101

G.—7

Our opinion on this case is : That the evidence on the side of the Maoris is correct, that this land was returned by the Government to the Maoris, because this is part of the land sold by Hori Niania at Wellington to the Government, and Te Umuopua is another part. Now, when Porangahau was surveyed, this [Whenuahou?] was excluded from the survey, and Te Umuopua was surveyed ; tho survey of this did not take place till long afterwards. Mr. Cooper said that the reason why it was excluded from that survey was, that it was apprehended that a fight might be caused between the Maoris themselves. We fail to see what cause there would be for fighting, inasmuch as he said that all the Maoris wore clear about the matter, that the land had been sold to the Government, and the consent was given. Now, that was no reason for excluding that land from tho survey. Wiremit Hikaieo, Commissioner. "Wi Te Wueoho, Commissioner. No. XXVlll.—Whenuahou. He whenua tenei i riro ki roto o te whenua i hokona c Hori Niania ratou ko etahi atu kite Kawanatanga i Poneke. A kite ki a nga kai korero mo te taha ki nga tangata Maori i whakaatu mai ai kite Kouti: Ko te tiinatanga o te w rhakahe a to tokomahatanga o nga tangata c pa ana ki taua whenua mo te hokonga a Hori Niania ma i taua whenua kite Kawanatanga no muri tata mai ano o taua hokouga, ki ta ratou korero, ko taua whakalio i whakaaturia nuitia atu ano ki a Te Makariui, ko ia hoki te Tumuakia hoko whenua mo te Kawanatanga i terawa. Henui te tangata i huihui ki tona aroaro itewa i whakapuakina ai taua whakahe, a no ruuga i taua whakaheanga, katahi ka whakatakotoria etahi whakariteritenga etc Makarini ratou ko nga tangata i hui ra ki a ia. Koia enei nga whakariteritenga: — 1. Ko tetahi waahi o taua whenua me whakahoki mo nga tangata i whakahe kite hoko a Hori ma, ko tetahi wahi me waiho hei utu mo nga nioni a te Kawanatanga. 2. Me ata ruri marie c tetahi Kai-ruri Kawanatanga to rohe wahanga o te taha c riro hei utu mo nga moni, o te taha c waiho mo nga tangata maori. 3. Me haere etahi tangata maori a te wa c tae ai te Kai-ruri ki taua whenua hei whakaatu i te wahi mo nga tangata maori, hei tohutohu hoki i te rohe waahi. Xi ta ratou ki, ko aua tikanga i ata whakatakotoria paitia i taua huihuinga i tino whakapumautia ano hoki. I muri iho o taua huihuinga ka tukua atu c Te Makarini te Kai-ruri kite ruri i te rohe ; ko te tokomaha o nga tangata i haere hei hoa mo te Kai-ruri c rimatekau (50). Xi ta ratou, ko te waahi tena i waiho mo nga tangata maori, ko Whenuahou. Ko te waahi i riro hei utu no nga moni a te Kawanatanga, ko te Umuopua. I whakaaturia mai ano hoki c aua Kaikorero kite Kouti nga ingoa o nga rohe i whakaritea i taua ruritanga. Tera atu te maha o nga korero mo tenei whenua i whakapuakina mai kite Kouti. Hcoi ki ta maua whakaaro : E tika ana nga korero a te taha ki nga tangata maori, he whenua tenei i whakahokia mai etc Kawanatanga ki nga tangata maori. Ina hoki ko tetahi taha tenei ote whenua i hokona c Hori Niania i Poneke kite Kawanatanga ko te Umuopua tetahi waahi. Na i te ruritanga o Porangahau ka kapea tenei ki waho o taua ruritanga ka ruritia ko te Umuopua; no muri noa iho ka ruritia tenei. Xi te ki ate Kupa, ko te take i kapea ai ki waho i taua ruritanga he tupato kei whawhai nga Maori ki a ratou ano. E whakaaro ana maua he aha hoki te take c whawhai ai ma hoki i ki ano ia i marama tonu nga Maori kua hokona taua waahi kite Kawanatanga a whakaae tonu ana. Na kihai tera take i tika hei kapenga mo taua waahi ki waho o taua ruritanga. Wieemu Hikaieo, Komihana. Wi Te "Wheoeo, Komihana.

REPORT on CASE No. XXIX. Takapatt or Omaetttaiei. The complaint in respect of this land was made to the Comrnistiioners by Karaitiana Takamoaua and Henare Matua. They stated that this land was sold by Hori Niania to the Government at "Wellington, and that that sale was objected to by the hapu that owned that land. That objection was made direct to Mr. McLean (Native Minister), he being the Government Land Purchase Commissioner at that time, and he acknowledged the justice of that objection, and gave back that land to the persona who were the owners thereof. It was stated, when the land was given back, that the portion which was to go in consideration of the money paid by the Government was to be equal to that which was to be left to the Maoris. Mr. Cooper, Under Secretary, who represented the Government before the Commissioners, acknowledged this. He said that Mr. McLean wrote to him when the arrangements about this land were being made, and said that the portion for the Maoris was to be cqiial to that for the Government. But Mr. Cooper objected to that part of the evidence of Karaitiana and Henare where they said that the completion of the arrangement, when they went with Mr. Cooper and others to lay off the boundary between the Maoris and the Government, was this : That it was agreed upon, when they went with Mr. Cooper and others to lay off the boundary between the portion for the Natives and that for the Government, that "when the whole of that land should be surveyed, then would be seen the division "between the Maoris and the Government." Mr. Cooper stated that the completion of the arrangement was their marking off the boundary by putting in posts.