the Colony which we represent. (Hear, hear.) I ask the House to observe, that I commence by quoting the words of our resolution in 1860. The first thing that I want to do, is to define the position that his House took then, at the beginning of the war; and I think that the more necessary, because, any one who reads Sir George Grey’s despatches upon this subject, must perceive that that position has been entirely ignored by him. I am perfectly ready to suppose that His Excellency imagines that he is fairly combating the view that we have supported; but in so doing he uses arguments which render it necessary for us to re-affirm what our view and sentiment then really was.

Now, I do not ask any hon. gentleman who may have differed from me, and from those who acted with me, in the sessions of 1860 and 1861, to alter the views which he may then have entertained; I merely ask him to join with me in affirming the line that the House then undoubtedly did take. I say about that there can be no dispute—that stands on record in the resolutions—those resolutions of course are conclusive in expressing the feeling of the House, but I may further observe that the late Ministry, in a memorandum dated Taranaki, 30th April, 1863, also brought before His Excellency the Governor the position taken by the Ministry and the House in 1860, in the following words:—

"The Assembly believed in 1860 that the time had come, when dissentient natives ought to be protected by the Queen’s Government, from the oppression which was threatened by a rival authority; and that it was to uphold that rival authority at all risks, that the war was joined in by the Waikato tribes, who were disputing—not the validity of Teira’s title—but the authority and jurisdiction of the Crown."

Now, this is exactly the idea embodied in the words "indispensable for the due maintenance of Her Majesty’s authority," which I have again incorporated in these resolutions. (Hear, hear.) But there can be no doubt whatsoever as to what was the intention of the House in 1860. Not an intention to obtain land, not an intention to adjudicate upon disputed titles, but an intention to uphold the authority of the Crown in a matter of jurisdiction; where proof needed beyond that already given, I should find it in the speeches of the then Ministry, who led the House in this matter. I remember my own speeches and those of my colleagues; when the hon. gentleman who now sits next me, (Mr. Stafford) I myself, and Mr. Richmond, who now no longer, I regret to say is amongst us; when all three of us, then representing his Excellency’s Government in this House, stated that the question was not a question of title to land, but that though it should unexpectedly happen that Teira might prove to have no valid title to a single acre of land, that still we held, and asked the House to affirm, the principle that the jurisdiction of the Crown should not be disputed by armed force. (Hear, hear.) I remember my own words, which I quoted again upon the occasion of a vote of want of confidence being moved in 1861 by the hon. gentleman opposite (Mr. Fox), words which I uttered on first joining the Stafford ministry, and on the first occasion that I addressed this House as a member of that ministry. I then spoke to this effect:—The question lies in a nutshell; we do not ask any one to say that Teira is the owner of this land. If any other man has a claim, let him come in and prove it, but do not let him come with arms in his hand; let him come in a peaceable manner; let him show his title to any part of the block; he shall have it: But, the Government will not submit to armed dictation. (Hear, hear.) At the same time we referred to the land league of Manawapou, by which death was threatened to any native who should sell land, even though his own, to Europeans; we pointed out Wi Kingi as the representative at Waitara of that league; we pointed out also, that at a great meeting held about that time at Waikato, it had been said, "If the question was simply as to ownership of Teira’s land, the Governor might be in the right, but the Maori king’s flag has gone there, that flag now waves over Waitara, and consequently we will not give it up." This resolution then, correctly expresses the stand taken by the Government in 1860, and adopted by the House. (Hear, hear.) I am not going at this moment to argue as to whether we took that view rightly or wrongly; that is a question, to use his Excellency’s phrase, which remains to be tried at the "bar of History." (Laughter.) My object is simply to define the line which the House took, and one or two of the grounds upon which rightly or wrongly it did so. That position having been taken, it does appear to me of importance that it should be correctly recognized, and that we should not in despatches of his Excellency, be argued to have advocated a policy upon grounds which we really did not take. (Hear.) Fortunately, as I said before, I am able to express my opinion that owing to the despatch of His Grace the Duke of Newcastle, dated August 25, 1863, it will not be necessary for us to initiate any controversy with his Excellency the Governor; that despatch is such a complete approval of the views supported by this House on the ground of justice, that we are happily relieved from any such necessity which might have been unfortunate in the present crisis of the affairs of the Colony. The Duke seems at once to have unravelled the skein, struck every leading clue, and unfolded it all, in a clear and forcible manner which I cannot but feel it would be alike useless and presumptuous for me, or for any other member of this House to attempt to emulate or to supplement. (Hear, hear.) With one part indeed of his despatch I cannot concur. His Grace disapproves, but disapproves in qualified and guarded language, indeed I may say hypothetically, disputes the wisdom of the policy of Governor Gore Browne and his ministers in the first action taken at Waitara; he guards that disapproval carefully...