British intervention - taming the frontier?

Protecting Maori

James Busby's appointment as British Resident in 1833 was due in no small part to the influence of men such as the missionary Samuel Marsden and humanitarian organisations such as the Church Missionary Society (CMS). By the early 1830s they were using their contacts within the upper echelons of British society to persuade the British government to take a more active role in New Zealand affairs. One issue that was highlighted to force the British to intervene was the trade in dried tattooed heads or mokai. European traders found a ready market for these with collectors and museums in Europe. The CMS urged the government to intervene on behalf of Maori to protect them from unscrupulous traders.

Humanitarianism expressed concerns about the impact of colonisation on indigenous people. It favoured endeavours that would promote the benefits of Christian and European civilisation without eradicating the people it sought to influence. Humanitarians favoured official control to ensure such protection. 

In 1831 the CMS had helped 13 northern Maori chiefs petition William IV for protection and recognition of their special trade and missionary contacts with Britain. Some of the concerns outlined in the petition included fear of takeovers by nations other than Britain and the need for protection from the lawlessness of European people in New Zealand.

The Humanitarian movement found that on a political level there was little enthusiasm for further expanding the British Empire. Politicians were cool on the idea of spending the money that would be necessary to get involved. Their cause was boosted when James Stephen, an evangelical Christian and committee member of the CMS, began working for the Colonial Office. He became closely involved in policy regarding New Zealand. He believed the purpose of the Empire was to help protect the indigenous people of the colonies and guide them towards self-rule.

The Colonial Office

The growth and administration of the British Empire was the concern of the Colonial Office, which from 1801 provided the secretary of state for war with advice regarding colonial policy as well as administering British colonial possessions. It was generally understaffed and poorly funded. In 1833 the Colonial Office had only 25 permanent staff.

There was no enthusiasm at the Colonial Office for the idea that Britain's colonies should be increased or that they should be anything much more than a source of trade and a depository for paupers, convicts – or missionaries … most ministers who held the post saw it either as a stage to higher things or were well-intentioned nonentities. Few had a grasp of colonial theory or issues.

Philip Temple, A sort of conscience, p. 130