G.—sc

4

With reference to the description of title by which the persons to whom the Aparima Eeserve has been apportioned should in future hold their lands, I would beg to recommend, with a view to establish exclusive individual interests in the soil, that the present mode of tenure should be superseded by issuing to each allottee a Crown grant, making the land absolutely inalienable excepting by lease for twenty-one years. This restriction would effectually prevent the grantees from parting with the land except in the prescribed manner, and is preferable, in my opinion, to an entail, as the latter condition, in the case of a Maori, diminishes the value of the land for occupation under lease ; a Maori life being much below the average. A distinction might be made in regard to the grants to be issued for Sections 79 and 81, to enable the land to be disposed of, by making it alienable only to the Crown. I visited the reserves at Oraka and Kawakaputaputa, for the purpose of carrying out the same principle of subdivision amongst the claimants as the one adopted in the case of the Aparima Eeserve, but found the land altogether unsuitable for the purpose. I therefore suggested to the Natives interested, that the best plan to adopt in their case would be to select trustees to whom the land could be granted, in trust for the whole, on the same conditions as the grants proposed for the Aparima Eeserve, and that the trustees should execute a declaration of trust setting forth the purpose for which they hold the land, to which a Schedule containing the names of the whole of the claimants should be attached. In accordance with my suggestion the following persons were elected by the Natives as trustees, namely,— Eawiri Te Awa, *) EewSlkau, (** (hebs. John Poko, J Haimona Pakipaki, TioJLSu,' For Kawakaputaputa. John Wesley Hauraki, ) The same principle in regard to the original claimants to these reserves was carried out as at Aparima, and a supplementary list made of other Natives whom they chose to admit besides. In the case of the reserve at Orutota a place lying a few miles to the westward of Kawakaputaputa, the area being small and the number of claimants few, I would beg to recommend that a grant should issue in favour of the whole of the persons interested under the same restrictions as recommended in other cases. I annex the under-mentioned Schedule for general information: — A. List of the Aparima Natives named in Mr. Mantell's census of 1852, with the names of those chosen to succeed to the claims of those deceased. Also, the particulars of the award made in each case. B. List of quantities awarded to the respective allottees. C. List of Natives who will require Crown grants prepared, under the present apportionment. D. List of Oraka Natives named in Mr. Mantell's census, and the names of those chosen to succeed. Also a supplementary list of Natives who have been admitted by the claimants to share in the reserve. E. List of the Kawakaputaputa Natives, &c, &c. F. List of Natives entitled to the Onetota Eeserve. A plan of the recent survey of the Aparima Eeserve will be furnished so soon as I can obtain a copy for the purpose. The work has been completed at a cost of £72, for which a voucher will be forwarded for approval. I have, &c., Alexandeb McKat, Commissioner.