No. 21. REPORT BY J. ARMITAGE, ESQ., RESPCETING THE KAWHIA NATIVES. Resident Magistrate's Court, Lower Waikato, 4th June, 1862. Sir,— With reference to the letter addressed to myself, from Hone Wetere of Kawhia, requesting to be informed what decision the Government had come to in respect of the new institutions being granted to his tribe or otherwise, and which letter I forwarded to you on the 26th ultimo, I have the honor to suggest that no definite reply should at present be made to him, but that the Resident Magistrate or Civil Commissioner for this District should be authorised by you on his next circuit to organise a Run3nga for the South side of the Kawhia Harbor, if he found that the tribe were still auxions to accept and willing to work the same, It is evident to me that some portion of the tribe are desirous to introduce law and order amongst them, but whether this is general or not can only be determined by local enquiry ; the feeling expressed at the late meeting at Kawhia was not sufficiently conclusive to warrant me in advising you to grant them the Runanga, &c, there ; but 1 think it is in accordance with your policy aud that of His Excellency that these desires should be rather encouraged than repressed. And I would observe that the fact of the lowering and burying the king's flag, as described by me in my report forwarded to you on the 12th April last, entitle them to a favourable consideration at your hands and those of His Excellency. I should further suggest that the officers to be appointed should not exceed one Assessor, one Upoko, and two Policemen, at the respective salaries named by me in such report; which would bring the whole amount for Aotea and South Kawhia equal to that of the Taupiri Hundred. I have, &c, James Akmitage. The Hon. the Attorney-General.

E—No. 9 Sec. II.

No. 22. FURTHER REPOKT BY J. ARMITAGB, ESQ., RESPECTING THE NGATHTHAUROA PEOPLE. .Resident Magistrate's Office, Lower Waikato, 5th June, 1862. Sir,— I have the hon6r to inform you that Hona and a deputation of the Ngatiwhauroa waited upon me this morning. In accordance with the instructions I received when in Auckland, from the Honorable the Colonial Secretary, I agreed to the appointment of the following officers, viz.:— Native Assessor—Hona te Kotuku. Warden (Upoko Runatiga) —Winilanangapu. Policemen—Eruatangakainga. Netana te Amotutu. These persons are approved by the Runanga of the tribe, and I would recommend them to be appointed. I should recommend also that Hona be allowed the full salary of £50 per annum. The Assistant Law Officer thought he ought only to receive £30, and I proposed that sum to Hona ; he replied, for what reason do you make a distinction between myself and W. Te Wheoro, when our services under Mr. Fenton (in 1857) commenced at the same period, and have continued up to the piesent time ? He further stated that he would have to pay out of his salary £10 a year for a clerk, as he is not by any means a good writer ; thus reducing him to the standard salary (£20) of an untried man. In fact he applied for a salary for his clerk in addition to the £50, but 1 convinced him that such application was unreasonable, and he at once agreed to abandon it. From what I have seen and know of him I think he will be a very useful public servant, and from the proximity (4 miles) of his residence to Ngaruawahia, will be enabled to keep the Resident Magistrate of this District well informed of the proceedings of the King party. I should propose that the salary of the Warden be the same as the others on the coast, viz., £20 per annum. In allowing only one Assessor for this tribe it struck me that we cannot legally forjn an Assessors' Court, as the 33rd section of the Native Circuits Courts Act requires two or more. We have no oiher Assessor nearer than W. Te Wheoro, who resides nearly'30 miles from Hona, and would not be willing to travel so far to form the Court. Under present circumstances the Ngatiwhauroa would naturally object to an Assessor of another tribe being joined with Hona, as all the tribes in their vicinity are strong Kingites. In order therefore to form a legal Assessors' Court, there appear to me to be only two courses for your adoption : the 1st, to appoint a second Assessor from the tribe at the salary of £20 per annum ; or, the 2nd, to appoint the Warden to be an Assessor also, and perform both duties, giving him an extra £10 a-year (£30 altogether). I am, however, not aware whether the combination of these offices

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LOWER WAIKATO.