NATIVE LAND LAWS COMMISSION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8524, 26 March 1891, Page 6

NATIVE LAND LAWS COMMISSION.

[BT TELEGRAPH. — OWX CORRESPONDENT.! Cambridge, Wednesday. The Native Land Laws Commissioners, Messrs. Rees and Mackay, and staff, arrived here last evening, and at half past ?even held a meeting of natives in the Public Hail. There was a large and representative gathering of chiefs of the iN'ga'iraukawa, Ngatituwharetoa, and Ngatimaniapoto tribes. Te Heubeu, of Taupo, Hitiri te Paerata, Te Rangi Rinpia, Arekana Rongawhitia.il, and a number ol others spoke, welcoming and congratulating the Commissioners on their arrival at CamTβ Pepene Eketone, in welcoming the Commissioners, dwelt strongly upon the wisdom of the Government in appointing the Commission to personally inquire into matters pertaining to native lands. Former Governments, although well aware of the complications and difficulties that surrounded the native land question, had neglected the course pursued by the present Government, contenting themselves by such expressions of opinion a= the Maori representatives gave in Parliament, and ignoring petitions from the natives. Innumerable petitions had been forwarded to Parliament from natives setting forth causes of complaiut, but no good had resulted. Pepene then pointed out the various defects in the native Land laws, referring particularly to the hardship entailed by the Government in imposing restrictions against leasing aud selling to private persons. Mr. Rees, in replying, reviewed the Dative land legislation since 1865 down to the present time, and showed the evils that had arisen. He pointed out that there were cases in which the laws themselves had caused in many parts of the island great confusion between Europeans and Maoris. Among other subjects to be enquired into by the Commissioners, it, was their duty to rind out a way in which further dealings with the Maoris- might be carried on fairly and justly to both Europeansand Maoris. Many persons of great experience had given evidence clearly indicating that a better course could be pursued than had been adopted in the past. Mr. Rees continued : We shall take the opinions of the natives of Cambridge, as well as of other places as to what would be a good plan. We shall ask them for their opinion as to whether it wopld be a,good plan to stop all individual dealings in cases where there are a large number of owners, in blocks of large areas, and to provide that there shall be no secret dealings, all dealings being conducted in public." Suppose, for instance, the Maoris have a block of land. The tribal boundaries are defined, the list of owners furnished by tho Court, and the certificate of title issued. Would it be wise for the owners of the block to choose a committee ? and thi3 being done, the owners to select all the lands required for their own wants, the balance to be sold or leased as may be determined by the owners ; Parliament to appoint district commissioners, or, if not those, that there should be a commissioner, a central body partly appointed by Parliament and partly by the natives, to give leases of all lands agreed to be leased. The Maori committee and the commissioner (the latter to be responsible to Parliament) to be responsible for the due distribution of the funds amongst all the owners whose relative interest would if possible be determined by the committee failing the Native Land Court to declare the relative interests of each owner. If the commissioner allowed the committee to misspend the money the Government to be responsible. That would provide as to how money should be distributed. Then lands to be leased or sold would be dealt with in the same way as Crown lands are leased or sold. There would be no individual signing of deeds, no individual subdivisions of land in *,he Court. The land would be dealt with at the least possible expense to the people, «o as to leave 83 much as possible of the proceeds of the land to the natives. The Commissioner or the Government would cause the surveys to be mado of land to be leased, and also all reserves considered necessary by the natives for themselves. The object of the surveys would not be to subdivide land amongst the individual owners, but to cut up lands in proper areas for settlement purposes — always excepting, of course, from lease the areas set apart as reserves. There would thus be a decrease in the cost to the natives, and instead of Maori deeds being signed by hundreds of people, and at a great cost, the Commissioner, with the committee, would alone sign the deed. After some further remarks the meeting adjourned, in order that the natives may have time to talk matters over among themselves. Kakiri te Wharekeke, of the Arawa tribe, expressed the hope that the Commissioners would be able to visit the Kotorua country. He expressed a desire that the proceedings might be published in the Maori language and circulated amongst his tribe, who, he telt sure, would gladly fall in with the plan mentioned.