Friend, I am greatly pleased at the receipt of your letter. I was absent at Mohaka, the Wairoa, and the Mahia, where I went to make known the principles laid down by us and Lord Derby, in order that my Maori tribes might hear my report of my visit to England. On my return from England I addressed the Maoris, and the people of my district were greatly pleased with what I told them. It is true that they have joined the Blue Ribbon Army,[199] and keep it faithfully. Friend, continue to carry out a policy that will benefit the Maoris in accordance with what Lord Derby said--namely, that any well-founded complaints on the part of the Maoris will be dealt with fairly by the Government of New Zealand--and justify Her Majesty's action in giving over the whole question to be dealt fairly with by the Government. I know what course of policy would be beneficial to the Maori people and establish friendly relations. Sufficient.--From your loving Friend, HORI ROPIHA. To Mr. Lewis. _Tawhiao to Sir W. F. D. Jervois_ (Translation) WHATIWHATIHOE, _September 21, 1885_. FRIEND--Greeting. I have received your letter of the 27th of August, with the copies of communications from yourself, your Ministers, and Her Majesty's Government relative to the subject-matter of the petition from the Maori people that I and my fellow Native chiefs took to lay before Her Majesty's Government and the people of England. In your letter you inform us of one only of the words of Her Majesty's Government--namely, that the government of all Her Majesty's subjects in New Zealand is controlled by Ministers responsible to the Parliament. Your so informing us is well. But you did not also inform us of another important word of the Government of England with reference to the Maori people--namely, that you should intimate to your Government that they should protect and promote the welfare of the Natives by a generous consideration of all their reasonable representations. Well, we see that these directions from the Government of England are no mere random words, but have a bearing upon the petition, which petition your Ministers said had no significance, and that England would not interfere. Your communications and those of the Government of England have been circulated among the Maori people of this Island. However, with reference to the statement made by your Ministers that they do not consider that there is any allegation in this petition that they have not answered before, I and my fellow Native chiefs would say, Where are the replies taking exception to those petitions? And why are they not quoted in connection with this petition for the consideration of the Native people? And who is it that can say that the complaints raised in those petitions are similar to those made in this?