[Original Text of Letter and Addendum]
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Original Text of the letter cited above, p. 25.
Maehe 4, 1858. Waitara.
E Riwai, e Kiripata, e Wiremu Tamihana, e Apa, e Ture, e Wiri, e Tei, e Hohepa; e koutou katoa, tena ra koutou katoa, e aku hoa, e aku papa. Whakarongo mai. Tenei matou kei runga i te pakanga, ara, i te mate kino, i te mate kohuru, i te mate i otaina i ngaua, i te mate inumia nga toto, i tenei mate kino noa iho. Whakarongo mai, tena pea koutou te ki mai na, tenei te mahia nei i runga i te pohehe, kaore, kei te mahia i runga i te marama. Ko te marama ra tenei, ko te mahi ki te Kawana, kua oti; ko te mahi kohuru kaore i whakaaroa me kohuru. Erangi ma Ihaia ma Nikorima te kohuru, ma nga rangatira o maua me awatea. Koia tenei e mahia nei i te awatea. Ko te mahi ki a te Kawana i mahia ano e nga rangatira.Kua rongo mai iana koutou ki te marama i mate ai a te Waitere, ko Hanuere i te 9 o nga ra tae noa ki a Pepuere e tatari ana ki te kupu a te Kawana. Ko te taenga mai o tana kupu, kaore he tikanga a te Kawana, engari kia kotahi ake kohuru i toe, hei reira ka whakaae ai a te Kawana. No konei ka whakaaro nga rangatira o maua, ka he nga tikanga a te Kawana, no te mea ka rua nga kohuru a Ihaia. Ko nga kupu a te Kawana o mua, inaianei kaore e whakarangona ana kupu. Ina hoki, he tikanga ano i te whawhai ki a te Rangihaeata i Heretaunga, i hohoro i reira: i tenei kohuru kaore he tikanga. No te mea i patua ki waenga nui o nga Pakeha, ko tenei ka kitea ki roto i te whare Pakeha i te taone tetehi tangata o Ihaia ka patua ano ki roto, no te mea kua he. Ko tenei kua karapotia katoatia nga pa, a te Karaka a Pukerito a Otetehe. Ko te pa i whakaekea e mauako Pukerito, taea rawatia a raro iho o te pekerangi. Ko o maua i mate i te whakaekenga o te pa, ko Hehe Nga nohoanga, ko Tamati Tuainane, ko te One, no Waitara enei; ko Tamati Takua no Wai***, ko Maihi no Tapuirau, ko Heta no te Kawau, i mate rawa enei. No te tangata whenua, ko Eruini Manganui, ko Hakaraia Repo, ko te Kawhaki Haenga, nga mea i tu ora. Ko Wi Te Onemihi, no te parekura i te Ika moana ia i mate ai. Na te Kepa Hana Werangia i pupuhi.
Ekore e taea te korero atu. He oti.
Na RITATONA TE IWA.
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ADDENDUM.
Mr McLean has stated the result of his own experience as to the Communal right in the following terms:--"I do not think it practicable to give Crown grants to natives by defining the boundaries of individual rights to land; it would be productive of quarrels and disputes, as there is really no such thing as individual title that is not entangled with the general interests of the tribe, and often with the claims of other tribes, who may have migrated from the locality.
"I have tried this system at the suggestion of the Bishop, at Taranaki. It gave me considerable insight into the state of native tenure; but, in endeavouring to carry it out, I found it took about 30 days to define the boundaries of the claims of 40 individuals over an extent of 40 acres; and even then they regarded the arrangement as altogether imaginary, and it did not appear to affect, in the estimation of the natives, the general or tribal right. When I considered the title settled of some individuals on this basis, I found the natives quarrelled amongst themselves about the boundaries, and prevented any definite arrangement being carried out until I afterwards purchased the whole of the tribal claim in order to secure a clear title.
"I wish every native could get a Crown grant; it would be the means of dissipating many jealousies, and breaking up their confederacies.... It is absolutely necessary that the tribal claim to such land should first be perfectly obliterated by previous sale to the Government." (Parl. Papers, July, 1860, pp. 303, 304.)
These statements (which agree perfectly with those of Mr Superintendent Brown, cited above, p. 36,) should be contrasted with those which were put forth by Mr McLean in the Notice to the Chiefs of Waitara, 18th March, 1859. (T. Q. p. 24.)
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