35

G.—l

Reverting to the moral progress of the Natives, I believe much might be done to improve their condition in this and other respects, affecting not only their material progress but their advancement in the doctrines of vital Christianity, were more interest shown in them by the missionary body, and an active and devoted minister located in their midst. There is a fine mission field now unoccupied on this river, with its 2,000 Native population; and I cannot understand why it is so neglected. The Rev. Mr. Elmslie, who recently accompanied me on one of my trips, was much struck with the intelligence of the Natives, and their susceptibility to religious truth, and he made quite a favourable impression on their minds. He agreed with me that a wide field of usefulness presented itself amongst the Maori people on this river, to any man who took an interest in the race and was anxious to do good service in the "Master's vineyard," and regretted that he had not made the Maori language his study, so that at times he might have given them the benefit of his labours, which have proved so profitable to many in Wanganui. In matters of religious belief there is quite a movement amongst the Maori population of this island at the present juncture, numerous so-called prophets having their adherents in all parts of the country. Te Whiti, the Taranaki seer, still maintains his influence on this coast, and preparations are being made for a larger gathering than usual at Parihaka, next September, when a further enunciation will be made respecting the looked-for events of the future; Te Whiti foretelling the approach of some great crisis, including the downfall of the " minor prophets !" The Henare Matua disaffection is fast dying out here, and one of his most influential and staunch supporters (Te Oti Takarangi, an old chief of some note) has quite turned round, and the other day availed himself of the means provided by my Court to recover a debt against a member of their own clique, and has assumed quite a friendly tone since. The Maori business of my Court has somewhat increased during the past year, and regular sittings have been held at the different settlements on the river and at the two school-houses ; where I have had quite large gatherings of Natives interested in the proceedings under review. Valuable assistance has been rendered me by both assessors and police, and I find but little difficulty in enforcing the judgments of the Court. I have, &c, RICHABD W. WOON, The Under Secretary, Native Department, Wellington. Resident Magistrate.

No. 41. Mr. J. Booth, R.M., Wanganui, to the Undeb Seceetaby, Native Department. Sib,— Foxton, 31st May, 1876. In compliance with your instructions, I have the honor to report on the state of the Native districts over which I have charge : — 1. Wanganuir-Rmgitilcei District. As regards this district, I feel justified in reporting favourably on the state of the Natives. The agitation which existed amongst a section of them last year, consequent on the action of HenareMatua relative to selling or leasing lands, is gradually dying out, and Natives from every part of the district are now sending in applications to have surveys made of the whole of their waste lands, for the purpose of obtaining titles and disposing of them. Opposition to trigonometrical survey has almost entirely ceased, and the surveyors are now able to erect Trigonometrical Stations on Native land without risk of their being destroyed. In February last a large meeting was held in the Tuhua District, having reference to sale of land to Government. Eewi Maniapoto and other influential Waikato chiefs were present. Topini te Matnaku and his tribe had been offering land for sale. The Waikatos made an attempt to prevent their doing so, but entirely without effect. The Whanganuis claimed the privilege of dealing as they thought best with their own property, and, as a matter of fact, they came to Whanganui to attend the Native Land Court, and completed the sale of a large block of land to Government as soon as they had obtained the memorial of ownership. It is also satisfactory to state that the Natives seem every year to be less inclined to act on the spur of the moment and take the law into their own hands. In two cases of dispute, relative to amount of compensation for land for railway purposes, one at Wangaehu and the other at Rangitikei, the dispute in question in the first case was settled by arbitration ; in the second case, the Natives, after many meetings, accepted the terms offered by Government. There is an increasing desire on the part of the Natives throughout the district to have their children educated. The great difficulty in the way of establishing schools amongst them has been owing to their villages being very scattered, and there not being a sufficient number of children at any one place to warrant Government going to the expense of supporting a school. This difficulty is felt more particularly at Waitotara, Kai-iwi, Aramoho, Putiki, Turakina, and Parewanui. At or near each of the above places, excepting Kai-iwi, there is a Government school for the education of European children ; and by direction of the Secretary for Native Schools, I have made an attempt during the year to have Native pupils admitted to these schools, promising on the part of the Government that each pupil should be paid for at the rate of £4 a year. The local School Board at Kaitoke, near Whanganui, refused to admit Native pupils ; and I have refrained from sending pupils to the other schools until some definite arrangement can be come to between the Government and the Education Board relative to the admission of Native pupils to Common Schools. In the meantime, the parents of the children in the several places above mentioned are much disappointed at the, to them, unaccountable delay in these matters.