C—No. 4,
28
SETTLEMENT OE
No. 18. The Hon. D. McLean to the Civil Commissionee, New Plymouth. Sib, — Auckland, 2nd May, 1872. I have the honor to acknowledge your letter of the 25th ultimo, in which you refer to interviews with certain hapus of the Ngatiruanui, for whom j^ou desire reservations to be made in the confiscated lands of the West Coast. Tou were perfectly correct in informing the Natives that it was useless for them to ask for any portion of land which had been surveyed and allotted to settlers, Tou then stated that they ask to have a block next to the boundary line of the surveyed and allotted land, but you do not inform me of the locality, whether it be north or south of the Waingongoro, or whether you mean a tract of land inland of any survey line between Waingongoro and Patea. I shall be glad if, in future, when corresponding on questions of this nature, you will attach to your letters a rough tracing, to indicate the particular spots you refer to. The proportion of land already set apart for Native purposes in confiscated lands to the south of the Waingongoro is quite as much as appears to me to be necessary for the requirements of the Natives ; and if fresh applications are made by persons who have borne arms against the Government, and have only recently tendered their submission, it is only reasonable that they should accept land in whatever locality the Government may find it most convenient to provide for them. Tou are, then, at liberty to make such requisite reserves as you may deem expedient north of the Waingongoro, instead of increasing the large quantity already available for the settlement of the Natives to the southward of that river. With regard to the settlement of the Umutahi people at Mawhitiwhiti, north of the Waingongoro, the residence of their old chief Kewetone, I think it very desirable that such an arrangement should be entered into with this tribe, and that a block of land should be defined for them in that locality with as little delay as possible. It appears that the Umutahi, for whom you are authorized to make provision, form a considerable section of the Ngatiruanui Tribe ; and it would seem that, when they are completely disposed of, it will be more easy to deal with the other two hapus, whom you report as located chiefly about Parihaka, and other parts of the district north of Waingongoro. At any rate, when their reserves for settlement are clearly defined, you will then be in a better position to inform me how far you can meet the case of the Ahitahi and Ngatitupaea, without any encroachment on the territory south of Waingongoro. Tou will be good enough to intimate to me, from time to time, the progress you are making in these affairs, and you will let me know if Ahitana and his people would be satisfied with a location north of the Waingongoro and some distance inland, extending towards the Ngaere, over ground which appears to have formerly been their tribal territory, excluding, of course, the Ngutu-o-te-Manu. I have, &c, Donald McLean.
No. 19. Memobandum by the Civil Commissioned, New Plymouth, for the Hon. D. McLean. "With reference to your letter of instructions of May 2nd, 1872, relating to the Ngatitupaea and Ahitahi hapus being located north of the Waingongoro Eiver, I find it impossible to carry out your instructions in this matter, and must beg to submit, for your consideration and approval, the absolute necessity of making a reserve for the Ahitahi hapu (who number over 100), say a thousand acres on the south side of the said river, deferring further provision for that hapu to some future day, when progress has been made in the question of settling the West Coast, unless they will at once agree to take a further grant of land on the north side of the river inland of Mawhitiwhiti. This arrangement is absolutely necessary, as a preliminary step to the working out of your general instructions in reference to the settlement of the West Coast. With regard to the Ngatitupaea hapu, as they are living at Parihaka, their case can be deferred for a time, unless they should attempt to settle of their own accord, regardless of the Government surveys. Should such an emergency occur, immediate action would have to be taken to endeavour to settle them upon a defined block. The settlement of those sections of the Ngatiruanui tribes, and the purchase of a block of land at Ngatimaru simultaneously, will, I am of opinion, be a death-blow to the disaffection which has for so many years existed amongst the tribes of the Taranaki Province. E. Paeeis, Auckland, 20th May, 1872. „_„_„ „_„ Civil Commissioner.
No. 20. The Hon. D. McLean to the Civil Commissioned, New Plymouth. Sib,— Auckland, 20th May, 1872. In reply to your memorandum of this date, stating that, in order to efi'cct a settlement with the Natives of the West Coast, it is absolutely necessary to make a reserve of 1000 acres south of the Waingongoro Bivor, I have the honor to inform you that I approve of your making such reserve, care being taken to fix it as far inland as possible from Europeans' locations. In reference to Ngatitupaea, who are living at Parihaka, you will be good enough, when they are disposed to settle down, to intimate the extent and position of land that may be necessary for them. The chief object is to have the land question in the Taranaki district so far settled as to enable the Government to locate in it a numerous body of Europeans. It would be advantageous to have all Native reserves within natural boundaries, wherever practicable. I have, &c, The Civil Commissioner, New Plymouth. Donald McLean.