G.—7

80

2. The Parliament knows how the law stands in this respect in the case of married people. WiEEXitr Hieairo, Commissioner. "Wibemtj Te "Wheoro, Commissioner. VIII.— TIIRAMOE. I tukua mai he tono c Kanana ("W. A. Cannon) te Pakeha raua ko tona wahine ko Hokomata ki nga Komihana mo tenei whenua he whakahe i te retinga o taua whenua ki tetahi Pakeha ko Korumana (J. H. Coleman) te ingoa. Ai te wa i tv ai taua Pakeha a Kanana kite aroaro o nga Komihana kite whakaatu i ana korero mo runga i ta raua tono ko tona wahine mo runga i tenei whenua, ka kitea he whenua tenei kua oti te whakawa c Te Kouti whenua Maori kua whakaputaina he Karauna Karaati mo taua whenua ako te ingoa o tona wahino o Hokomata tetehi i tuhia ki roto o taua Karaati. I whakaaturia mai ano hoki c ia ko tona wahine anake, ko Hokomata, i tuhi ki nga pukapuka o te reti o te mokete en<*ari ko ia kihai i tuhituhi ki ana pukapuka; mo reira me whakakore te mana ote tuhituhi nga a tona wahine i aua pukapuka. Ta maua whakaaro mo runga i nga korero a te Kaitono whakawa i whakaatu mai ai ki Te Kouti: 1. Xi te tikanga Maori kaore he mana o te taane ki nga whenua o tana wahine. 2. Ko te Parematft o mohio ana ki to tikanga mo tc taane marena raua ko te wahine marena. Wiivkmu Hikairo, Komihana. Wieemu t*. w «*auQ t Komihana.

REPORT on CASE No. IX. Te Onepti. This land has been adjudicated upon by the Native Land Court and a Crown grant issued in favour of ten persons. Mr. "W. A. Cannon and his wife, Hokomata, made complaint to the Commissioners about this land, because Hokomata had not received any of the money for the land, but her name does not appear in the Crown grant. Mr. Cannon appeared and gave evidence in support of the complaint made by himself and his wife, Hokomata. He gave the reason why the name of his wife was not inserted in the Crown grant of that land. It was because the Court could not allow more than ten grantees, and on account of Cannon's wife urging so strongly that her name should be inserted, Mr. Cannon said, " The Judge of the Court ordered that a document should be given to my wife, setting forth that in the event of any money being paid on account of that land, some would be given to all of those interested who were not grantees, and my wife agreed to it. The Judge drew out the document, and Kcremenata signed it. That land has been sold to a European, but my wife has received no share of the purchase money." By the evidence given by the complainant before the Commissioners, there being no evidence adduced on the other side to disprove his statements, it will be seen : 1. That his wife, Hokomata, had a claim to that land according to Maori custom, as witness the agreement signed by Keremeneta that a portion of the purchase money for the land should be given to Mr. Cannon's wife. 2. That woman did not receive any part of the purchase money. AVikejiu Hikairo, Commissioner. No. IX.—Te Onepu. Ko tcnei whenua kua oti te whakawa c Te Kouti Whenua Maori kua oti ano hoki te whakaputa he Karauna Karaati c taua Kouti ki nga tangata kotahi tekau (10). Ko Kanana (W. A. Cannon) he Pakeha, raua ko tona wahine ko Hokomata i tuku mai i tetahi tono mo tcnei whenua kia whakawakia, te take, he kore no tetahi waahi o nga moni utu o taua whenua i riro mai ki tona wahine ki a Hokomata otiia kaoro te ingoa o taua Hokomata i tuhia kite Karaati o taua whenua. I tv taua Pakeha a Kanana kite Kouti kite whakaatu korero mo runga i ta raua tono ko tona wahine ko Hokomata. I whakaaturia mai o ia te take i kore ai te ingoa o tona wahine c uru ki roto i te Karaati o taua whenua. Ara he kore kihai i taea eTe Kaiwhakawa o taua Kouti te whakauru i nga tangata c nui ake ana i te kotahi tekau a i runga i te nui o te tohe a tona wahine kia uru tona ngoa kite Karauna Karaati ka kiia mai etc Kaiwhakawa o taua Kouti, c ai ki ta Kanana: "Me tuku mai tetahi pukapuka ki taku wahine hei pukapuka whakaaetanga kite puta he moni utu mo taua whenua ka hoatu tetahi waahi o taua moni ki nga tangata katoa o taua whenua kihai ra o ratou ingoa i tuhia kite Karauna Karaati, a whakaetia ana taua tikanga c taku wahine. A tuhia ana etc Kaiwhakawa taua pukapuka. Engari na Keremeneta ano tona ingoa i tuhi ki raro o taua pukapuka. A ko taua whenua kua oti te hoko kite Pakeha, lieoi kaore tetahi waahi o nga utu o taua whenua i riro mai ki taku wahine." Na no runga i nga korero a te Kaitono whakawa i whakaatu mai ai kite Kouti i te mea hoki, kaore he Kaikaro whakawa i tac mai kite Kouti karo ai ka kitea : 1. He paanga ano to tona wahine to Hokomata ki taua whenua i runga i te tikanga maori mci te tukua mai c Keremeneta tetahi pukapuka whakaae tera c hoatu tetahi waahi o te moni utu mo reira ki tona wahine. 2. Kaore tetahi waahi o nga moni utu o taua whenua i riro ki tona wahine. "Wikemu Hikaibo, Komihana.