G.—7

79

The complainants appeared before the Commissioners to give evidence in the matter of their Mr. Cannon stated :—" Hokomata was one of the grantees of that block. The said Hokomata was legally married to me by a Catholic priest, and the land has been sold by all to a European for £300. All that my wife got for her interest in the land was £2." Hokomata also appeared before the Commissioners, and said: " I wanted money, and therefore I executed the conveyance. I received £2 in consideration of my interest in that land. Heipora alias Hine Paketia told me when she gave mo £1 out of the £2, that it was to satisfy my claim as a grantee of that land ; but I did not reply to that word of hers." That woman, Hokomata, also stated that she had as much right as Tc Hapuku. and others to lands in the Crown grants of which Te Hapuku's name is placed. None of the other grantees appeared before the Commissioners to make any statement with regard to the evidence of the complainants. This is my opinion on the whole of the evidence given by the complainants before the Commissioners anent this land: — . . 1. The Parliament of New Zealand knows what is the law with regard to a European man who is legally married to a Maori woman. 2. When the land was passed through the Native Land Court, the Court did not take any steps to ascertain the amount of the interest of each of the persons whose names were placed in the Crown graiV. The sum of £2, whi^ was paid to extinguish the interest of Hokomata in that land, was too Wiremu Hikaieo, Commissioner. VI. KoEOKI. Kua oti tenei whenua te whakawa etc Kouti Whenua Maori. Kua whakaputaina he Karauna. Karaati ki nga tangata kotahi tekau. I muri iho o te whakaputanga a Te Kouti i tana kupu whakaiau i taua whenua ki nga tangata kotahi tckau ka hokona c taua hunga taua whenua ki tetahi Pakelia mo nga moni c toru rau pauna (£300.) I tuku tono mai a Kanana (W. A. Cannon) he pakeha, raua ko tona wahine ko Hokomata ki nga Komihana mo tenei whenua. He whakahe kite tangata ia ia taua wlnnua, ara kite tangata nananga rau pauna c toru. A i to wa i noho ai te Kouti a nga Komihana ka tae mai aua Kaitono kite whakaatu korcro mo runga i ta raua tono. I mea a Kanana (W. A. Cannon) " Ko Hokomata tetahi o te hunga i tuhia ra nga ingoa kite Karaati o taua whenua. Ko taua Hokomata, he wahine i ata marenatia ki aau c tetahi minita Pikopo a ko taua whenua kua hokona c te katoa ki tetahi Pakeha mo nga moni c toru rau pauna (£300.) Heoi nga utu i riro mai ki taku wahine mo tona paanga ki taua whenua c rua pauna (£2.) " I tv hoki a Hokomata kite korero kite Kouti, i mca " He hiahia noku kite moni i tuhi ai au i take ingoa kite pukapuka hoko. A i riro mau ki aau c rua pauna (£2), hei utu mo taku paauga ki taua whenua. I kiia mai ano eTc Heipora, ara c Hine Paketia i te wa i homai ai eia tetahi o nga pauna o taua rua pauna hei whnkamakanga (whakorenga) tera mo taku ingoa i roto i te Karauna Karaati o taua whenua, heoi kihai au i utu atu i taua kupu ana." I ki hoki taua wahine a Hokomata he rite tonu to ratou paanga ki Te Hapuku ma ki nga whenua i tuhia ai te ingoa o Te Hapuku ki nga Karauna Karaati. Kihai etahi o te hunga i tuhia ra o ratou ingoa ki roto i te Karaati o taua whenua i tae mai kite Kouti whai kupu ai mo runga i nga korero a aua Kaitono. Na ko aku whakaaro enei mo runga i nga korero katoa a nga Kaitono whakawa i whakaatu mai ai kite Kouti mo tenei whenua: 1. Ko te Paremata Nui o Niu Tireni c mohio ana Id nga tikanga mo te iaane Pakeha c moc ana kite wahine Maori i runga i te tikanga marena. 2. Kihai i rapua c Te Kouti Whenua Maori i te wa i whakawakia ai taua whenua pehea te nui o te paanga ki reira o ia tangata o tc hunga i tuhia ra o ratou ingoa kite Karaati. 3. He iti rawa te rua pauna (£2) i homai ra hei utu mo te paanga o Hokomata ki taua whenua. Wiremu Hikaieo, Commissioner.

REPORT ON CASE No. VIII. TUEAMOE. Mr. W. A. Cannon and his wife Ilokomata made a complaint to the Commissioners about this land, with respect to the leasing thereof to a European named J. H. Coleman. When Cannon appeared before the Commissioners to give evidence in the matter of the complaint of himself and his wife in respect of this land, it was seen that this land had been adjudicated upon by the Native Land Court, and that a Crown grant had been issued therefor, and that the aforesaid Hokomata was one of the grantees. He further stated that only his wife Ilokonuita signed the leases and mortgages, but that he had not done so, and therefore the execution by his wife of the said deeds should be declared null and void. Our opinion with regard to the complaint made to the Commissioners is, — 1. According to Native custom, a man has no authority over the land of his wife. 9—G. 7.