A.—No. 13.

16

PAPERS RELATIVE TO NATIVE

Enclosure 2 in No. 23. Copy of a Letter from Mr. R. Paeeis to His Honor H. R. Richmond. (No. 284.) Sib,— New Plymouth, Bth October, 1868, With reference to your letter of the sth instant, relative to a complaint of W. Old's to the effect that he has been repeatedly warned by Natives not to occupy his bush land in the Mataitawa District, and that on one occasion a Native named Horopapera had threatened to shoot him if he returned to it, I have the honor to inform you that, on the 15th September, Mr. Old came to my office and reported that Horopapera had set fire to a clearing of his on Allotment No. 21, in the Mataitawa District, and threatened to take possession of the land. On the 16th September, I sent a policeman inland of Mataitawa to Horopapera, to tell him of the complaint of W. Old, and request him to come in and see me on the subject. He sent me word by the policeman that he would come in on the Saturday. On Friday, the 18th September, I requested W. Old to meet Horopapera at my office the following day, which ho promised to do. Saturday, the 19th, Horopapera came, according to promise, and was at my office for two hours, but W. Old never came to meet him. Horopapera stated that, on several occasions during the last twelve months, W. Old had invited him and others to put in crops upon the land, with the understanding that, after two or three years, they were to give it up to him again. That a short time ago he went to clear off a spot on which to put in some maize, and on W. Old's son seeing his fire, he came to him and ordered him oft. This led to a conversation about how the Government had acquired the land, during which ho admitted that he had said to W. Old, " You had better leave this land, which the Government stole, and go upon land which it bought properly." After Horopapera left my office I saw W. Old in town, and asked him why he did not come to my office to meet Horopapera. He replied that " His wife had been recently confined, and that he could not leave her." I heard nothing more of the matter until Monday last, when W. Old came again to my office with you, Sir, and stated that Horopapera had threatened to shoot him if he returned to the land. I arranged to go to Horopapera's place, inland of Mataitawa, on Wednesday (yesterday), and W. Old promised to meet me there, to be present when I inquired into the charge which he had preferred against Horopapera, of having " threatened to shoot him." Yesterday, the appointed time, I went to where Horopapera is living, inland of Mataitawa, accompanied by your Honor, the Provincial Secretary, Major Stapp, three Native Assessors, and other Natives. I also took tho Interpreter, Mr. ■ Stockman, with me, to enable W. Old to put any questions he might wish to Horopapera through him. There were several of the settlers present at the meeting, but W. Old failed to attend, as on the former occasion when Horopapera came to my office. I put the question to the Natives in as public and open a manner as it was possible to do it, as to who among them had been guilty of threatening to shoot a European settler. They all emphatically denied having been guilty of doing so. I then told Horopapera that W. Old had preferred such a charge against him, which he denied having been guilty of. So far as I can judge at present, I do not think there is any danger of any violent molestation being offered to Win. Old's occupying the land any more than any other Military Settlers who are living in the district, all of whom state they have never been interfered with by the Natives. With regard to the burial-ground, which I am informed W. Old speaks of as being on his land, Horopapera has never alluded to it to me, neither do I believe that that has anything to do with the question. The present is, without doubt, a very critical time for this Province, which requires the exercise of caution and forbearance on the part of the settlers, until we have obtained a decided victory over the Natives in rebellion in the Patea District. I have, &c, R. Paeeis, His Honor the Superintendent, Taranaki. Civil Commissioner.

No. 24. Copy of a Letter from Mr. R. Paeeis to the Hon. the Native Ministee. (No. 287.) Sic,— New Plymouth, 10th October, 1868. Wiremu Manaia, of Te Kauwae, came in on Tuesday last, and brought in two letters they had received from Titokowaru, which I send herewith. Also a letter from his own brother Reihana te Wharehuia, who lives with him at Te Kauwae. Wiremu Manaia was four days with the Taranaki Natives at Witiora, on his way up, of whom he reports favourably. I have, &c, R. Paeeis, The Hon. the Native Minister, Wellington. Civil Commissioner.

Enclosure 1 in No. 24. Copy of a Letter from Titokowaeu to Manaia and Others. Turangarere, Heptema 25, 1868. Xi a Manaia, me Te Whaeehuia, me Ngatai Kahuihui, — Tena koutou katoa. No te 21 o nga ra ka whakaekea ahau ki Whareroa, kahore i tata mai, mehemea i tata kua tangi ano ia tangi rawa. Katahi ka whaia etc tekaumarua ka whiua kite Titi a Kamerona, heoti, ka huri mai ka noho ki Turangarere. Kati tena. He kupu ke tenei mo koutou