3

J.—l.

20. Ko tenei Hui c meaana kaua te Paremete c arai i te mahi a te Iwi Maori mo o ratou whenua i riro he nei, engari me tuku aua mea ma nga Kooti o te Koroni c mahi. Ko enei whakaaro katoa o te Iwi Maori c tukua ana kia whakaarohia c te Paremete o te Koroni. A c inoitia ana kia tino whakaarohia enei tono tika a ratou c te Paremete a kia tino whakanekehia atu enei kino me enei mate. A ko a koutou kai Pitihana ka inoi tonu : Renata Kawepo me ona hoa c 790. Pieipi Ropata me ona hoa c 200. _________________ <)

[Translation.] To the House of Representatives at Wellington. The Petition op the Chiefs and People or the Majority of the Tribes of this Island whose Names are hereunder set foeth. Humbly showetf, — That at the meeting of the chiefs and people of understanding at Pakowhai, in the month of May, of the year last past, these resolutions were come to : — 1. That every publicity should be given to the faithfulness of our allegiance to the Queen, and that we should publicly declare that we will be faithful in giving effect to, in consenting to, and in carrying out Her laws at all times. 2. That it is right and good in our opinion that the tribes of New Zealand should be united, and that we should assemble to see each other and talk over our grievances ; also to select what subjects are proper to be laid before the great Parliament of the colony, with a view to their being discussed therein. 3. We say that it is right that a meeting of chiefs of tribes should be held every year to discuss everything affecting or having authority over us ; to look into our grievances, and to consider what matters it is proper to lay before the great Parliament of the colony. It will be for this meeting to decide where the next one is to be held, during the coming year. 4. We should now select suitable persons as a committee to carry out the second and third resolutions. 5. We say that the present Maori Representation Act should be repealed —that is to say, the law which only allows a few representatives for the Maori people in proportion to the European representation. That the present electoral districts should be abolished, and the great tribal boundaries made the divisions between the new electoral districts. 6. We say that the conduct of the Native land purchases under the Act at present in force is very confusing and very bad, and that purchases under these regulations should be stopped. Land should not be sold while the original title exists. If the tribe, the hapu, and the chiefs consent to survey and to have the title to the land investigated by the Court, then only will it be right that such survey and investigation should lake place. If all consent to sell land, then only will it be right to sell. When the consent to sell has not been obtained, let no money be paid to the persons owning the land ; and a stop should also be put to the unauthorized going of Government officers to urge the Natives to sell their lands, or to have them passed through the Court. Let the question of the survey of, and investigation of title to, their lands vest with the owners thereof. 7. We desire that the law which is now in force, and which authorizes the Government to prevent Native lands from being sold to private individuals, should be done away with. 8. We desire that all the laws at present in operation under which the Native Land Court is working should be repealed, and that the Parliament of the colony should pass a clear Act, and one under which Native land matters could be fairly dealt with. It should be provided in that Act that the Judges of the Native Land Court should hold the same status as Judges of other permanent Courts, and that the Government should have no authority over such Native Land Court Judges. 9. We say that the Government formed in the year 1869 is a bad Government; it does nothing right; it has no good thought towards the Maoris. Let the Parliament upset that Government. 10. Wo should address a respectful petition to our Queen praying her to send hither a trustful and upright man to inquire into our grievances, to write them down, and to write down our statements, in order that our Queen may see them. After that meeting had concluded the above resolutions were embodied in a petition and submitted to Parliament. Some of the points raised therein do not appear to have been finally settled by Parliament. In the month of March of this present year the chiefs and people of knowledge among the tribes assembled at Omahu to discuss the action taken by Parliament on last year's petition, and to give consideration to matters affecting the Native race. And these were the resolutions come to afterwards at the meeting at Omahu : — 1. The first business of this meeting is a renewal of the expressions of loyalty to the Queen and Her laws. 2. The meeting expresses its sense of pleasure that the Parliament should have so carefully considered questions affecting the Native race; but still there are many great grievances of the Maoris remaining which require attention. 3. The meeting is glad to hear that the Government have altogether given up purchasing Native land. The evils which have fallen upon the Maori people through the action of the Government Land Purchase Officers have been very great, and it is very proper that the system should be put an end to. 4. The meeting is glad to hear that the Maori members have been put upon the same footing as the European members, so far as permanency is concerned; but in reference to their application made