A.—No. 7,

6

NOTES OE THE PROCEEDINGS DURING THE

food and clothing. Had it not been for this, I should have no food nor clothing. Why then should I acknowledge the Waikato King, or sympathise with him ? Therefore, I adhere to the law. If I suffer let it be from the law, and in consequence of any misconduct on my part. I have not much to say respecting the Waikato question. It will be for you to make peme. If you say fighting shall continue in the Waikato, it shall be so ; if not, make peace. (The Chief then came forward and shook hands with the Governor.) His Excellenct the Governor then rose and said: 0, my friends, Chiefs and people of Ngapuhi, salutations to you all. I am very glad to meet the Ngapuhi, and to hear them repeat those assurances of friendship and good-will which they made to me when I first met them at the Bay of Islands, on my arrival in New Zealand two years ago. It is very gratifying to me to observe that you all remember the words of the son of the Queen —the Duke of Edinburgh—who told you that he hoped to see the time when the mist would be cleared away from the mountains of New Zealand, and the sun shine once more all over this fair land. Several of you have asked—what was the object of my visit ? O, Ngapuhi, the chief object of my present visit is to meet you and to maintain those friendly relations with you which have been preserved for so many years to the great advantage of both races. With one or two brief intervals, friendly intercourse has existed between the Ngapuhi and the Europeans ever since the English first came to New Zealand, and it became a British colony. The Ngapuhi were the first to invite the English to New Zealand, and you have continued to be on good terms with the Europeans ever since. Even during the periods of war you never molested the settlers, and in this as in many other respects you displayed the feelings of chivalrous warriors. And now, O, Ngapuhi, hearken to what I shall tell you about your offer to assist the Government in making peace with the Waikatos. Tour offer to assist the Government in making peace with the Waikato is a good offer. Since you made that offer, your friend Makarini (Mr.McLean) has been to Waikato, and has made peace with the people of that tribe. No reference was then made to the land. Had the Waikatos spoken of the land, we should have asked the Ngapuhi to consider the question conjointly with the Government. The lands conquered and sold to the Europeans, or given to the friendly Natives, as a reward for their loyalty —for recollect, O, Ngapuhi, a large portion of the conquered lands has been given to the friendly Maoris who fought for the Queen —-this land cannot be given into your hands ; but some of the lanel not already disposed of by the Government might be given back to the Waikatos who may choose to settle upon it and live quietly among the Europeans. This is now being done by the Government from time to time, as occasion offers. Do not suppose that I have come hither from any other motive but a desire to maintain friendly relations with you —those friendly relations which have always continued. And now once more, O, my friends, I tell you, in conclusion, that I rejoice to find myself among you, the Chiefs and people of Ngapuhi. As I said just now, you were the first to invite the English to settle in New Zealand, and for the last twenty-five years there has been perfect amity and friendship between both races in this part of the Island. A generation has grown up here which knows nothing of wars and tumults. While storms have raged in the South of this Island, here in the North, there have always been calm and sunshine. Some of the old Chiefs —the tall trees of the forest—have passed away, but a new generation of good men is fast growing up to take their places. Oh, Ngapuhi, this is the word of our Queen, that the Maori and the Pakeha, the brown skin and the white, should grow up as one people, under the same laws ; the word of the Queen is, that peace and friendship between the two races should always flourish, even like the everlasting green of your native forests. Komene Poakatahi said : Welcome, Governor ! I give you a song. (The Chief sang a song of welcome). Welcome, Governor, who are bringing peace, The Hon. Mr. McLean then addressed the meeting. He said: I have only one word to say to you, Kingi Hori, in reply to your expression, that for ten years the Government have been slaying the people ; I wish to correct your statement and the false impression it is likely to convey. The Government has no warlike intention, and has no desire to raise the weapon in any district which is at peace, and only opposes its enemies. We were at peace, and desired to continue so, but were not permitted by an enemy that committed secret murders on unoffending people of both races. It was, therefore, necessary, in self-defence, not only to resist, but to punish an enemy who resorted not to fighting in open daylight, but to secret ambuscades and other means for taking life that could not be tolerated. If the case had been yours, and that you found your people murdered, not in open fight, but in secret ambuscades, you would have taken up arms much more readily than the Government has done. I wish this meeting clearly to understand that the Government desires to punish criminals who provoke hostilities, in order that the peace of the country may not be disturbed, but established on a basis that will be lasting and permanent. The Governor's visit has no object beyond what he has now expressed, namely, a desire to continue the friendship that has so long existed between the Europeans and you. If other tribes persisted in quarrelling, you must acknowledge it was right that they should be punished. With respect to the question advanced by you, that the Waikato lands should be placed in your hands, when I met the Waikatos nothing was said about the land. Had the Waikatos sent a message to Ngapuhi requesting you to come and make peace, the Government would know that the Waikatos were desirous of the intervention of the Ngapuhi. Taiaroa, whose tribe had never quarrelled with Europeans, was solicited by Matutaera to negotiate between themselves and the Government. He and some of the Middle Island Chiefs came to Auckland, but were not urged to visit Waikato by those who invited them, and did not go, as they expected no result. They therefore returned to their own Island. Wi Pirihonga said : Welcome to the Governor, who has come to visit Ngapuhi. The principal question with the Ngapuhi is, will the land of the Waikato be placed in their hands ? Tou have seen the letter from the meeting at Waimate. Tour answer was also received by Ngapuhi. Since then you (Mr. McLean) have been to the Waikato. Tou say that the Waikatos never alluded to the land, during that visit. It is not for us (Ngapuhi) to take the initiative. It is for the Waikatos, who are, as it were, in prison, to appeal to us to release them.