William Hobson, James Freeman, and James Busby

“ The Chiefs of the Confederation of the United Tribes of New Zealand and the seperate and independent Chiefs who have not become members of the Confederation cede to Her Majesty the Queen of England absolutely and without reservation all the rights and powers of Sovereignty which the said Confederation or Individual Chiefs respectively exercise or possess, or may be supposed to exercise or to possess over their respective Territories as the sole sovereigns thereof. ”