8
8 << Before the principal chiefs" who, boing free men, had acquired that ascend- ancy which, superior natural ability and strength of mind always Heitua, uletixhose who stood nearest in lineal descent to the original progenitor libet pothe giftod, or lincally descended, no man claimed a right to subject Hi Costuriuly leaders of the people, was only the influence of superior intelli- genco and bravery. Thcy had no power but that of violence. Who ever heard of a Maori chief punishing a murder unless by What elec'll the commission of another, or of many more murders, (“when the Pah was taken a hundred died for the sin of one man') ozeaque of all seropean lisare for which the other moderne by digging up the potatoes of the tribe It followed from such a state of things not only, as Sir W. Martin states, that “in many cases might overcame right." But that might, not right, was the rule of corduet, natives had acquired the ideas which arose in their minds from their dealings with our countrymen in the sale of their lands, there was not a New Zealander who had boldness cnough to inako the attempt, who would not by himself, or associated with others of No malance the tribe, have engaged not only to sell the lands of their tribe but to maintain the purchaser in possession. He knew of no title superior to his own. When this was done by a person whose great error character made him feared, there was nothing for the weaker, or more timid portion of the tribe but submission. When the salo was determined upon, those who made the sale encouraged those who had no part in it, to make an additional claim upon pur- chascr, which was generally satisfied. Another mode in which an acquiescence in a sale of land by pauties whose titles had becii ignored was brought about, was thc suggestion, often acted upon, that the latter should, in their turn, sell another portion of land lu naleries hou in which the former had an interest, and thus restore the sense of ener ked a vecno In fine, the result of my experience during the seven years in diar idea of which I hold office, was a conviction that the natives had no idea w Warsel of property in land such as exists in the minds of people where it has been the subject of legislation. And that the rules which, Sir W. Martin lays down, were not rules established by natives, but suggested by the precautions adopted by our own countrymcit dari tulee bein order to obtain a title which could not be justly disputed. meuls balls Treaty of Waitangi ; and the question which has given rise to the le Mari Ay present insurrection against the power of the Government, is Yo Dow! the property. su to Menter does not lay cleachy kwan" Speech of The Kiki rini at the Kohimarauna conference, Jaly 181, 1860,
