Auckland
30th July 1883

Dear Sir,

I found Mrs Taiwhanga in Auckland on my way to obtain Tawhiao and Te Whiti and their tribes signatures with your letter dated 9th of March last. As I have 8500 signatures now at present, and I am now writing to all the principal chiefs of each tribe to be present at Wellington before the Parliament prorogues to ask sanction from the Authority as advice to us by Lord Kimberley, and by so doing I wonder what excused next will they have.

All the chiefs and tribes up now as one man, greatly supporting the second visit to England as the only hope we have for future, not only supporting the idea, but willing to sacrifice any money to send me and 6 of the highest chiefs rank (so to prevent Sir D. Bell and Lady Martin stating I am no rank at all and I am also an antecedent’s character I wonder also what excused they will make then) and two or three Europeans such as Mr McBeth. I do think without hesitation that by personal appeal to both the Imperial Parliament and to the Executive Council better then by letters. I have on the 21 first of May last communicate with Mr McBeth as I passing Wellington and asked him to come with us to England and be ready to take my offer, and we are going to ask Mr T. Williams and Mr R. Gramham of Auckland as soon as we get to Wellington Ngapuhi chiefs are working and agitating our grievances on four grounds only.

First – must work on our true faith and religion.
Secondly – union is strength.
Thirdly – only by law.
Fourthly – by the pen.

We agitating our grievances on the above four grounds and we must stand or fall by the Treaty of Waitangi and the great magna charta of England. My wife my self and family unite in kind regard and best wishes to Mrs Chesson and yourself, and family and also my great and true love to Miss Weale Canon Liddon and all kind good friends in London.

I am
Yours truly
S.D. Taiwhanga