11

G.—s,

No. 5. The General Government Agent, Napier, to the Hon. the Native Minister. Sir, — General Government Agent's Office, Napier, 9th December, 1875. I have the honor to enclose Mr. J. P. Hamlin's report of the purchase of the Waiau, Tukurangi, Taramarama, and Euakituri Blocks, in the Wairoa District, comprising in all about 150,000 acres, the cost amounting to £12,610. In this is included a sum of £1,500, which is to be paid in extinguishment of the claims of the loyal Natives, who had au interest in the blocks given them by the Government in consideration of services during the war. Ample'reserves have also been set apart for the Natives. The purchase is in many respects an important one. It settled a long-standing feud between the Ngatikahungunu and Urewera tribes, who disputed the ownership of these lands. Both parties have now disposed of their interests to the Crown. This is, I believe, the first instance of any sale of land by the Urewera. Mr. J. P. Hamlin deserves great credit for his conduct of the negotiations for this purchase, in which he was largely assisted by Mr. Locke, who, in view of the important political reasons for getting the differences between the tribes satisfactorily settled, did all in his power to promote a settlement. I shall be obliged if you will cause £1,500 to be sent here, to pay the loyal Natives for their interest in the block, as Mr. Hamlin is desirous of at once concluding the whole matter, and will proceed to the Wairoa for the purpose. A sum of £465 Is. 4d. is also required to complete the purchase money paid to the Natives, for which a temporary arrangement has had to be made. I have, &c, J. D. Ormond, The Hon. the Native Minister, Napier. General Government Agent.

Enclosure in No. 5. Mr. J. P. Hamlin to the General Government Agent, Napier. Sir, —i Napier, 4th December, 1875. I have the honor to report, for your information, that I have completed the purchase of the "Waiau, Tukurangi, Taramarama, and Euakituri Blocks, containing 157,000 acres, for the sum of .612,610 ; the deeds for which, fully signed and attested, I forward herewith, the land having passed the Native Lands Court at Wairoa in accordance with Native Land Acts, 1873, and 1874. The deeds, however, only show the purchase money as amounting to £9,700: this is explained, as follows: — I also forward deed signed by Urewera and Ngatikuapani tribes, acknowledging receipt of £1,250, paid to them in relinquishment of their claims over the above-named blocks of land. A sum of £100 was paid over and above the specified consideration named in the deeds of sale to Ngatikahungunu, and also a sum of £60 to the Urewera and Ngatiruapani; these moneys were paid to some of the leading chiefs for services performed in assisting me in the negotiations. A further sum of £1,500 is to be paid to the loyal Natives of Wairoa, Mohaka, Nuhaka, and Mahia districts, as compensation for their claims on these lands acquired, in accordance with agreement at Hatipi, 1867. The following reserves were set apart for the Natives in each of the blocks:—Tukurangi, 3,800 acres ; Taramarama, 1,700 acres ; Euakituri, 2,900 acres : amounting in all to 8,400 acres for the Ngatikahungunu, and a further reserve of 2,500 acres promised to Urewera and Ngatiruapani tribes, making a total of 10,900 acres of reserves. The sites for the several reserves for the Ngatikahungunu have been fixed, and a surveyor is now engaged in marking them off. It is my intention, on my next visit to Wairoa, during the present month, to meet the Urewera and Ngatiruapani on the land, and fix the sites for their reserves, and leave direction with the surveyor for defining them. The total quantity acquired by the Government by this purchase, excluding reserves, amounts to 146,080 acres, at a cost of a fraction under Is. Bfd. per acre. I have, &c, J. P. Hamlin, J. D. Ormond, Esq., General Government Agent, Napier. Land Purchase Officer.

No. 6. The Hon. the Native Minister to the General Government Agent, Napier. Sic, — Napier, 13th December, 1875. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your Honor's letter, of the 9th instant, enclosing Mr. J. P. Hamlin's report of the purchase of the Waiau, Tukurangi, Taramarama, and Euakituri Blocks in the Wairoa District, comprising, in all, about 150,000 acres, out of which ample reserves have been set apart for the Natives. I concur in the opinion expressed by your Honor, of the importance of this purchase, as settling a long-standing feud between the Ngatikahungunu and Urewera tribes, who hitherto disputed the ownership of these lands, both parties having now disposed of their interests to the Crown. The purchase is also of great importance, being the first instance in which the Urewera have joined in the sale of land, and may be accepted as an evidence of a desire, on the part of that tribe, hitherto bitterly opposed to Europeans, to maintain friendly relations. The fact of their having participated in the purchase money is the best proof they can afford of an intention to live on peaceable terms with the colonists.