THE PURCHASE OF THE OTAGQ BLOCK

Otago Daily Times, Issue 4174, 5 July 1875, Page 6

THE PURCHASE OF THE OTAGQ BLOCK

The following translation of a paper showing the business transacted at the recent Maori meeting at the Heads, has 1 eer. forwarded to us for publication by lion Keiei Taiaroa, M.H It. :—

The council of Native chiefs summoned l>y Hori Kerei Taiaros, M. U.K. f«.r the Southern Maori Electoral District, to meet at Otajjo Heads on the 24th May last, c ncludod its sittings en the JOih June, !87'V To this council Taiaroa had summoned all the old men and chiefs i>f the Ngaifcihu tribe. All the principal old men were ass mbled at this meet «g The icj'l business <'f the council began on the2(>-h M»y, at 7 o'clock. It began by ximiuing those who s >ld the land takingFirst, Tii'ise who were present at the buying of l.<nt l.y Colonel Waken.ld cam« !,insi|y°l)eforo the Ohairma i : during two d<ys and two nights, to give cvid.iicc of what passed beUeeu him ard the Natives at the purchasing of tha Otago Block. Next, evidence was lalsen with respect to the promise that one acre should be set aside for the Maoris for every 10 acre» taken for tlie settlers and copies of the letters of Captain Symons and'("olonKl WaketWd totbeNtavv Zealand (jompany in London were produced. Next, the evidence of those w!.o sold the land to the commissioner, Kemp, in 1848 was taken. They did not consider Hity had sold the country inland, but only that contiguous to the sea shore, I), cause the purchase was made on board a naiof-wa-, where the land >vas not s«;en, beside:} wb; .li thpy were bad v/ih tin; sj.ii-i s which th« s<il ( li. : r a (?) of the bhiu g'v, th.m t-j dii.-.1-. The. council conbidtrid ih»t Koiiips d cd was not in accordance with the laws of Eng land, and that it must fall. Next, Mr Mantell's purchase wa3 considered ; and it was decided that the land was not absolutely parted with by the negotiations with Uo'.onel

Wakcfield, Mr Kemp, and Mr Mantell, that the deeds were deceitful, and that the Maoris were beguiled into selling the land. After much discussion: it was proposed by Hori Kerei TairoA—" 1, That a collection should be made to contest the validity of the purchase deeds of 1844, IS4B, and 1853. 2 That one or more Maoris should be sent to England with a 1 iwyer to petition the Queen and Parliament for 'justice." Carried unanimously, . Teoni Topi Patuki proposed—' That, in the fi stplace, the sum of five thousand pounds be raisel for the purpose, and it that should be consumed before the matter is settled, another five thousand pounds should be collected." Carried. Henere Maiiuika, of Kniapoi, proposed— "That the Manrica who j;o to England : sna I be paid one guinea a day in .NeVr Zealand, whilst engaged in this work ; and two pounds three shillings a day in England ; that the Chairman arrange with the lawyers,,and that the passages of all, both ways, be paid by the tribe." Carried.