F.—No. 3.

EEPOET on the Petition of 510 East Coast Natiyes. The Committee direct me to report that the names of five hundred and ten persons are attached to the Petition, the prayer of which is that some portions of the landed estate of the Petitioners is included in the Auckland Province, while another portion is included in the Hawke's Bay Province ; and they pray that the whole of their lands should be annexed to the latter Province. lam directed to add that the Committee have taken evidence respecting the mode in which the signatures of the Petitioners were affixed to the Petition, a copy of which is attached. J. Cbaceoft Wilson, C.8., Chairman. EEPOET on the Petition of 1,400 East Coast Natives. The Committee direct me to report that the names of one thousand four hundred persons are attached to the Petition, the prayer of which is that the district comprised between Lotion Point and the present boundary of the Hawke's Bay District may be transferred from the Province of Auckland and annexed to the Province of Hawke's Bay. I am directed to add that the Committee have taken evidence respecting the mode in which the signatures of the Petitioners were affixed to the Petition, a copy of which evidence is attached to this Eeport. J. Ckacroft "Wilson, C.8., Chairman.

MINUTES OF EVIDENCE. His Honor the Superintendent of Napier called in and examined. I.— Mr. Cracroft Wilson, C.8.~] Can you explain the manner in which the signatures were obtained to these petitions from the Natives on the East Coast which bear the marks, the one 1,400 signatures, the other 510 ? I hand, in for the information of the Committee two letters which I have received with the Petitions, explanatory of the method in which the signatures were, speaking generally, attached to the Petitions, the one from a settler of Poverty Bay, named Wyllie, the other from a Chief of large influence on the East Coast (Bopata) in which he states the places at which the petitions were signed. Ropata's letter was then translated by Mr. McLean. 2.] Can you tell the Committee who Panapa is, who addressed the letter to Mr. Rice, handed in to the Committee by Mr. Newman, and to what tribe he (Panapa) belongs ? Panapa is a young man of the To Aitanga-mahiki tribe, one of the 15 men allowed to remain in the country, the remainder of the tribe having been sent to the Chatham Islands. 3.] Is there anything unusual in a Maori Chief signing any document on the part of the different members of his tribe ? If the signing takes place openly it is usual for the tribe even to ask the Chief to sign for the individual members of the tribe. 1. — Mr. Newman^ Do you not think that you have sufficient influence over the Natives who have signed this petition to induce them to sign any document you may wish to present to the Assembly in favor of the Europeans resident in Hawke's Bay P I do not consider that I have that influence, nor do I believe that the Natives would sign any document of the nature of this Petition

REPORT ON THE PETITIONS OF THE EAST COAST NATIVES.