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Mrs. Brown: 1 should like the matter placed on record before the Commission, in case 1 eventually petition Parliament again. The Commissioner: That must stand over for consideration. The next on the list is Katarina. She is living? Mrs. Brown: No; she is dead. The Commissioner: Who are the proper persons to succeed? Mrs. Brown: The same five persons named above. The Commissioner: Whom did she marry. Tuhata: She is to be found in the genealogy of Henera Whatutara. The Commissioner: 1 want to know her connection with this Tiopiro family? Mrs. Brown: The same five persons succeed —namely, Hone Rangihanu, Makere, Te Matoha, Ngaropi (all Tuhatas). The Commissioner: With regard to Makareta: did she receive any award? Mrs. Brown: No. She is my sister. She was with Sir George Grey, who adopted her. 1 do not think she is entitled to anything. She died at the Cape of Good Hope. 'The Commissioner: She is therefore struck out. With regard to Te One? Mrs. Brown: He is a brother of mine. He was alive when the claims were rejected by the Compensation Court. The Commissioner: He is the father, of course, of Rewi Maka, who is then the proper person to succeed. Mrs. Brown: Yes; Rewi's daughter is the proper successor. The Commissioner: Now we come to Pitiroi, No. 13 on the list. Did he receive any award? Mrs. Brown: No. The Commissioner: Who is the proper person to succeed him? When did he die? Mrs. Brown: Just before the Commission sat, in 1880 or 1881. Mr. Skinner: It was in 1879. Mrs. Brown: With regard to Te Amohau, Kirihaihai, Matengaro, and Ngarukeruke, 1 would ask the Commission to consider the claims of these people, as they are direct descendants of Ngatimutunga, and have only got 20 acres in the Urenui Reserve, and they have no land anywhere else, and they have large families. The Commissioner: Pitiroi was alive at the time of the petition, and would come into the promise. The size of the share of these four persons would be 4 acres each. With regard to Ruihi Raunihao, we had better let this person's claim stand over until we get the Wharekauri (Chatham Islands) list. Mr. Tuhata: She died on the reserve and has no children, but she may have successors at Wharekauri. The Commissioner: With regard to Hiroa, 1 notice that he died before the West Coast Commission sat. Did he leave any descendants? Mr. Tuhata: His mother, Kapua, is still alive She received 11 acres in the Mimi Reserve. Hiroa is one of those to whom the promise of 16 acres was made. He leaves no children. Kapua is the proper successor, and is recommended accordingly. The Commissioner: With regard to Te Rua-ki-Aotea, I notice that he is alive and living at Urenui. His claim will be allowed. Nos. 17 and 18 on tbe list, Maraea Tamate and Tangotango, will be struck out, as they are provided for in the Urenui and Ngatirahiri Reserves. As I said before, we will adjourn the whole of List 6a until the return of Mr. Fisher, in order that we may obtain information as to who are and who are not included in the Urenui and Ngatirahiri Reserves. Mrs. Brown: I should like to make a statement before the Commission in order that when are making your recommendation, Mr. Mackay, you can take it into consideration. I stated in my petitions—and I think that you will acknowledge yourself—that my hapu were most loyal, and I now should like briefly to show the relations existing between them and the Government. The Commissioner: I am always pleased to hear what you have to say, Mrs. Brown, but I do not know what advantage is to be gained in speaking on this point. I am simply here to conduct an inquiry as to who are entitled as Ngatimutungas to an award of land. Mrs. Brown: That is so. At the same time, I think that I should be allowed to speak so as to remove the impression there seems to be that 1 am working in my own interests. The Commissioner: Under these circumstances you may speak. Mrs. Brown: I appear here on behalf of myself and my hapu, the Ngatimutungas and their descendants, for whom I petitioned Parliament to hand back the reserves set aside for the absentees of the Ngatimutunga, whose claims were rejected by the Compensation Court. They petitioned Parliament in 1867 that some consideration be shown them on the ground that though they were long absent from their ancestral home their fire was still ever kept burning by those of the Ngatimutunga who were living here since 1840 and 1848. The result of the petition was a promise by the Government of the day to make the reserve of 3,000 acres, of which we are now speaking, and which we are now asking should be returned to the descendants of those claimants or its equivalent. As I stated in my petition, the Ngatimutunga Hapu that I represent were the Ngatimutungas of the Atiawa, and were amongst the most loyal of Her Majesty's subjects all through the troublesome times. Whenever trouble was likely to arise or did arise my hapu always gave their assistance. I will give an instance. The Commissioner: Do not give instances; I know all about that. Mrs. Brown: The Maoris here do not know it. They imagine they were the only loyal Natives. The early settlers in the Wellington District might have all been killed had it not been for my hapu. Te Puni came forward and gave his help and protection, and thus saved the lives of the pioneers of the Wellington District. With reference to Rangiti-tawaia