at the meeting there. It was my custom during the last war to put you in possession of everything that occurred, and to explain fully the intentions of the Government; and I purpose doing the same as long as the present disturbances last. I do not know whether you will believe all I shall tell you; but you know that I have lived twenty years amongst you, and that I, in common with many others, did not hesitate to condemn Governor Browne when we believed he was acting unjustly; and I certainly shall not now hesitate to declare to you very plainly what I think of the conduct of the natives who are engaged in war at Taranaki and Waikato. I must first allude to some of the reports which are spread both amongst the maories and pakehas by bad men for bad purposes. You are told that the war at Waikato is the commencement of a war which will spread over the whole island—that after the Governor has subdued the Waikatos he will attack the other tribes—that it is the intention of the Governor to kill the maories indiscriminately, and then to seize their lands; you are told that the Governor has increased the number of his troops and vessels of war, that he has built steamers that are bullet proof and can easily go up all your rivers, that he has erected stockades, and has called out the militia for no other purpose than that of exterminating the whole maori race. These are some of the reports circulated amongst you by bad men for bad purposes. On the other hand the settlers are told that at almost every runanga that has been held during the last year, a proposal that the natives should suddenly rise in every district of this island, and murder the whole European population, has been the constant subject of discussion—that this proposal has found acceptance with a large number of the natives; that this is now the chief object that the king party has in view; the settlers are told that emissaries from the Taranaki and Ngatimaniapoto tribes have been incessantly moving about the province preaching this wholesale massacre. They are told that you, Wi Take and other chiefs, although you have not yourselves consented to join in this conspiracy, are no longer inclined to restrain your people, but are prepared to let them loose. These are some of the reports that are spread amongst the pakehas by bad men for bad purposes. I am not surprised that these reports should be believed by both maories and pakehas, for they are based upon facts which are admitted by all. It is perfectly true that the Governor has increased his forces, both military and naval; that he has built steamers that are bullet proof; that he has erected redoubts, and that he is arming all the settlers; but it is not true—it is utterly false—that he has any intention to wage a war of extermination, or to seize and confiscate native lands. On the other hand, I know that emissaries have been sent amongst you, to urge you to rise and attack the settlers, to burn, plunder, and murder. But I do not believe that any of the maories in this province have consented to this foul proposal. These reports, however, do a great deal of mischief; they create and keep up a constant state of excitement and alarm. They cause feelings of suspicion and mutual distrust between the two races. I am anxious to allay these feelings of alarm, suspicion, and distrust, by explaining to you, without reserve, the intentions of the Government and the sole object of the military preparations; and I shall require from you an equally open declaration of your views and intentions. Don’t attempt to throw dust in my eyes, for I can and will judge of your real intentions quite as much by what you do not say as by what you do say. I have already reminded you that I with many others protested in the General Assembly against Governor Browne’s proceedings at the Waitara. We then condemned him, and still condemn him for his seizure of the Waitara. We then stood up on behalf of the maories, and shall ever do so as long as they have right on their side. But will any of you tell me that the Maories now engaged in war at Taranaki and Waikato have right and justice on their side? Was Rewi right in sending that letter of his urging the natives at Tataraimaka to fall unawares upon and massacre the military escort? Were those natives right who executed Rewi’s order, and murdered the escort? Were those natives right who broke into Mr. Gorst’s