Ga—l.

6

Wi Keiha's grievance arose from the fact that the Committee of Inquiry had rejected his claim to Puohoterangi, whereupon AVi asserted, with more or less truth, that they had been bribed with rum by the opposite party. During the last four months, I find a growing inclination to sell and lease lands in the Ngatiporoti district, even among the people north of Waiapu, who have been most obstructive in this matter. Several blocks arc now under offer for lease at the Kawakawa and Te Kautuku. At Poverty Bay nearly all available land has either been dealt with, or is under negotiation with the Government, but I regret to say, in most cases, the titles under which Europeans hold are radically bad, and do not appear to be likely to improve, as the Maoris are too suspicious to allow fair settlement, and 1 believe will be satisfied with but little short of repudiation. For the last six months, committees elected by the Ngatiporou and Turanga Tribes have assumed judicial powers in their districts, and have fined offenders severely, particularly in the very numerous cases of crim. con. In the majority of cases these fines have been paid and absorbed by the committees, but a few bolder spirits refused, whereupon the judges have applied to me to enforce their judgments. lof course had to refuse, and point out that to the best of my belief they had no jurisdiction from a legal point of view. One man only has differed from me, and he assures me that by the Treaty of Kohitnarania they have power to try cases of adultery, and inflict any fine not exceeding £18. As a rule, I find these committees amenable to reason and easily managed, but such is not the case in the district north of AVaiapu River, extending to the Kautuku : here the local chairman, Anaru Kahaki, an assessor, has warned me not to allow European policemen to serve summonses, and informs me that they are capable of managing their own affairs. As I have fined no less than four different Natives for sly grog-selling in their district, and find that fourfifths of my other cases arise in the same small place, I can only conceive that Te Kahaki and his colleagues arc not capable of managing their own affairs. Notwithstanding these small eccentricities, I have much pleasure iv reporting that the tribes in the AA raiapu and AA rairoa Districts are not wanting in respect to the law, and that I have as yet found no difficulty in enforcing any judgment, whether fine or imprisonment, inflicted by mc in my judicial capacity. At the same time, I would respectfully submit that there is an clement of danger and discontent in these committees, unless their powers arc restrained and defined by Statute. As an instance, I would state that a Maori told me that they would rather have their committee, because the fines iv that case were kept in the district, aud did not go to the Government. I cannot report favourably on the sobriety of the Ngatiporou Tribe. The habit of hard drinking acquired during the period in which they were receiving large sums of money from the Government for service in the field is not easily shaken off; but there is this improvement to report: that, although there is probably much sly grog-selling, yet at the same time to nothing like the extent that existed some twelve months since, when rum of the very worst quality might have been obtained from every whare between Tokomaru and Hicks Bay. Such being the case, it will not be thought strange that I cannot at once persuade Ngatiporou to adopt the Native Licensing Act of 1878. The extent to which drinking has been indulged in may be judged from the fact that a chief of AVhareponga told me that his hapu had received about £12,000 for land sold, and that nearly all of it had gone in spirits. Te Aitanga-a-ilauiti have been more easy to deal with, and they have already petitioned the Government to proclaim the district lying between Tologa Bay River and the northern end of Tokomaru Bay a district under "The Native Licensing Act 1878." The Wairoa and Poverty Bay tribes compare favourably with their northern neighbours in the matter of sobriety, but to what extent the scarcity of money may affect them I find it difficult to say. Te Kooti's karakia is still used by the Upper Wairoa, Waiau, and Poverty Bay tribes; it would appear to be an amended form of Hauhaiiism, and evidently has a strong hold on its votaries. During the month of January Te Kooti sent warning to the tribe at Waikaremoana that a great misfortune was about to befall them, and that the only method of avoiding their otherwise hopeless fate was by leaving their kaingas and all pakeha camps, and going out into the wilderness for the time being until the danger had passed. These directions were followed implicitly by the people, who showed considerable uneasiness if visited by a European. AATiile on the subject I beg to report that the old Government party among the Maoris at AVairoa and Turanga have been greatly excited lately by a report that Te Waru would be permitted to leave Opotiki and visit this district. Should such a request be preferred to the Government I should most strongly urge that it be refused, for Te Waru would undoubtedly be shot in such case. I regret that in matters industrial I cannot report favourably of the Maoris in my district: they have, in fact, ascertained the minimum of cultivation necessary for a bare existence, and practise it. Among the Ngatiporou the potato crop has been an absolute failure, and their corn but little better; they have, therefore, only the kumara crop to depend upon, and this cannot last throughout the winter. Some of the old Maoris arc inclined to attribute the summer drought, and consequent failure of crops, to their having readopted the Christian religion only a few months previously. None of them will acknowledge that their utter laziness is the true solution of their troubles. At the same time they are very anxious as to how they shall live