I.—3a

1905. NEW ZEALAND.

NATIVE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE: REPORT ON THE PETITIONS OF HARE RAKENA TE AWEAWE AND SIX OTHERS AND REWANUI APATARI AND FOUR OTHERS RE KAIHINU No. 2 (OR NGAMAEA) BLOCK TOGETHER WITH MINUTES OF EVIDENCE. (Mr. R.M. HOUSTON, Chairman.)

Baport brought up on Thursday, the 24th August, 1905, and ordered to be printed.

ORDER OF REFERENCE. Extract from the Journals of the House of Representatives. Friday, the 7th Day of July, 1905. Ordered, " That Standing Order No. 218 be suspended, and that a Committee be appointed, consisting of nineteen members, to consider all petitions, reports, returns, and other documents relating to affairs specially affecting the Native race that may be brought before the House this session, and from time to time report thereon to the House; with power to call for persons and papers; five to be a quorum : the Committee to consist of Mr. Field, Mr. A. L. D. Fraser, Mr. Harding, Mr. Heke, Mr. Herries, Mr. Houston, Mr. Jennings, Mr. Kaihau, Mr. Major, Mr. Mander, Mr. Moss, Mr. Parata, Mr. Pere, Mr. Remington, Sir W. R. Russell, Rt. Hon. R. J. Seddon, Mr. Vile, Mr. Willis, and the Mover."—(Hon. Mr. Cabkoll.)

EEPORT.

Nos. 89, 1905, and 91, 1905.—Petitions of Hake Rakena te Aweawe and 6 Others, and Rewanui Apataki and 4 Others. Petitioners pray for rehearing in connection with Kaihinu No. 2 (or Ngamaea) Block. I am directed to report that the Committee has no recommendation to make with regard to this petition; but, with a view to finality being arrived at in the case in question, it recommends that the evidence taken should be printed. 24th August, 1905. R. M. Houston, Chairman.

PETITIONS.

To the Honourable the Speaker and members of the House of Representatives of New Zealand in Parliament assembled : Greeting. Your petitioners are aboriginal natives of New Zealand, belonging to the Tribe of Rangitaane, having rightful claims to a piece of land known as Kaihinu No. 2, or Ngamaea, Block. We earnestly pray that your House should consider the wrougs with which we have been afflicted and the loss we have sustained on account of the judgment of the recent Appellate Court, held at Hastings on the 23rd and 24th June, 1905. It will be manifest to you that during the sitting of the Native Land Court at Woodville on the 28th February, 1905, to investigate the titles of the block of land mentioned above, the following matters were considered : — 1. There were set up six different cases, with a conductor for each case, whose names will be seen from the folio attached hereto. 2. Mr. Morison appeared on behalf of some of your petitioners, requesting a certain favour from that Court, and that was to leave the disbursements of money and the inclusion of owners to the list of names, as consented to by the supporters of each case for the conductors to manage, which request was granted by that Court. 3. An agreement was executed by some of the conductors, and everything was done as they wished, but it was never submitted to us by those conductors—to us who were the persons who had proper rights to the land, and who appointed them to appear for vs —to satisfy ourselves with the list of names before it was forwarded to the Court. I—l. 3a.