1.—2

28

and a private meeting of all parties concerned was held, at which the Chief Judge attended by request. The question resolved itself into this: should the grant of land (6,000 acres) be cut off in open Court after adjudication, or should the petitioners withdraw their appeal, allow the land to go to their opponents, and receive a conveyance for their share. One lawyer maintained that his clients could only be safe by having their names inserted by the Court, and then have the land awarded to them on subdivision; the other contended that this would advertise his rival as the winner of the great Whakamaru case. This rivalry of these legal gentlemen seems to have prevented an amicable settlement. These facts could not be considered by the Court, for it had been agreed that the negotiations, if they failed, should be without prejudice. Both Judges state that there would have been considerable risk had the petitioners withdrawn their claims from the cognizance of the Court. The Judges state distinctly that their final decision, which was adverse to the petitioners' claims, was given upon the merits, and was arrived at unanimously, the Native Assessor agreeing in the judgment. The Committee is at a loss to understand why 6,000 acres out of a block of 17,000 to 20,000 should have been offered to the petitioners if they had no claim. The land promised is said to have been the best in the block, and it seems remarkably queer that such an amount should be offered merely to facilitate the passing of the remainder to Europeans. It had been arranged that 2,000 acres should be conveyed, with restrictions, so that the petitioners could have dealt with only 4,000 by way of sale. The claimants and counter-claimants, though belonging to three different hapus, are related, all being of the Ngatiraukawa, all claiming by conquest and. continuous occupation. The common rights from conquest were admitted, but continuous occupation was disputed. It would be impossible for the Committee to review the case in minute particulars, but there seems to be a case made out that the petitioners have been hardly treated. The Committee assumes that the Court pronounced according to the evidence openly adduced, but, with the evidence regarding the private conference before it, the Committee considers that the arrangement should be carried out by which the petitioners should receive a substantial interest in the land. The Committee recommends the Government to- apply to Parliament to give power to grant a rehearing in this case. 3rd September, 1883.

[Teanslation.] No. 72.—Pukapuka-inoi a Apebahama te Kume me etahi atu c 8. E whai kupu ana nga kai-pitihana no te mea ko to ratou whenua c karangatia ana ko Maungaiti he wahi no te Whakamaru poraka i whakataua nei ki etahi atu i muri iho i nga whakawakanga c rua c te Kooti Whenua Maori. I whakawa ano a Kapene Haimona i runga i tenei keehi ite tau 1880 aka .whakaaetia kia whakawakia tuaruatia, ai tv taua wha'kawa i Kemureti i tenei tau. Eki ana ratou i whakaae te Patetere Kamupani Whenua kia hoatu kia 6,000 c kao te whenua c whakahuatia nei kite mea ka whakamutua c ratou te whakahaere o tenei keehi. B mea ana hoki ratou kahore te kooti i whakaae kia unuhia tenei keehi, ko tona mutunga whakataua ke tia ana. E tono ana ratou kia whakawakia tuaratia. Kua whakahaua ahau kia ki penei:—■ He keehi whakawakanga tuarua tenei, ko te whenua c whakahuatia nei wahi iti ka tae kite 17,000 kite 20,000 eka ranei. I runga i nga korero i korerotia ka kitea ko nga paiiga o nga Maori ki taua whenua i whakataua nei etc Kooti i mua kua tata te pau ite hoko ate pakeha. I runga i te whakaaro kia terete pahitanga o tanei whenua i roto i te kooti Ida ahei ai te hokori o te tapae ka mea nga Maori nana nei i hoko ka tukuna atu ano etahi tikanga no te meatanga kia whakahokia atu nga whenua o te kai pitihana i tae nei kite 6,000 eka me etahi moni ka whakaae te kai pitihana, heai ka tv he runanga o nga tangata katoa c whai take ana i tae rhai ano hoki te Tumuaki i runga i te tono a taua hunga. Heoi ka tail te patai ki tenei me tapahi ranei te 6,000 eka i roto ite kooti i muri iho i te whakawakanga, me umi ranei te kai pitihana i tana tono a ka tuku i te whenua ki ana hoariri me te tango i tetahi pukapuka tapae mo tana hea. Ko tahi te roia i mea he oi te mea c ora ai ana tangata ma te tuhi tonu i o ratou ingoa c te kooti, i muri iho ka whakatare i te whenua kia ratou i runga i te tikanga wehewhe, ka moa hoki tetahi roia i rite tenei kite panui kua riro te keehi nui ote Whakamaru i tana hoariri. I runga tte tohe a enei rangatira roia kia mana aia take kihai i taea te whakarite i tenei mea. Ekore c ahei enei korero pono'te whakaara c te kooti ta te mea kua oti te whakaae kite he enei whakaritenga kaua c waiho hei take whakahe tetahi i tetahi. I mea ano nga Tiati c rua kua puta tetahi raruraru nui mehemea i imu nga kai pitihana i a ratou kerernu ite aroaro ote kooti. E tino marama ana te ki a nga Tiati ko ta ratou whakataunga whakaotinga i rere ke nei kite keremu a nga kai pitihana, i tukua i runga i nga take a i whakae tahi raua me te Ateha Maori hoki kite whakataunga. Kahore c marama te Komiti he aha i tangohia ai te 6,000 eka i roto i te 17,000 eka tae atu kite 20,000 eka, ka mea kia hoatu kite kai pitihana ite mea kahore ana kereme. Eki ana ko te wahi i nieatia kia hoatu ma te kai pitihana ko te wahi pai rawa o taua poraka, a c rere ke ana kite titiro a te Komiti he aha ranei i hoatu ai c ra eka kia tere ai te rironga ote toenga ki nga pakeha. I meatia kia rua inano eka me tuku atu ki nga kai pitihana i runga i te here, na noho ana c wha mano eka anake hei hoko ma nga kai pitihana. Ko nga kai tono me nga kai tawari ahakoa c wehewehe ana o ratou hapu c toru c kotahi tonu ana to ratou iwi ko Ngatiraukawa, a c tohe tahi ana ratou ki taua whenua i runga i te take rau patu me te ahi ka, i whakaaetia te uru o nga kai pitihana kite rau patu engari i tautohe tia to ratou ahi ka. E kore rawa c taea etc Komiti te whiriwiri nga take katoa o tenei keehi, engari, c whakaarohia ana i tau ano etahi ki runga ki nga kai pitihana. E mea ana te Komiti i haere ano te whakatau a te Kooti i rungdT'i nga korero i takoto mai ki tona aroaro, engari, ko nga korero me te whakaritenga i w.aho c whakaaro ana te Komiti me wha'kamana ano taua whakaritenga kia riro ai ki nga kai pitihana tetahi panga tuturu i roto i tera whenua. E whakahau ana te Komiti kia tono te Kawanatanga kite Paremete kia tukua he mana ki a ia hei whakatu whakawa tuaruatano-a mo tenei keehi. 3 Hepetema, 1883.