G.—7

100

The complainant produced a plan of the said land, and the name of Mr. Cooper, at present Under Secretary for the Colony, was written on the plan. The complainant stated that the Government gave back this land for himself and other chiefs of Ngatiteupokoiri, after the major part of that land had been sold to the Government. A good while after the Government gave this land to them, some Europeans went upon it to work. When they (the Maoris) saw those Europeans working there, they said to them, " That land is ours." Those Europeans replied, " No, it is our own ;we purchased it from the Government." When the complainant heard that statement, he went to ask the Government whether it was true that it had been sold, and he was told that it was. The complainant stated that his objection to that sale commenced then, and he continued his objection up to the time he sent in his complaint to the Commissioners. He asked that the land should be returned to him, notwithstanding that the Europeans had been long in occupation of it. It is seen, by the evidence in this case, that long before the sale to the Europeans, the Government said that this land was for the complainant and others. Therefore I consider that this claim is a just one ; but it is for the Parliament to consider the question of the time the Europeans have been in occupation. Wikemtj Hikaieo, Commissioner. I consider that this land was long ago vested in Eenata Kawepo, and it is in the same position as a man's own property, for the Government said they would set aside that land for the Maoris. Wi Te Wheobo, Commissioner. No. XXVII. —Tikokino.—Eenata Kawepo, Kaitono. Ko te tono a Eenata Kawepo c mea ana kia whakahokia atu tenei whenua ki a ia. I whakaaturia mad c ia kite Kouti ana korero mo tenei whenua. I whakaaturia mai hold c taua Kaitono tetahi mapi o.taua whenua ko te ingoa o te Kupa ko ia nei te Ana Heketere o tenei Koroni i tenei wa, c tuhi ana ki taua mapi. Xi te ki a te Kaitono na te Kawanatanga tenei whenua i whakahoki atu mo ratou mo nga runp-a-tira o Ngatiteupokoiri i muri iho o to wa i hokona, ai c nga taiigata Maori te nuinga o taua whenua ki te Kawanatanga. He roa te wa o muri iho o te tukunga atu a te Kawanatanga i taua whenua ki a ratou ka tae etahi Pakeha ki runga ki taua whenua mahi ai. Ato ratou kitenga i aua Pakeha c main ana ka mca atu ratou : "No matou tena whenua." Ka mea mai aua Pakeha: " Kao, no matou ano, he mea hoko ki te Kawanatanga." I te rongonga o te Kaitono ki taua kupu, katahi ka haere kite patai kite Kawanatanga ho pono ranei kua hokona, kiia mai ana, ac he pono. Na kite ki ate Kaitono no reira iho ano tona korenga c whakaae ki taua hokonga, tae noa iho kite wa i tuku tono mai ai ia ki nga Komihana. Xi tana ki me whakahoki atu ano taua whenua ki a ia ahakoa roa te nohoanga o nga Pakeha ki runga. I kitea i runga i nga korero mo tenei tono kua puta noa atu te kupu a te Kawanatanga i mua atu ote hokonga kite Pakeha, ko tenei whenua mo te Kaitono ratou ko etahi atu. No reira, ki taku whakaaro, c tika ana tenei tono, engari ko te tikanga mo te roa o te nohoanga o nga Pakeha, ma te Paremata c whakaaro. Wieemtj Hikaieo, Komihana. Xi taku whakaaro kua oti noa atu ki a Eenata Kawepo te tikanga katoa o tenei whenua kua rite ki te taonga o ie tangata c mau nei kia ia, i runga ano i te kupu o te Kawanatanga ka waiho tera whenua ki nga Maori mau ai. Wi Te Wheoeo, Komihana.

REPORT on CASE No. XXVIII. WIIENUAIIOU. Tin's is land which was included in that sold by Hori Niania and others to the Government at Wellington. The witnesses for the Maoris, in their evidence before the Commissioners, stated: The commencement of the objection, by the bulk of the people interested in this land, against the sale by Hori Niania and others of the said land, was immediately after the said sale, and they informed Mr. McLean of it, he being the Chief Land Purchase Commissioner for the Government at that time. There were a great many people assembled in his presence when he was informed of that objection, and in consequence thereof certain arrangements were made between Mr. McLean and those who were assembled before him. These were the arrangements:— 1. That a portion of that land should be given back to the objectors to the sale by Hori and party, and that a portion should be set aside in consideration of the money paid by the Government. 2. That a Government surveyor should survey the boundary between the portion which was to go in consideration of the money paid and the portion which was to be for the Maoris. 3. That certain Maoris were to go along with the surveyor on to that land, to point out what was to be reserved for the Maoris, and to show where the dividing boundary was to run. They said that those arrangements were fairly entered into at that meeting, and fully agreed to. After that meeting Mr. McLean sent a surveyor to survey the boundaries ; he was accompanied by fifty (50) men. They stated that the portion which was reserved for the Maoris was Whenuahou. The portion which was to go for the money of the Government was Te Umuopua. The witnesses stated to the Commissioners the names of the boundaries which were agreed upon at the time of the survey. There was a great deal more evidence given to the Commissioners.