NEW ZEALAND 



x\bout fift)^ chiefs signed the treaty then and there, and 

 in six months it had been signed by 512. Only one chief 

 of first rank refused to sign. Te Hen Hen, who lived in 

 the volcano plantation near Lake Tuapo, in the plateau in 

 the middle of the north island. His tribe was simply let 

 alone until their opposition vanished. For the rest, the 

 Maori race accepted the Treaty of Waitangi, and well they 

 might, for while the supreme political authority passed to 

 Great Britain, the ownership of their lands was guaranteed 

 to them and to this day they regard that treaty as the 

 Magna Charta of their liberties. vSome 60,000 or 70,000 

 Maoris were secured in their title to nearly 66,000,000 

 acres of valuable land. 



British Sovereignty over the north island was pro- 

 claimed May 31st, 1840, and over the middle or south 

 Island, as it was then called, on the 17th of June 1840. 



In September 1840, the Governor established his resi- 

 dence at Auckland and it became the capital. For 24 

 years it held this honor and then the seat of government 

 was transferred to Wellington on account of its central 

 position, but Auckland is still the first in size and beauty 

 and second to no other New Zealand city in prosperity and 

 progress. 



On May 31 d, 1841, New Zealand was declared inde- 

 pendent of New South Wales with Hobson as Governor. 

 He established effective government and had excellent 

 laws passed for the administration of justice and the regu- 

 lation of property and civil rights. In this he was mater- 

 ially aided by his attornej' general, William Swainson, an 

 English lawyer of fine ability and remarkable freedom 

 from slavish subjection to precedent and technicality. He 

 framed the laws of the infant colony in simple, concise and 

 intelligible language, and .sw'ept away many cumbrances 

 English precedents and technicalities in conveyancing, 

 legal procedure, etc. 



The most important matter which Governor Hobsoii 



