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tive, that your honourable House would be pleased to postpone the consideration of the same until the next-ensuing session of Parliament, in order that your petitioners and other the Maori subjects of Her Majesty the Queen may have a reasonable opportunity of giving consideration to a measure which proposes to effect such vital changes in their status as British subjects and landed proprietors. And your petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray. Hamioea Mangakahia and 6 Others.

No. 196 (Mr. Kaihau). To the Speaker and Members of the House of Eepresentatives assembled. Your petitioners urge :— Firstly.—We, the Maori tribes of Wanganui within the limits of all its boundaries, protest against the Native Lands Settlement and Administration Bill of the Government, which proposes to bring our lands under the operation of the Boards constituted by the said Bill, because we are entirely certain that no benefits whatsoever will accrue to our remaining lands under the arrangements empowering mortgages provided under the said Bill. Secondly.—We declare with truth that we would suffer most severely under the provisions of the said Bill, for our lands are in a different position to that of other lands, because our land is about worth Is. 6d. per acre; that is almost the general value of. our lands. Therefore would not be competent to pay off the mortgages which (would) lie upon them. Thirdly.—Under the burdensome provisions imposed by the said Bill the members of the Board are to be paid. Secondly, the moneys borrowed. Thirdly, the interest moneys. Now, these are three provisions which would entirely crush our lands, and would prevent permanent benefits arising to the owners of the land, but would be of very great benefit to members of the Board. To the owners of the land there would be no benefit whatsoever. Fourthly.—The desire and the hope of the heart is that purchases may be immediately put a stop to, in accordance with the principles of the said Bill. But our lands are taken away, reserved, placed under mortgage, and left to lie there, and it will be utterly impossible to release them therefrom unless placed within this brimstone fire to be consumed, and for forty-two years tried and proved whether it will be preserved or consumed. This is an exceedingly grave affliction, which threatens us and our lands. Therefore we earnestly pray do not. let this Bill operate upon us, the tribes resident in the West Coast district. And your petitioners will ever pray. Wiaei Topia and 113 Others.

No. 197, 1898 (Mr. Kaihau). To the Speaker and Honourable Members of the House of Eepresentatives assembled in Parliament of New Zealand : Greeting. This the petition of the undersigned aboriginal natives of New Zealand humbly showeth, — That we, the tribes, hapus, and chiefs, male and female, resident in the West Coast district, who have signed our names to this petition, hereby disclose to your honourable Assembly the matters underwritten, viz.: (1.) We have seen the Board Bill laid by the Premier and his Government before the various assemblies of the Maori people. (2.) We have carefully looked into and considered the main principles of the said Bill, and very grievous misfortunes would befall our lands were we to agree to the passing of the said Bill, inasmuch as the uninvestigated portions (jpapatupu) of our lands, which have not as yet fallen into the hands of the Native Land Court, would be in such case absolutely divested of their present papatupu character. The only desirable principle disclosed in the precis of the said Bill being the abolition of the Native Land Court and of the sale of lands to the Crown or private purchasers. But what renders it difficult to agree to is the provision that not until the said Board Bill has finally passed will the said Native Land Court and the said land-purchase be abolished. Therefore we pray you as follows : There is not a single part of the Bill to which we agree ; right through all the district of the West Coast we steadfastly protest against this Board Bill. In witness of our objection we have hereunder signed our names. Tana Taingakawa and 5,975 Others.

No. 326, 1898 (Mr. Kaihau). Petition of Toataua te Ake and 3,390 Others. Same as No. 197 of Tana Taingakawa and 5,975 others.

No. 347, 1898 (Mr. Kaihau). To the Honourable the Speaker and Members of the House of Eepresentatives in Parliament assembled. The petition of the undersigned aboriginal natives of New Zealand humbly showeth, — 1. That through the medium of the Press we are informed that the Native Lands Settlement and Administration Bill has passed the second reading in your honourable House, and has been referred to the Native Affairs Committee. 2. That the Native race generally recognise that your honourable House will jealously guard the interests of the remnant of the Maori people, and that no attempt to prejudicially affect, by legislation, our interests will receive your support. 3. That we have read and had explained to us a synopsis of the proposed Bill, as circulated by the Eight Hon. the Premier, and spoken to by him at various meetings of Natives throughout the colony.

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