The Petition of the Maori Race of New Zealand, 7 April 1884, trans. Frederick Hamilton Spencer, G99 Vol 1 – 9

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Correspondent

Maori Petition

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Indigenous person

Date (YYYY-MM-DD)

1884-04-07

City

unknown

region

New Zealand

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https://www.darrenreid.ca/aps_database_files/ThePetitionoftheMaoriRaceofNewZealand7April1884trans.FrederickHamiltonSpencerG99Vol1-9.pdf

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Bodleian Libraries

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MSS. Brit. Emp. S. 22 / G99 Vol 1 – 9

Transcript:

The Petition of the Maori Race of New Zealand (sent) to England

New Zealand
April 7 1884

To the leaders and the members chosen by the nation for the parliament of England now assembled to direct the affairs of the Kingdom of Britain and Ireland and of the islands of the ocean.

Salutations.

This is a prayer of the Maori race that your parliament should regard the causes herewith subjoined.

1. Clause to restore the portions of the Treaty of Waitangi which have been broken.
2. Clause relating to the seashores, fisheries, and gathering shellfish.
3. Clause relating to the wrongful purchase of land in former times.
4. Clause relating to the native lands court.
5. Clause relating to the imprisonment of Te Towhiti.
6. Clause relating to an alteration in the Parliament of New Zealand.
7. Clause relating to the law of the government confiscating the land.
8. Clause relating to the non-payment of taxes on the ancestral grounds.

Explanation.

1. Clause to restore the portions of the treaty of Waitangi which have been broken.
1. Insasmuch as New Zealand has been cast out by England.
2. Inasmuch as the preemptive right of purchase by the Queen has been wrongly used by those who exercised it since the treaty of waitangi.
3. Because that the government (of NZ) have set aside its provisions.
4. Because it has trampled on the law, for the treaty of waitaingi is the law of New Zealand.
2. Clause relating to the seashores, the gathering of shellfish and the fisheries.
1. That the rights of such places should be restored to the Maoris.
2. As it was in Hone Heki’s time.
3. Clause relating to the wrongful purchase of land in former times.
1. Surreptitious purchase of land.
2. Arbitrary boundaries.
3. Intrusive land surveys, without aid of a guide or director.
4. Clause relating to the native lands court.
1. To abolish the native lands court.
2. To give effect to the Treaty of Waitangi, as a law by which to our native lands and causes may be judged.
3. That the native lands court being the destroyer of the treaty of waitangi should be abolished.
5. Clause relating to the wrongful imprisonment of Te Whiti.
1. That he was not tried in accordance with law.
6. Clause relating to changing the parliament of N.Z.
1. That the parliament be divided and one established for the Maoris and another for the Europeans.
2. Because that the Europeans have the entire framing of the law.
3. That the power of assenting to and rejecting be equal.
4. That both should have equal rights in framing laws.
7. Clause relating to the law of the government about the confiscation of the lands.
1. Of Waitara and other such like lands wch have been confiscated.
2. That they should be returned to the Maoris.
3. That there was nothing said in the Treaty of Waitangi about these lands taken under this law.
8. Clause relating to the non-payment of taxes on ancestral lands.
1. That this law (i.e. to pay taxes) is abolished.
2. This law is not in accordance with the Treaty of Waitangi.
3. That these taxes be altogether abolished.
4. We are not willing that money raised by taxes should be given by the government to the councils (land and road boards).

This seems to be the principle part of Wi Kateni’s petition, the language of which is somewhat involved and ambiguous. There is more but I do not think it worth translating as there is no point in it.

Fred H Spencer