1.—2.
12
Kua whakahaua ahau kia ki penei:— Na i runga i te pitihana a Arihi te Nahu kihai he korero i whakatakotoria kite aroaro o te Komiti hei tautoko i nga kupu o roto—a tetahi kei te aroaro ano o tetahi Kooti whakawa taua korero a c tino mana ana taua Kooti kite whakahaere, no reira kaore he kupu tohutohu a te Komiti kite whare. 13 Noema, 1879.
No. 187, Session IL, 1879.—Petition of Tangatake Hapuku and Others. Petitioners state that Renata Kawepo and Paora Ropiha are their guardians, under the will of their late father, Te Hapuku. That they are sorely oppressed and distressed through the improper way their interests are attended to. They pray that the control of the will may be left with the petitioners and that they may have the management of their own affairs. I am directed to report as follows:— That tho case is one that can be dealt with by a Court of law, and therefore the Committee cannot recommend the House to take any special action. 13th November, 1879.
Translation. No. 187, Session IL, 1879.—Pukapuka-inoi a Tangatake Hapuku me etahi atu. E ki ana nga kai-pitihana ko Renata Kawepo raua ko Paora Ropiha o ratou kai-tiaki i raro i te wira o to ratou matua oTe Hapuku. Kanui to ratou pouri me to ratou taumaha i runga ite whakahaere he ote tiaki i a ratou taonga. E inoi ana ratou kia waiho tonu ki nga kai-pitihana te tikanga whakahaere mo a ratou mea. Kua whakahaua ahau kia ki penei:— E taea ana c te Kooti whakawa te main tenei mea heoi kaore he kupu tohutohu a te Komiti kite whare kia pewhea ranei tetahi tikanga. 13 Noema, 1879.
No. 292, 1878.—Petition of Rev. G. P. Mutu and Others. The petitioners, members of the Ngaitahu tribe, residing at Kaiapoi, pray that means may bo provided for investigating their claims as against those of the Ngatitoa tribe, or any other Natives not being the original owners of the soil. They object to the fulfilment of any promise which recognizes a claim on the part of the Ngatitoa tribe by right of conquest, alleging that they* were a peaceable people, unwilling to fight or murder, and the Ngatitoa people were the aggressors. I am directed to report as follows : — That the Committee cannot advise any action in the direction indicated by the petitioners, as the rights of the Ngatitoa tribe to the lands in question have been recognized for over a quarter of a century. In regard to this class of petitions, the Committee would call the attention of the House to the following report made on the 25th September, 1878: "That the Committee are of opinion that, if the complex questions of Native title raised by the petition are to be inquired into exhaustively, it must be done by a different tribunal from a Select Parliamentary Committee, whose time is manifestly far too limited for such a purpose. The Committee are not prepared to express an opinion as to whether such an inquiry should be held or not, but recommend that it should receive the attention of the Government." 13th November, 1879.
Teanslation. No. .292, 1878.—Pukapuka-inoi a G. P. Mutu me etahi atu. Ko nga kai-pitihana no te iwi o Ngaitahu c noho ana ki Kaiapoi, c inoi ana ratou kia whakaritea he whakawakanga mo o ratou take me o Ngatitoa, o etahi atu Maori ranei c hara nei i a ratou te take tuturu ake kite whenua. E whakahe ana ratou kei whakaotia nga whakaaetanga mo nga take o Ngatitoa i runga i te raupatu ; no te mea ko ratou ko Ngaitahu he iwi noho pai, kaore i pirangi kite riri, kite patu tangata ko Ngatitoa ke te iwi nana i timata te kino. Kua whakahaua ahau kia ki penei:— E kore c ahei te Komiti kite tohutohu i tetahi huarahi penei me tenei c tonoa nei c nga kaipitihana. No te mea kua whakaaetia noatia atu te paanga o Ngatitoa ki aua whenua i mua atu o nga tau c rua te kau ma rima. Na mo runga i tenei tv ahua pitihana c mea ana te Komiti kia whakamaharatia ake te Whare kite kupu whiriwhiri ote 25 o Hepetema, 1878. Koia tenei: "Ko te whakaaro ote Komiti mehemea ka tino tirotirohia nga putake raruraru o nga take Maori kua whakahuatia c te pitihana c hara i te mea ma te Komiti whiriwhiri ote Paremete c main, kahore hoki he taima hei main i nga mea pera. E kore te Komiti c ahei te whakapuaki kupu me pehea ranei, me pehea ranei engari c Id ana ma te Kawanatanga c whakaaro." 13 Noema, 1879.
No. 306, 1878.—Petition of Paoea Haenga and Others. Petitionee states that when the purchase-money (£88) was paid by the Government for a piece of land called Awanui, of which he was the principal owner, he objected to the way in which it was proposed to divide the money, and in consequence has received none of it from that day to this. He prays, therefore, that the piece of land may be returned to him,