7

L—3

E whakaaro ana te Komiti c tika ana te kupu a nga kai-inoi i roto i te pukapuka-inoi kahore i tae atu he whakaaturanga ki a ratou o te nohoanga o te Kooti. Kahore c ahei te Komiti kite ki mehemea he take tika to nga kai-inoi ki nga whenua c whakahuatia ana i roto i ta ratou pukapuka-inoi, engari c whakaaro ana te Komiti me whakawatea he huarahi ma nga kai-inoi hei tukunga mai i o ratou take kia tirotirohia. Akuanei pea ka kitea kua hokona atu te wahi nui o te whenua c whakahuatia ana i roto i te puka-puka-inoi ki etahi atu tangata a ekore rawa c taea te whakanoho i nga kai-inoi ki runga ki nga wahi c kitea ai i whai take ai ratou. Engari ka tohutohu atu te Komiti ma te Kooti Whenua Maori ma etahi atu Tikanga Whakawa marama ranei c kimi te ahua me te nui o nga take o nga kai-inoi, a me waiho ma te Kawanatanga c whakarite te huarahi c ea ai nga take c taea c nga kai-inoi te whakatuturu. John Bryce, Akuhata 17, 1877. Tumuaki.

Eeport on Petition of Tapa te Whata and Others (No. 2). The petitioners allege that in August, 1868, they received copies of Gazettes, in which it was notified that a sitting of the Native Land Court would be held in the Waikato District on the 3rd November, and also in Eangitikei on the 4th of the same month. That, not being able to be present at both, they consulted the Government as to which they should attend, and were advised to attend the sitting to be held at Eangitikei, on the assurance that the Waikato sitting would be adjourned. But the petitioners allege that the Court was not adjourned according to the promise made by the Government, and that the application for a rehearing was made too late. The petitioners therefore pray for an opportunity of proving their claims. I am directed to report as follows:— That it is clear that the petitioners did not attend the Court held at Cambridge in consequence of a request from the Government that they should remain at the Eangitikei Court, a distinct assurance that the claims before the Cambridge Court to blocks of land in which they were concerned would be adjourned, being made by the Government at the same time. That the Committee are of opinion that the petition discloses a real grievance arising out of circumstances which do not attach any blame to petitioners. That the Committee is not in a position to say whether or not the petitioners have any real claim to the lands which were dealt with, as they allege, to their prejudice at the Court at Cambridge. That it appears that most of the land claimed by the petitioners has been alienated to Europeans by the persons in whose favour the judgment of the Cambridge Court was given, and therefore it will be impossible to reinstate them in possession. But the Committee would recommend such legislation this session as will enable the Native Land Court, or other competent tribunal, to determine whether the petitioners did own any portions of the lands referred to, and, if so, to what extent, and that it should be left to the Government to determine in what way any claims which they may be found to have had shall be satisfied. John Bryce, 17th August, 1877. Chairman.

[Translation.] Ko te Kupu a te Komiti mo runga i te Pukapuka-inoi a Tapa te Whata ma (Nama 2). E ki ana nga kai-inoi i tae ki a ratou i te marama o Akuhata, 1868, nga Kahiti i panuitia ai tetahi nohoanga o te Kooti Whenua Maori kia tv ki Waikato i te 3 o nga ra o Nowema, kia tv hoki ki Kangitikei ite 4 o nga ra o taua marama ano. I runga ita ratou korenga c ahei kite haere ki era Kooti c rua ka vi ratou kite Kawanatanga kia tohutohungia atu ki a ratou kia haere atu ranei ratou kite Kooti i Waikato, kia noho ranei kite Kooti i Eangitikei, a ka puta te kupu tohutohu ki a ratou me noho ratou kite Kooti i Eangitikei, aka nukuhia te Kooti i Waikato ki tetahi atu wa. Engari eki ana nga kai-inoi kihai i rite taua kupu a te Kawanatanga, ara kihai i nukuhia taua Kooti, a tae rawa atu te tono mo te whakawa tuarua kua pahure te wa i taea ai te whakaae. Koia i tono ai nga kai-inoi kia whakamaramatia he huarahi ma ratou c ahei ai ratou kite whakatuturu i o ratou take. Kua whakahaua ahau kia ki penei atu kite Whare: — E marama ana kahore nga kai-inoi i tae kite Kooti i Kemureti (Waikato), te take, he kupu na te Kawanatanga kia noho ratou kite Kooti o Eangitikei me te kupu hoki a te Kawanatanga i taua wa tonu ka nukuhia te whakawakanga o nga whenua i whai tikanga ai ratou. Xi te whakaaro o te Komiti c whakaaturia ana c te pukapuka-inoi tetahi mate nui i tupu ake i roto i etahi tikanga ekore nei c tika kia kiia na nga kai-inoi te he. Kahore te Komiti c ahei kite ki mehemea ranei c whai take tuturu ana nga kai-inoi ki nga whenua i whakawakia ra ki Kemureti i mate ai ratou, ki to ratou ki, i taua whakawakanga. E maharatia ana kua hokohokona kite pakeha c nga tangata, i whakataua ai nga whenua i te Kooti i Kemureti, te nuinga ote whenua c tonoa ana c nga kai-inoi; a, ekore c taea te whakanoho i a ratou ki reira. Engari c tohutohu atu ana te Komiti kia mahia he ture i tenei nohoanga ote Eunanga c ahei ai te whakatuturu c te Kooti Whenua Maori c tetahi atu Tikanga Whakawa ranei mehemea i whai take ano nga kai-inoi ki nga whenua i whakahuatia c ratou, a ma te Kawanatanga c whakarite te huarahi c ea ai nga take c taea c nga kai-inoi te whakatuturu. John Bryce, Akuhata 17, 1877. Tumuaki.

Eeport on Petition of Wiremu Hunia Waikeei. Petitioner prays for the restoration to him of 3,000 acres of land at Manukau and Waiuku, alleging that he is the real owner, that he never received payment for it, never was in arms against the Queen, and was absent from the colony at the time his claim might have been made.