PETITION OF H. M. RANGITAKAIWAHO AND OTHERS.

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1876 Session I, J-06

J.—6.

1876. NEW ZEALAND.

PETITION OF H. M. RANGITAKAIWAHO AND OTHERS.

Presented to the House of Representatives 29th August, 1876.

Xi nga rangatira katoa o te Runanga Nui o Niu Tireni kei Poneke. He Pitihana na nga rangatira katoa o Ngatikahungunu ki Wairarapa tae noa atu kite Mahia; Rongowhakaata ki Turanga tae atu ki Whangara tae atu ki Uawa tae atu ki a Ngatiporou ki Waiapu ; tae atu ki Te Kawakawa me Ngatiawa ki Whakataane me Ngatirangitihi kite Matata; me Ngatiwhakaue ki Rotorua me Ngatituwharetoa ki Taupo ki Tongariro ki Patea, ka mutu. I to matau huihuinga ki Pakowhai wahi o Heretaunga i te 31 Mci 1876 ka tino whakaotia nga take katoa i whakaaetia c to matau hui hei tuku atu kite Runanga Nui o Nui Tireni c noho nei i Poneke Koia enei ana take: — 1. Kia tino whakina nuitia a kia tino pono te pumautanga o ta matau whakaaro whakamana i a te Kuini Wikitoria mo matau, a kia tino whakina c matau te pono o a matau whakaaro kia whakaaetia kia mahia c matau i nga wa katoa i nga ra katoa Ana Ture. 2. He mea tika he mea pai rawa ki ta matau whakaaro kia whakakotahitia nga iwi o Nui Tireni a kia huihui matau kia kitekite i a matau kia rapurapua o matau mate, kia kohikohia nga take tika pai hei tuku atu kite Paremata nui o te Koroni hei take korero ki taua Paremata. 3. He mea tika ki a tv tetahi hui mo nga Rangatira o nga iwi o te Ika-a-Maui i ia tau i ia tau kia korerotia nga mea katoa c pa ana c whaimana ana ki nga iwi Maori, kia kimihia o matau mate kia ata tirotirohia nga mea c pa ana ki a matau me o matau whenua kia tukua kite aroaro o te Runanga nui Paremata o te Koroni, ma te hui c whakariterite te wahi hei tunga mo te hui, i muri iho o tenei. 4. Me whiriwhiri c matau nga tangata c pai ana kia whakaturia hei tangata mo te Runanga whakahaere i nga putake katoa kua whakaaetia i roto i nga rarangi tuarua tuatoru o enei putake. 5. E mea ana matau kia whakakahoretia te Ture i whai mana i enei ra mo nga niema Maori o te Paremata ara ko to Ture c mea ana kia tukua kite Paremata nga mema Maori tokoiti mo nga tau c rima.- Me hanga tetahi Ture hou Ture tuturu kia riterite nga mema Maori mo nga iwi Maori ki nga mema Pakeha mo nga iwi Pakeha, a ki a whakarerea nga takiwa pooti o naianei, me whakarite nga rohe o nga tino iwi hei rohe tuturu mo nga pooti hou. 6. E mea ana matau ko nga whakahaerenga o nga hokonga whenua Maori i runga i nga ritenga o te ture c whai mana ana inaianei, he mea whakapohehe he mea kino a me mutu te hoko i runga i aua tv ritenga. Kaua te whenua c hokona itewa c takoto papatipu ana. Mehemea ka whakaae te iwi te hapu me nga rangatira, kia hokona kia ruritia kia Kootia te whenua i runga i te whakaae a te katoa, katahi ka tika kia ruritia kia Kootia kia hokona. Ite takiwa kahore ano ki a whakaaetia etc katoa te hoko, kaua c puta atu te moni ki nga tangata no ratau te whenua. Me mutu hoki te haere pokanoa o nga apiha o te Kawanatanga ki nga takiwa Maori tohe ai kia tukua o ratau whenua kia ruritia kia Kootia ranei. Ame waiho te ritenga me te whakaaro mo te Kootitanga me te hokonga i o ratau whenua ki a ratau ano ki nga iwi Maori. 7. E mea ana matau kia whakakahoretia te Ture c whai mana ana inaianei, c whakamana ana taua Ture i te Kawanatanga kite pupuri i nga whenua Maori, kia kaua aua whenua c hokona ki nga Pakeha noa atu. 8. E mea ana matau ko nga Ture katoa c whakamana ana i nga Kooti whakawa whenua o naianei kia whakakahoretia, me homai i te Paremata o te Koroni tetahi Ture marama Ture whakahaere tika i nga whenua Maori, me ki taua Ture kia rite nga Kaiwhakawa o nga Kooti Whakawa Whenua Maori, ki nga Kaiwhakawa o etahi atu Kooti tuturu, kia kaua te Kawanatanga c whaimana ki runga ki aua Kaiwhakawa AVhenua Maori o aua tv Kooti. 9. Me tuhituhi c matau tetahi pitihana korero pai ki to matau Kuini, tono ki a ia kia tukua mai tetahi tangata korero pono mahi tika hei kimi hei tirotiro i o matau putake c mate nei matau hei tuhituhi hoki i a matau korero ki to matau Kuini. Heoi i ki taua hui kia tukua katoatia aua take kua oti ake nei te tuhi ki runga ake nei kite Paremata; koia te take o tenei pitihana. E tono ana matau kite Runanga Nui ote Paremata kia ata tirotirohia kia ata whiriwhiria aua motini katoa kua whakahuatia ake nei, kia ata whakaaetia hoki c te Runanga nui o te Paremata nui o te Koroni o Nui Tireni. Hei tohu mo to matau whakaaetanga c mau ake nei o matau ingoa. H. M. Rangitakaiwaho, (me ona hoa 394).

J.—6

2

[Translation.] To all the Chiefs of the Assembly of New Zealand at Wellington. This is a petition from all the chiefs of Ngatikahungunu, from Wairarapa to Te Mahia; of Rongowhakaata, from Turangato Whangara and Tologa Bay, and on toNgatiporou atWaiapu; thence to Te Kawakawa, to the Ngatiawa at Whakatane, and Ngatirangitihi at Te Matata; also, the Ngatiwhakaue at Rotorua, and Ngatituwharetoa at Taupo, Tongariro, and Patea. At our meeting at Pakowhai, Hawke's Bay, on the 31st May, 1876, were decided the subjects which our assemblage agreed should be forwarded to the Assembly of New Zealand at Wellington. These are the subjects : — 1. That every publicity should be given to the faithfulness of our allegiance to Queen Victoria, and that we should also publicly declare our desire and consent to work out Her laws at all places and at all times. 2. That it is right and good, in our opinion, that the tribes of New Zealand should be united, and that we should assemble to see each other and to look into our grievances; also, to select what subjects are proper to be laid before the great Parliament of the colony, with a view to their being discussed therein. 3. It is right that a meeting should be held, composed of the chiefs of the North Island, every year, in order to discuss everything affecting or having authority over the Maori people, to look into our grievances, and to consider things affecting us and our land, and lay them before the Parliament of the colony. It will be for the meeting to settle where the next one is to be held. 4. We should select the persons who would suit to be members of the body to carry out the matters agreed to in the second and third paragraphs. 5. We desire that the present Maori representation Act should be repealed—that is to say, the Act which only allows of a few Maori members sitting in Parliament for five years. A new and permanent Act should be passed, making the representation by Maori members of the Native race in the Same proportion as the representation is of the European race by European members ; and, setting aside the present electoral districts, making the great tribal boundaries the divisions between the new electoral districts. 6. We say that the conduct of Native land sales, or purchases under the Act at present in force, is very confusing and very bad, aud that purchases under these regulations should be stopped. Land should not be sold while the original title exists. If the tribe, the hapu, and the chiefs consent to sell, to survey, and to have the title to the land investigated by the Court, in accordance with the approval of all, then only will it be right to survey, to have the title investigated, and to sell. When all do not consent to sell, let no money be paid to the persons owning the land. A stop should also be put to the unauthorized going of Government officers into the Native districts, to urge the Natives to sell their lands or to have them surveyed or passed through the Court. Let the question of the investigation of title to and disposal of their lands rest with the Maori people, to be done when they think fit. 7. We desire that the law which is now in force, and which authorizes the Government to prevent Native lands being sold to private individuals, should be done away with. 8. We desire that all the laws at present in operation under the authority of which the Native Land Court is working should be repealed, and that the Parliament of the colony should pass a clear Act, and one under which Native land matters could be fairly dealt with. It should be provided in that Act that the Judges of the Native Land Court should hold the same status as Judges of other permanent Courts, and that the Government should have no authority over such Native Land Court Judges. 9. That we should address a respectful petition to our Queen, praying her to send hither a truthful and upright man to search out and look into the causes of our distress, and to write our statements to our Queen. The meeting decided that all the subjects above set forth should be laid before Parliament; hence this petition. We ask the great Assembly of the Parliament to carefully look into and consider all the above resolutions, and that they may be agreed to by the Parliament of the Colony of New Zealand. In token of our consent, we hereunto append our names. H. M. Rangitakaiwaho, (and 394 others).

By Authority: Geobge Didsbfet, Government Printer, Wellington.—lB76. Price 3d.]