Within weeks of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in New Zealand John Jones and Charles William Wentworth were attempting to get Māori Chiefs to sell them the land not yet sold in the South Island and Stewart Island.  In an attempt to stop this Governor Gipps drafted this agreement on 14 February 1840 asking the Chiefs to sign over their sovereign rights and only sell land to the Crown. The Chiefs refused the Crown's offer and signed Jones's deed.