What was the Declaration of Independence?

This was signed on 28 October 1835

James Busby was a Scotsman who virtually forced Governor Bourke of New South Wales to appoint him as British Resident in 1833, thus he obtained a good position for his career and his new wife Agnes.

That is for all legal matters - murders and theft etc. New Zealand at this time was basically a port of call for American and Australian whaling ships, sealers, flax traders (which trade was dying off) and timber merchants.

There was obviously a degree of unruliness amongst sailors coming ashore after long periods at sea, and the local maori chiefs keen to trade with them.

Bubsy did his best to control things, but without courthouses, and jails and a police force he was virtually powerless.

He even got the maori chiefs to approve a New Zealand flag for vessels to use so that they could not be attacked as pirates.

The Australian Governor at the time, Governor Bourke, had a poor opinion of Busby and denied him his constant requests for funds to build a legal system in New Zealand, and even his own salary and expenses.

French maritime explorers such as, Bougainville, d'Urville and Duperrey were roaming the Pacific ocean, another Frenchman (actually born in England) Baron Charles Phillip Hippolytus de Thierry was said to have bought a large tract of land in the Hokianga. Also at that time there were several French Catholic Missionaries trying to spread Catholicism amongst the maori, which was a worry amongst the British Anglican and Wesleyan missionaries

Due to all of these factors Busby decided to take action and set up a Confederation of the United Tribes of New Zealand. He convened a meeting of the chiefs at Waitangi and drew up a Declaration of Independence.

It was eventually signed by 52 chiefs and consisted of 3 clauses to which the chiefs added a fourth clause.

Then Busby sent copies of it to The Governor of New South Wales, under whose nominal jurisdiction New Zealand was and to the British Colonial office

Busby again asked the ailing Governor Bourke of NSW for funds to build a chiefs meeting house, and a school house. Bourke denied both, adding that the chiefs should build their own school, "as it was useful for them".

Lord Glenelg of The Colonial Office gave reluctant approval to the Declaration of New Zealand’s sovereignty, but doubted its legality.

Notes

The tribes never assembled again under this Declaration. Two Years later the Colonial Office decided that New Zealand needed a much more formal system of government and decided to replace the hapless, ineffectual British Resident James Busby with a full Governor – Captain William Hobson