I.—B

1888. NEW ZEALAND.

MIDDLE ISLAND NATIVE CLAIMS (REPORT OF JOINT COMMITTEE ON), TOGETHER WITH EPITOME OF NGAITAHU CASE, APPENDIX TO EPITOME, AND MINUTES OF EVIDENCE.

Beport brozight up 22nd August, 1888, and ordered to be printed.

ORDERS OP REFERENCE. Extracts from the Journals of the Legislative Council. Friday, the 22nd Day of June, 1888. Ordered, " That a Select Committee be appointed, to consist of nine members, to consider and report upon tho Middle Island Native claims question ; the Committee to have power to call for persons, papers, and records, and also to sit with any Committee which may be appointed by the House of Representatives for a similar purpose, and to report within one month: the Committee to consist of the Hon. Mr. Buckley, the Hon, Mr. Miller, the Hon. Mr. Pharazyn, the Hon. Dr. Pollen, the Hon. Mr. Reynolds, the Hon. Mr. Richmond, the Hon. Mr. Shephard, the Hon. Mr. Waterhouse, and the mover."—(Hon, Mr. STEVENS.)

Wednesday, the 25th Day of July, 1888. Ordered, " That the time for bringing up the report of the Select Committee upon the Middle Island Native claims be extended for fourteen days."—(Hon. Mr. Stevens.)

Extracts from the Journals of the House of Representatives. Thubsday, the 21st Day of June, 1888. Ordered, " That a Committee, consisting of nine members, be appointed, with power to confer with any similar Committee of the Legislative Council, to consider and report upon the claims of the Middle Island Natives on account of unfulfilled promises, and the recommendations made by Mr. Commissioner Mackay thereon on the sth May, 1887, G.-l, 1888 : such Committee to consist of the Hon. Sir H. A. Atkinson, Hon. Mr. Ballance, Mr. Beetham, Mr. Carroll, the Hon. Sir J. Hall, Mr. Samuel, Captain Russell, Mr. Ormond, and the mover; three to form a quorum; to report within a month." —(Hon. Mr. Mitchelson.)

Monday, the 13th Day of August, 1888. Ordered, " That the Middle Island Native Claims Committee have an extension of time of one week for bringing up their report."—(Captain Russell.)

EBPOET. The Joint Committee appointed to consider and report upon the Middle Island Native claims question have the honour to report that they have considered it advisable to begin the inquiry by investigating the case of the Ngaitahu (known as Kemp's purchase), and that, in consequence of the extensive range of inquiry necessitated by the nature of the case, the voluminous documentary evidence affecting it, and the fact that the labours of the Committee did not begin until the 23rd June, it has been'found impossible to enter upon the investigation of the Otakou, Murihiku, and Akaroa purchases. The circumstances before mentioned have prevented the Committee from completing their consideration of the Ngaitahu case, but great progress has been made in the work of collecting evidence, both documentary and oral, and in bringing the former into a shape that will greatly lighten the labours of any future Committee. An epitome of the Ngaitahu case has been prepared and a full appendix, embracing all available documentary information of any importance bearing on the subject from the time of the purchase. The Committee have also taken the evidence of the Hon. Mr. Mantell, the Hon. Mr. Eolleston, and the Hon. Mr. Taiaroa, and have obtained also information from the Eev. J. W. Stack. The epitome and appendix before mentioned, and the oral evidence as reported, are presented with this report. As it is impossible to do justice to the importance of the inquiry during the remaining part of the present session, with which the functions of the Committee end, the Committee recommend that at the beginning of the next session of Parliament a similar Committee should be appointed, so that the inquiry into the Ngaitahu case may be completed, and the other cases also undertaken. The Committee also recommend that the epitome, appendix, and evidence, as reported, be printed, if possible, in a separate form, and supplied to honourable members of both Houses. 22nd August, 1888. E. C. J. Stevexs, Chairman. I—l. 8.