J.— la

1883. NEW ZEALAND.

PETITION OF MANUHIRI AND 488 OTHERS OF THE MANIAPOTO AND WAIKATO TRIBES (AND CORRESPONDENCE RELATIVE THERETO).

Presented to the House of Representatives, 21st August, 1883, and ordered to be Printed. No. 1. PETITION. [Translation.] To the Honourable the Speaker and Honourable Members of the Parliament of the Colony of New Zealand, in Session assembled. This petition of ours we herewith address to you as our protest against Wahanui's petition, that is, against the paragraphs in it marked 3 and 4, which deals -with the ancestral lands of Potatau and Tawhiao. We know that, on the following grounds, Tawhiao's title to his land is unquestionable :— 1. Ancestral right. 2. Bight by conquest. 3. It was land placed under the authority of Potatau, who was succeeded by Tawhiao. Our hapus and our names are written hereunder. From Ngatimaniapoto. From Waikato. From Manuhiri, Tukorehu, Ngatapa, Paku, Te Ngakau, Tana te Waharoa, Tati Wharekawa, Hatara, Nuimoa te Paewaka, and 480 others.

Kite Tumuaki o te Paramete o te Koroni o Niu Tireni me nga Mema c Noho Huihui ana i te Whare. He pitihana tenei na matou ka tukua atu nei kia koe he whakahe na matou mo te pitihana a Wahanui c mau nei ite3i te 4 o nga rarangi o taua pitihana. Mo nga whenua o nga Tupuna o Potatau a tae mai ana kia Tawhiao. He tino mohio no matou kite tika o Tawhiao ki runga i tona whenua. Koia tenei nga Take :— 1. Ko nga tipuna. 2. Ko te raupatu. 3. Ko te whenua tuku ki raro kia Potatau tae mai kia Tawhiao. Koia ka tuhia iho nei o matou hapu me o matou ingoa ki raro iho nei. Na Ngatimaniapoto. Na Waikato. Na Manuhiri, Tukorehu, Ngatapa, Paku, Te Ngakau, Tana te Waharoa, Tati Wharekawa, Hatara, Nuimoa te Paewaka, me ona hoa c 480.

No. 2. Letter from Honana Maioha to Major te Wheoro, M.H.E. [Translation.] •To Te Wheoro,— ; . Whatiwhatihoe, 24th July, 1883. Friend, salutations. I am instructed by Tawhiao to inform you that he thoroughly disapproves of the petition of Wahanui, Manga, Taonui, and 412 others. This is the first letter to impress on you to be strong in condemning that petition. The next will be the principal one from Tawhiao, in which will be collected all the names of the tribes and chiefs, numbering about 4,000