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3. Following are the causes which prompted me to address you, for I am in great distress on one, two, and three subjects in regard to my lands which the Government of New Zealand, without any just cause, have wrested from me. The first of these is Opua, now occupied by the Kawakawa Eailwaystation at the loading-ground; the second block is the Maai, at Taumarere, Kawakawa; the third block is Waikurakura, at Taumarere ; and the fourth is Whakaarorangi, also at Taumarere. 4. The laws of the Government dealing with purely Native lands, leases, and Bills introduced by the Native Minister have been the means of wresting these portions of land from the Natives, and also of depriving them of all rights to such lands. 5. A compact has been formed for the purpose of preserving the lands belonging to our ancestress Hineamaru, and other hapus amongst the Native people have joined it. This compact gives me full and unreserved control over the lands of my hapu held under Native tenure, and reserves all dealings with them entirely to myself and people ; and, in accordance therewith, all Acts passed by the Government of New Zealand will not have any effect or bearing upon the lands brought under this compact: that is to say, all these Acts are entirely excluded, and so cause the Government Acts to be without operation over the Native lands of my people thus placed under restrictions, and reserving to me the entire control and administration of lands owned by my hapu, being aboriginal natives, and brought under the condition applicable to our ancestor's [land], subject to the approval of the rest of the people. 6. That the laws of the Government should not be brought into force on those portions of land which the Natives have thus set apart in that condition for ever and ever. Amen. But that these laws of the Government of New Zealand be entirely confined to lands under its own control and obtained by virtue of purchase. It would only be right for them to be in operation there, but it would not be right to impose them on portions held by the Natives. All the portions of the earth will hear that a serious trouble exists under the present system of administration in New Zealand: that is why I notify that a different law has been made for myself and people amongst the Maori tribes of New Zealand, to keep away the laws of the Government from my people and. tribe, and to preserve our lands. But let the Constitution Act be the general law for all the inhabitants of New Zealand, which law I do approve of for the Natives. 7. With respect to the Government, I say this—namely, that they have not shown me any consideration whatever, seeing that they have deprived me of four different parcels of land— namely, Opua, Te Maai, Waikurakura, and Whakaarorangi. These are the parts remaining to me of my lands which I gave away in consequence of Hone Heke's action in cutting down the flagstaff at Maiki (Eussell, Bay of Islands). It was I who set that flagstaff up again, thus re-establishing the authority of Queen Victoria. After the death of Heke and of my father Kawiti, I became the leading person amongst the Ngapuhi Tribe, and consequently I raised that flagstaff with a view of restoring the authority of the Queen and her flag, and to this the people agreed. I myself went and felled the tree in the bush, hewed, dragged it to the sea, and towed it across to Eussell, where it was handed over to a carpenter named J. Cook to complete it, after which I paid the sum of £100 for ropes, tackling, and other things required for the flagstaff. On the raising of the flagstaff I parted with the land in honour of the occasion. I freely gave that land, which, according to Maori customs, was a mark of respect and regard for Her Majesty the Queen, and, being such, no remuneration was expected for it. The second purpose for which the land was parted with was to efface the reflection cast upon the names of Heke and Kawiti by the Europeans. On the arrival at the Bay of Islands of the man-of-war bearing Governor Gore Browne, the Resident Magistrate of the Bay of Islands and I went on board, and there I handed over the flag with all its authority to Governor Gore Browne, and at the same time gave over the land to him. The name of the flag was (Ko Te Whakakotahitanga) The Unity of the Maoris and Europeans. ' ~e area of the land which I gave to Her Majesty amounted to two million acres, more or less, as will be seen in the plan drawn up by Mr. Kempthome, surveyor. In reply to the presentation which I made, Governor Browne said that he would be pleased to accept the flag, but that he could not accept the land except by purchase. I told him, however, that it could not be otherwise, as the chiefs had unanimously agreed in committee to make a gift of the land as a mark of their high esteem and regard for Her Majesty the Queen, and for the purpose of effacing the reflection that was cast upon the names of Hone Heke and Kawiti by the Europeans. After this Governor Browne gave me the seal of peace, which I still have in my possession. Now the remaining portions of my land have been wrested from me by the Government, and this is a heavy grievance to me. I have applied to the Government year after year for my land without effect, and I have been threatened by the Government with imprisonment for my own lands; and up to this year I asked the Native Minister to attend a meeting at the Treaty of Waitangi, on the occasion of which—that is, on the 9th of March of the jubilee year of 1887 —I applied to the Hon. Mr. Ballance, the Native Minister, for the payment to me of the sum of £4,500. I therefore ask that Her Gracious Majesty be pleased to consider my grievance and the grievances of the Maori people, caused by the present administration of the Government in connection with the Maori people of New Zealand: that is the reason I now ask that the laws of the Government be made applicable only to the Europeans, and that the Native Land Court, the rates on Native lands, and all laws should not apply to us. I request that the above statement be published in the English Press, and forwarded to New Zealand. From Maihi Pabaone Kawiti. PS.—I make this notification to the Sovereignty of England in order that the measures of the Government for New Zealand may be known and understood, for such measures are evil, and will not afford relief to the Maori people. I pray therefore that you will cause this statement of mine to be published in the English Press, and also forward a copy of the same to New Zealand. 5—A. 2.