G.—No. 4.

Mci 5, 1805. No Horowhenua enei tangata hei uru ki roto kite ritenga whakapuare o nga mea katoa kia noho katoa kai runga i te ngakau hari i te ngakau koa. Te Watanui, Rangirurupuni. Ihaka Te Rangihouhia, Te Watene Tiwaewae, Matene Ngakai, Te Maru, Tuainuku Tamaianewa, Te Raorao, Te Rangimairehau, Te Ropiha Takirau, Pioka, Riwai Maunu, Rawiri Kehu, Ngariki, Hetariki Matao, Hoone Te Wiiti, • Nganiho, Te Manihera Te Mata, Porokoru Te Kauru, Te Oti, Hanita Takiari, Ko te whakapuare anake te take i uru ai tenei iwi ara te whakapuare o nga reti, tuku iho ki nga mea ririki. I kore ai etahi c uru kite reta i te ngarongaro atu ki ana haere. Xi a liiakatia, — Ohau, Mci 9, 1865. E hoa kua rongo matou ki to whakaaro ki a Te Peina c pai ana ki a mahia atu c koe nga ritenga he, ko ta matou hoki tena c pana nei ki a kaua c tau te mana o te Kawana ki runga ki o matou whenua; na ritetonu ki to whakaaro engari me tau tona mana ki Manawatu na ki to te Hirawanu hoki ki nga whenua kua pai te rironga i a ia ka pai tenei ko tenei mahi a te Kawana he he, ki a kaha te whakahe i o koutou ritenga he. He oti ano. Harehemi, Hoani Huarau, Wehipeihana Taharape, Piahana, Natana, Hema Te Ao, Whareao, Paramena, Hone To Tihi, Moihi, Paranapa, Kiharoa Te Mahauariki. Te Tura, Te Ri, Ropata Te Ao. Kaperiere, Wereta, [translation.] To the Great Council of New Zealand, at Wellington assembled. To Manteli,,— Tawhirihoe, Rangitikei, April 24th, 1865. Friend, salutations to you, and to the Members of the Council of the Government. This is an enquiry by us the residents of the District lying between Ohau and Rangitikei,—What is the reason that Rangitikei and Manawatu are excluded from the permissive law of the Government for New Zealand (" Nat. Lands Act, 1862") Rangitikei, Manawatu, and on to Ohau are in your prison-house. Great is the grief that has come upon us on account of your having enacted two courses of law for New Zealand ; one a law for opening (permissive) ; the other a law for closing, (prohibitory). Rather let them all (both) be open. If you persist in closing up our small piece between Ohau and Rangitikei, great will be our grief at our imprisonment by you. It would be better to make the permission general, that there may be but one law for our island; lest some live in gladness of heart, and others in darkness of heart: that is to say, they who enjoy the permissive law have gladness, while to us who are bound in your prison-house there is darkness of heart. Therefore we, the Chiefs of the District, thus restricted by you, request of you, the Members of the Government, that you will remove this ill-working restriction from our territory, and permit us to go on our way in lightness, joy, and gladness of heart. (Signatures.) May sth, 1865. —These men are of Horowhenua, and to be included in the matter of removing the restriction from everything, that they may all live in joy and gladness of heart : (Signatures.) altogether twenty-one persons. These all advocate the removal of tho restriction —that is the removal of the prohibition on landleasing, even down to the smaller matters. Some have not been subscribed because they are absent a I lout their business. To luakaha,— Ohau, May 9th, 1865. Friend, we have heard your proposal through Te Peina. It is well that you should attend to the alteration of evil regulations. That also is what we are for thrusting aside, that the mana of tho (iovernor may not rest upon our lands, even as also your desire is. Rather let his mana light upon Manawatu and the lands of (sold by) Hirawanu, the lands which have properly become his ; that would be right; but this work of the Governor is wrong. Be strong in your condemnation of your evilworking regulations. The end. (Signatures.)

4

PETITION OF EANGITIKEI AND MANAWATU NATIVES.