in New Zealand, of that party whom some are fond of styling Maori sympathisers, one and all urged upon the natives to give up this movement, and to send the nag to the Governor. , . ,. The present war, it is well known, was brought on chiefly by Rewi, who acted m direct opposition to Tamihana and Matutaera; but this king organisation led those two chiefs to make common cause with the rest. The Governor levied necessary war against the instigators of murder, and invited all the peaceably disposed to remain quiet, with the assurance that their lauds should be intact; while those who took arms against the Government were warned that they would forfeit their laud. They made a deliberate choice, and as Tamihana wrote to Archdeacon Brown—" E pa kia rongo koe kuo whakaoe ahau kia whawhaitia te Taone katoa; mana e kaha e pai ana, ma te maon e kaha koia tenei." "Upon the subject of confiscation, I see no other way in which the natives can be made to feel the evil of the course they have chosen. They had seen that in the former wars with Heke and Rangihaeata no confiscation had been made, but they were afraid now that a different course would be adopted. They knew what would follow if they could not keep up a successful opposition. The natives of Tauranga told the Rev. C. S. Volkner, before the soldiers were sent there, that they would

•Printed with E. No. 3.

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PAPERS RELATIVE TO NATIVE AFFAIRS.