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but only 11,000 acres was awarded to vs —that is all we got from the award of the Court. We did not expect that award was final. I persisted in demanding the extra 700 acres. I refused to accept the order of the Court, and handed it back, because it did not contain 11,700 acres. Some weeks afterwards Pitihira te Kuru went and asked for the document, and got it. I still demand that the 700 acres may be given back to me and my tribe. We have since been informed that it was sold at Wairarapa by the Government. We were very grieved indeed that a portion of this block should have been taken to Wairarapa and sold without our knowledge. That trouble has never been removed up to the present time. 155. Colonel Trimble.] Do you know that the award of the Court was only 5,500 and not 11,000 acres, as stated by you? —I do not. I repeat that the Court at Foxton awarded us 11,000 acres. 156. Was that after the Act of Parliament ?—I do not know whether it was or not. 157. Do you know that Parliament gave 11,000 acres, and the Court was to give the boundary only ?—I understand that now. 158. Mr. Pratt.] You have stated that you and your tribe did not agree to that offer of Dr. Buller's about foregoing the rents? —We did not agree. 159. Why did you not agree to the proposal of Dr. Buller on your behalf ?—We did not agree because we had no wish to lose the money which we considered we had a right to. 159 a. Did you not consent to Dr. Buller acting for you ?—Yes, I did. 160. Mr. Pere.] Did you and your hapus own the whole of that land ? —Yes. 161. Was it not owing to the interference of Dr. Featherston that you lost these 700 acres ?—Yes. 162. Did the Government pay you any part of the money arising out of the sale of the 700 acres ? —None whatever. The Government got it all. 163. Did not some of your tribe consent to allow Dr. Featherston taking the land?— No. 164. Perhaps some of your people gave the land to Dr. Featherston without your consent? —I am positive the people did not consent that Dr. Featherston should take the 700 acres. 165. Can you give any reason why the Government took the land ?—I cannot explain. They had no right to it. 166. Have you ever applied to the Government to give you this 700 acres?— Yes, and we have applied to the Court to award us the 700 acres. The land did not belong to the Government, and they confiscated it. 167. Had the Government any pretext for taking the land?—l never heard of a similar case. 168. Colonel Trimble.] Did Captain Eobinson's land go right down to the sea ?—No. 169. How far did it go ? —His lease extended to the sea, but not our lease. 170. Mr. Hakuene.] Do you not think the Government had some other reason for taking the whole of this Himatangi Block ?—I do not know what reason they had. 171. Did not the Court make or issue a notice that you had to make surveys of the land after six months after the judgment of award was made?—l cannot speak positively. Parakaia was conductor of matters at that time. 172. Why were not the surveys carried out? —I suppose Parakaia had his reasons for not doing so. 173. Mr. Te Ao.] When the land was awarded by Parliament, was it understood that you should get money also? —We heard from Dr. Featherston that we should be paid 10 per cent, on the back rents. 174. Colonel Trimble.] Did not your lease to Captain Eobinson extend to the sea?— The land we leased to Eobinson was the Himatangi Block, as shown on the plan. Ngtiparewahawaha leased the land to the seaward and drew rents for it. Theirs was a separate lease from ours.

Wednesday, sth August, 1885. Hon. Mr. J. C. Bichmond examined. 175. The Chairman.] Will you be good enough to tell the Committee what you know of this case ? —All that I know directly dates from the time when I was in charge of the Native Office in 1868. That was, I think, about the date of the completion of the purchase of the ManawatuEangitikei Block. At that time Parakaia was the leading chief of the Ngatiraukawa section opposed to-the sale, and the head of the hapus who are now, I believe, the owners of the Himatangi Block. I had several interviews with him, and he quietly but steadily opposed the completion of the purchase. It was also a question as to his share of the rents. The rents had been impounded by Dr. Featherston. Parakaia and his people claimed a portion of these rents. I know that he refused to attend a meeting at which the settlement was to take place; he repudiated the sale altogether on behalf of himself and a section of the tribe. I considered at the time, and no doubt stated to him, that, although the Government would not interfere generally to stop the sale, they were bound to protect him and his people. Ido not know that I can give you any more definite information. I have not seen any of the papers. Since that date, or some short time later—in 1869 —I ceased to be "Minister of Native Affairs. I have never looked at the papers since, except so far as regards this petition last year. Parakaia, I should state, was throughout very consistent in his resistance. He was, however, a quiet and orderly Native, and put no other difficulty in the way. He was always recognized as the spokesman of his party. There were a good many Natives who came with him, but he was always recognized as their spokesman. 176. Mrn.-Bryce.j- Do you know who distributed the rent ?—I have no doubt it is in the records of the Native Office. I belief that Dr. Buller was an agent in doing it. Both Dr. Featherston and Dr. Buller were at the meeting. I remember the newspaper reports of the meeting, and I remember, too, a statement was made that none of Parakaia's party would come to the distribution of rents.