Any fair and just political party, with the best interests of New Zealanders at heart, would abolish the Treaty of Waitangi Act, The Waitangi Tribunal and the Five Principles and replace them with a Constitution, based upon the Tiriti O Waitangi, as well as the final English draft and the one and only Principle, “He iwi tahi tatou – We are now one people”. This was the only Principle agreed to by the 49 chiefs when they shook hands with Governor Hobson and signed the Treaty on the 6th February 1840 at Waitangi.
The Littlewood Treaty was the name given to the final draft of the Treaty of Waitangi, when it was found anew by John and Beryl Littlewood in 1989. It is not a treaty, but a draft and therefore was never signed. Extensive research has found it to be the final draft from which the Tiriti O Waitangi was translated into Maori on the night of the 4th February 1840.
Soon after the final draft, dated the 4th February 1840, was translated into the Tiriti O Waitangi by the Rev Henry Williams and his son Edward, then read to the gathering at Waitangi in conjunction with the Tiriti O Waitangi on the 5th and 6th February 1840, the final draft it went missing.
The Treaty of Waitangi Act 1975 is based on
an English version of the Treaty, which was later compiled by Governor Hobson’s
secretary James Freeman from Busby’s earlier and rejected Treaty draft notes
dated the 3rd February 1840. The final draft is dated the 4th
February 1840, the same day it was written then taken by Governor Hobson to be
translated into Maori to become the one and only “official” Treaty, Te
Tiriti O Waitangi.
While the Treaty of Waitangi Act does have Hobson’s “official” Tiriti O Waitangi attached to it, this “official” Treaty is never used. The Tiriti O Waitangi gave equal rights to all the people of New Zealand, whereas the English version compiled by Freeman, gave exclusive rights to Maori only, therefore does not convey the instructions given to Governor Hobson by the Colonial Office before he left England. This “unofficial and unauthorised” English version of the Treaty of Waitangi and the Five Principles lately created there from, must be abolished from all legislation and publications immediately.
In 1989, the long lost final draft dated the 4th February 1840, was found by John Littlewood and his sister Beryl while sorting through their deceased Mother’s estate. This final draft shows the distortions that have occurred over the years by not having the final draft document to interpret or translate the Tiriti O Waitangi back into English. This final draft translates virtually word perfect, as it must, to the Tiriti O Waitangi.
On the 20 February 1840, James Clendon the American Consulate despatched a copy of the final draft of the Treaty to the U.S. Secretary of State. Clendon wrote this final draft from the notes he had taken during the meeting he attended with Hobson and Busby in his house on the 4th February when the final draft was written. The final draft is written on paper with an 1833 W.Tucker watermark, which, as it has been recently discovered, could only have been supplied by Clendon.
Clendon later asked for an “official” copy of the Treaty in English to verify the copy he had despatched on the 20 February 1840. Before the 18th of March 1840 he was given the final draft, as Governor Hobson had become very ill and had no further use for it. Clendon made this “official” copy available to Antarctic explorer, Commodore Charles Wilkes on April 3rd 1840. Wilkes subsequently copied it and, again, despatched this self same version to the U.S. Secretary of State on the 5th April 1840.
While the copy Clendon made from his notes is virtually word perfect to Hobson’s final draft, Wilkes copy even has all the spelling mistakes and errors found in the final draft by Busby. The three copies, although made by different people at different times, all translate virtually word perfect to the Tiriti O Waitangi. A 4th copy was entered into the U.S.S Vincennes’ letterbook.
There is no way the Tiriti O Waitangi could have been translated from Freeman’s compiled English version being used today or Busby’s rough notes dated the 3rd February 1840. There must have been a final draft for Williams to translate, which could only have been made on the 4th February, the date shown on the draft found by the Littlewood’s in 1989. Our treaty experts are in agreement that the final draft was lost. This remained the case for almost 150 years.
Clendon later gave Hobson’s “official” final draft to his lawyer Henry Littlewood for safekeeping where it remained in the Littlewood family until found by John and Beryl in 1989.
Although this document has all the qualifications and pedigree to be the final draft, Government refuses to recognise it as such, even telling the public in 1992 it was, “Just another translation of the Maori version by an unknown author”, Government continues to deceive all the people of New Zealand by not recognising this document as the final draft and acting upon this imperative information accordingly.
Extensive research by Martin Doutre’ and
Ross Baker proves beyond reasonable doubt that the document known as the
Littlewood treaty document is in fact, the final draft from which the Tiriti
O Waitangi was translated, then signed by Governor Hobson and 49 chiefs at
Waitangi. Over the next few months, further copies of the Tiriti O Waitangi
were taken around the country to be discussed then witnessed by over 500
chiefs. Hobson never made or authorised an English version of the Treaty of
Waitangi. There is only one Treaty, Te Tiriti O Waitangi and it has only
one Principle, He iwi tahi tatou – We are now one people.
This is the only Treaty and Principle that New Zealand political parties should recognise in legislation, as it gives equal rights to all the people of New Zealand, irrespective of race, colour or creed. Equality for all was what the Colonial Office instructed Hobson to implement on behalf of Queen Victoria; Hobson and over 500 chiefs throughout New Zealand agreed to establish an egalitarian society in 1840. There is no other Treaty and there is no other Principle!
This was acknowledged by Member of Parliament Sir Apirana Ngata when he stated to his people in 1923, “If you think these things were wrong, then blame your ancestors who gave away their rights when they were strong”.
For full details of the research conducted by Martin Doutre’ and Ross Baker, please click onto, www.treatyofwaitangi.net.nz
Ross Baker,
Researcher, One New Zealand Foundation Inc.
Website, www.onenzfoundation.co.nz