If you had been there on 5 February 1840, the first day of the hui, you would have heard the text of the proposed Treaty read out in English and Maori for everyone to think about.
For Hobson this was almost routine; wherever big nations had been taking over little ones they had made these treaties. In North America, near Hobson's stamping ground in the West Indies, the US government had been making treaties with the Native American tribes regularly.
It was common for them to be quite simple, with a few paragraphs to make it clear that:
1. The invading government would make important final decisions from now on.
2. All less important ones, especially about traditional tribal property rights, would stay in the hands of the indigenous people.
3. The invading government would treat the natives as if they were its own citizens.
And this was more or less what the proposal was for this new treaty between the Maori leaders and Queen Victoria's representatives.
At least that was what Hobson and the other Britishers understood. And from what Williams said in response to Colenso's objection, they believed the Maori leaders were right up with the play.
By the way, to find out what happened as a consequence of the North American treaties, read Dee Brown's 1970 book: Bury my heart at Wounded Knee.
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