7

I.—3c

52. Will you refer to something that you read yesterday to Mr. Ormond about that £400 ?— You mean from the letter of the 4th July. I will read the portion :— Extract from letter of the 4th July, 1870, addressed to the Hon. the Native Minister by Mr. Ormond.—There are two points in connection with this question which have yet to be settled : the one is a claim by Tareha for a small money-payment which he advances for abandoning such interest as he and the other loyal Natives may have in the blocks retained by the Government. I am not of opinion that this claim is a reasonable one, but he has insisted upon its being considered, and to obtain a settlement of the question I agreed to refer the matter for your decision at Wellington. Mr. Ormond: I would like to add something to my evidence, given yesterday, if the Committee will allow me : I understand Toha and these others to say that their object is to get their names inserted on the ground that they had been omitted. I further understand their object is to upset these deeds altogether, and to assert that these lands are only held in trust for the people. I give the Committee my recollection of the action of the Government at that time. In the case of Tareha they were specially desirous, as was stated to me over and over again by the then Native Minister, that, in the settlement of the Waikari Blocks, provision should be made for the Chief Tareha; ior his services the Government deemed him entitled to that consideration ; and there was also the ground that he had not for himself and his people, without such award being made, sufficient land for their maintenance. That was distinctly one of the objects in the settlement of the Waikari-Mohaka Block. I further say that the awards made were for the benefit of the people named in the memorandum of agreement, and the orders for the Crown grants have been made by the Native Land Court; any interference with these objects would be virtually upsetting the whole transaction. T wish this to appear on record in the report of my evidence given in this case. Mr. Parata (to Mr. Lewis).] Were the shares given ? —The shares in the respective blocks are not defined. In Tareha's case, there a block was given in his name only. Mr. Carroll : Has Mr. Ormond looked over the papers, or is his statement an expression of his opinion ? Mr. Ormond : It is no opinion, it is knowledge; my acquaintance with the facts of the case at the time. Mr. Carroll: You are acquainted with the Equitable Owners Act ? Mr. Ormond : Yes. Mr. Carroll: That is to the reinvestigation of land that has been awarded since 1865; here the land is to be " inalienable, and to be held in trust as hereinafter provided for the benefit of the loyal Natives." [ Approximate Cost of Paper.— Preparation, nil; printing (1,275 copies), £i 115..]

Authority : Gboegf, Didsbuby, Government Printer, Wellington.—lBBB.