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Notes on Sir William Martin's Pamphlet Entitled the Taranaki Question

Page 22

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Page 22.

"The point then on which the Government relied."…………

"That it was the purpose of the Government."…………

It is quite true that the point maintained by the Government was, that the Native cultivators and occupiers of the block could make a title without the consent of the whole tribe. This was quite plain from the very first. The error is, in supposing that it was anything which Governor Browne contended for at Taranaki, instead of being that which had been established by Governor Fitzroy, adopted by Governor Grey, and as a matter of fact been the foundation on which every block of land at Taranaki without exception had been acquired. It is one of the pervading fallacies of the argument, to treat that as a "new policy" which is sixteen years old, and had always been pursued before the establishment of the land league.

It is worth while to observe how closely the language of Mr. McLean's letter of 18th March 1859, and the Assistant Native Secretary's of 2nd April 1859, so much objected to by Sir W. Martin, approaches to that of Governor FitzRoy's address to the Ngatiawas on the 3rd August, 1844.

Gov Fitzroy, 1844. Mr. Smith (A.N.S.) 1859. Mr. Mclean, 1859.
(To the Ngatiawas.) (To Wiremu Kingi.) (To Wiremu Kingi.)
Point out your respective possessions correctly. Do not quarrel: do not say, "All this is mine, all that belongs to me," but mark it out quietly, and do not encroach on any other man's possession, but each man point out his own…………If you sell it to the Europeans, well; but you must be careful each to sell his own property, and then he will receive the payment himself. The Governor has consented to his word, that is as regards his own individual piece, not that which belongs to any other persons. The Governor's rule is, for each man to have the word (or say) as regards his own land; that of a man who has no claim, will not be listened to. This is a word to you to request you to make clear (point out) your pieces of land which lie in the portion given up by Te Teira to the Governor. You are aware that with each individual lies the arrangement as regards his own piece…………We will not urge for what belongs to another man, as with him is the thought as regards his own piece.