C.—6.

8

concerned ; and here, in no little degree, lies, as I am informed, the grievance which it is desired to bring under your Honor's notice ; for the Native Mare has been paid the whole of the purchase money, and the other Natives, Haurangi and Heta te Haara, have received nothing, except to the extent and in the manner as I shall now describe. They spoke, on the occasion of the completion of the purchase, both to the Native Mare aud the Native Lands Purchase Agent who was paying the money, reminding them of the agreement arrived at in the Court and sanctioned by the Judge ; but Heta and Haurangi were in turn reminded that the time for a re-hearing had passed, and that Mare, being the sole grantee, no other person could be recognized; nor were Heta and Haurangi deemed entitled to their agreed portion of the purchase money, notwithstanding that the arrangement was public, before a legal tribunal, and then and there confirmed, by being marked upon the judicial map in the presence of the parties, by the Interpreter of the Court. Under this representation of the position of the matter, Haurangi was, in the absence of Heta te Haara, induced by the Government Agent (" out of feelings of friendship," as it was stated, and also out of consideration for the loss they had sustained by Mare's repudiation) to sign a Government voucher for the sum of one hundred pounds (£100), of which he (Haurangi) received ten pounds (£10), the remainder being reserved, as it was alleged, for payment to Heta, who has accordingly been offered the balance of ninety pounds (£9O), but which he has indignantly refused, maintaining, with Haurangi, that they, together, are justly entitled to their proportion of the total purchase money, which proportion, calculated at the selling rate per acre for the block, would amount to about six hundred and fifty pounds (£650). Acting upon instructions from these so far prejudiced Natives, I, with them, and in company with the Native chief Paora Tuhaere, waited upon Colonel Haultain, the Trust Commissioner under the Native Lands Frauds Prevention Acts, with the view to his making most searching inquiries into the equitable disposition, amongst the proper parties, of the purchase money, before testifying to the satisfactory alienation of the block, by the indorsement of the certificate to that effect. The conveyance has not yet reached his office, and the Trust Commissioner has, at my request, kindly taken a few concise notes of the circumstances herein detailed. The Natives on whose behalf, as solicitor, 1 now write, respectfully request that your Honor will endeavour to secure the money to which they are entitled, by such representation to the Government, or otherwise, as your Honor, under the circumstances, may deem effectual. I have, &c, Joseph Are-irsTirs Tole, His Honor the Superintendent, Auckland. . Solicitor. 30th March, 1876.—H0n. Native Ministee — C. C. B. 3rd April 1876. —Becommended that this be forwarded to Mr. Preece for his report. H. T. Claeke. 3rd April, 1876. —Approved. —D. McLean. 6th April, 1876.—Me. Claeke,— Will you act upon this ? I believe Mr. Preece is an officer of your department. G. S. Coopee. 20th April, 1876.-—Attached hereto is a memorandum by me on the subject.—J. W. Peeece.

K _^ MHH _ H m________________________________________ Ba _ No. 8. Mr. Peeece to the Undeb Seceetaet, Native Office, (Land Purchase Branch.) Sib,— Auckland, 20th April, 1876. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of a letter addressed by his Honor the Superintendent of Auckland to the Hon. the Colonial Secretary, covering the copy of a letter from Mr. J. A. Tole to himself, referred to me by you for my report thereon ; and have the honor to return the same enclosed with a memorandum attached containing my remarks thereon. The Under Secretary, Native Office, I have, &c, (Land Purchase Branch,) Wellington. J. W. Peeece. Enclosure 1 in No. 8. Memoeandtjm re Mr. Pole's Complaint concerning the Opouteke Purchase and the Claim of Te Haurangi and Heta Te Haara thereto. The circumstances connected with the above matter were duly reported by me in my letter to the Under Secretary, Native Office, dated 12th February, 1876,* under the heading of " Mangakahia Lands." I will, however, add the following remarks in reply to the statments contained in Mr. Tole's letter:— Mr. Tole states that there were " three claimants who appeared before the Court, named respectively Heta te Haara, Haurangi, and Mare." Such was not the case. Heta te Haara was present in the Court the whole time the case was being proceeded with, and never in any way made the * Vide No. 9.