THE MANAWATU BLOCK. (FROM THE "WANGANUI TIMES," JULY 9.)

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXIII, Issue 3122, 19 July 1867, Page 4

THE MANAWATU BLOCK. (FROM THE "WANGANUI TIMES," JULY 9.)

DiTRtNGt the last two or three weeks his Honor' the Superintendent and Mr. Buller have lost much time in discussing claims put forward by Parakia and a few other non-sellers who prefer preposterous cUims to portions of the 1 purchased block. Those claims they would not allow to be investigated indwidually, but. bylfcopus. Thus, one member tif a hapu, who might manage to establish some kind of a claim, would, draw in with him others who even Parakia openly acknowledges have no claim whatever. We believe that reserves, to a considerable extent, were offered and refused. The non-sellers are urged on by Europeans who take an active part against Dr. Featherston, andunderwhoseadviceablelawyershavebeen retained, who, depending upon the glorious uncertainty of the law, and the perfeofe certainty of their fees, continue to work the oracle* Under' these circumstances, after long discussion, and at the request of some of the nott -sellers, — indeed the principal claimants amongst them, — the Superintendent consented to submit their claims to arbitration. A memorandum of the terms upcp which the deed of submission 'should be based was drawn up and handed to, the dissentients. ; They had several copies of it, made, distributed, 'ana discussed, and upon the proposals therein contained we believe the matters in dispute will be finally settled. A copy of the memorandum has reached us, and we here publish it for the information of dur readers :-*- < . •

' ' "memorandum. ", I agree to refer the claims of non-sellers in the Rangitikei-Manawatu block to arbitration,' subject to the following conditions,: — ",1. Two arbitrators, either pakehas or Maoris, , to ( be appointed, one by the non-sellers, the other by the'L&id Purchase. Commis&ioner-^-such arbitrators being persona entirely disconnected with the" lana/br wit& thei disputants, and wholly disinterested in the question at issue. , The, arbitrators to appoint an ; , umpire. Or the arbitrators and umpire to be«ap« ' poiated .by 1 his'Excellency the Goyei?ior; , '"•2. '"The atbitratois' to be. appointed' within one' moi th from the ' present date j and < the' arbitration itoitaketplappaii^ngitikei, ., , / i',u^ ,■>[ '

"3. All non-sellers, of wbateverrank,toprovetheit individual claims to the satisfaction of the arbitrators ; having previously signed a paper assenting to the proposed arbitration, and pledging themselves to accept, as final, the decision of the arbitrators as to the nature and extent of their cluiins. (Signed) "L B. Fbatherston, "Land Purchase Commissioner. •> " Rangitikei, July 4, 1867." The Chrbrikh copies the following memorial to the Queen, from the dissatisfied natives, which appeared in title Advertiser, and throws a good deal of light oh the foregoing memorandum : — •* Otftki, June 29, 1867. To the Queen of England — | " We, yonr Majesty's humble and loyal subjects, cry unto you from the midst of the troubles that have been brought upon us. , "We were all assured in former time, when the Treaty of Waitangiwas signed, that your Majesty the Queeu would yourself protect us and our lands. Ibis is 1 why we write unto you. "We of the Ngatiraukawa tribe are owners of land at Eangitikei, in the province of Wellington ; we gained possession of that country by right of conquest many years since, before the Queen's sovereignty was extended to New Zealand^ ■ and have always held possession up to the present time. i( ., . "In the year 1862 the General Assembly and the Governor established a court for investigating the title to Maori lands. The 'Government of the province of Wellington, being desirous of purchasing our lands, urged upon the Assembly to keep the court away from our land, that it might be purchased by the 'Government of .Wellington, and the Assembly consented. "We wish to makeknownunto you that it was only our land, the property of the Ngatiraukawa tribe, that was excluded from that court. , "We sent apetitionto the General Assembly praying that that Act might be abolished, that our claims might be heard in a court of justice. '" We have waited upon the Governor, and have told him of our troubles, and entreated that the title to our land might be investigated. " We have also been to the Ministers, and begged them to investigate the title to our land, but they would not grant our prayer. !*' In December, 1866, the Land Purchase Commissioner, the Superintendent of Wellington, paid moneys to certain men owning land adjoining ours. He also paid money to tribes living at a distance, who have no title whatever to our land. We have all read his speech delivered to his Council on the 26th April, wherein he says that he has purchased all our lands, that is, the country at Eangitikei andManawatu. He tejils us, * All your land now belongs to the Queen of England,' but we feel assured that this is not doae by the authority of the Queen, but that it ia an unauthorised proceeding on the part of the Assembly at Wellington. "Therefore, we, your Majesty's humble servants, who have been constant in obeying your laws ever since the arrival of the first Governor,' pray that you will send wise and just judges to investigate this wrong. j" Signed on behalf of our (hapu) section of the N|»atira'ukawa tribe, of which the following are the names : — " NGATIPIKIAIia, i " Ngattwaewae, j " Nqatimaniapoto, " Ngatihinewai. ' " We number seventy-two men, owners of our portion of the Kangitikei country, none of whom have taken any of Dr, Featheraton's money. Only one mi in has taken the money, Noa te Bauhihi, and he albne. There are other (hapu) sections with their own lands. ] ' « Paraniht. Tetau x ! " Eruini Tktatt. '" Witnesses — ! " Matene te Whiwhi, , "AkaritateTbwe."