G.—s

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at Ohinereria to be set aside for the Natives, the location of which to be decided by the Native Land Court in case of dispute, be deemed to be and to have been Crown land; (3) the 50-acres portion so set aside shall be deemed to be customary land subject to the jurisdiction of the Native Land Court. The above form of legislation is intended only as a suggestion, and would probably require recasting. Its final shape would assumediy be framed by the Crown Drafting Office. PUKETOTARA. This is a block of fand situated in Block XVI, Kaeo Survey District, and Block X, Kerikeri Survey District, and is said to contain 4,644 acres or thereabouts. According to the evidence given before us this formed part of a much larger block sold by Ngai-Tawake Hapu of Natives to one Kemp about the year 1835.' Included in this sale was land claimed by the Te Whiu Hapu. Kemp was approached with a view to his abandoning certain portions of the land purchased in favour of the rightful owners. He declined to give all that was asked, but is said to have given up his claim to the portion now called Puketotara. Kemp subsequently prosecuted his claim before the Land-claims Commission, and was awarded land, excluding the part in. question, which it is assumed he did not claim. That part, however, had been included in. his deed, and the Crown officers seem to have claimed it to belong to the Crown as surplus land —that is, land included in a deed but for some reason not included in the land confirmed to the purchaser under that deed. The Crown itself seemed to have had some doubt as to its position, while the Natives continued to claim it till portions were sold by the Crown. The parties have now entered into an arrangement of compromise, a copy of which is hereto annexed and marked " B." [Not printed.] It will thus be seen that this also was a proper case for inquiry, and in our opinion it might well be settled by meeting the Natives as proposed. The same difficulty as in Kapowai about completing the title, however, arises in this case. We therefore respectfully suggest that legislation be passed in this case to l a similar effect as in the preceding one—that the portion on the western end bounded by the road which traverses the block shall be deemed to be customary land, and the part to the eastward be deemed Crown land. A suggestion has been made that if the land turns out not to belong to the Te Whiu Tribe it shall practically revert to the Crown. In our opinion the land should be given to the Native owners, to be found by the Native Land Court. The naming of the Te Whiu Hapu might encourage claimants belonging to that section, but having no actual right to the land. The Commission understands the arrangement was intended for the benefit of the real owners, whoever they may be. R. N. Jones, ) John Strauchon, I Commissioners John Orsmby, ) To His Excellency the Governor-General of New Zealand.

REPORT No. 2. AORANGI. This is a claim referring to a piece of land which, according to Mr. Mouat's survey of 1899, contains about 7,200 acres. It has long since been sold by the Crown, and is now in the hands of Europeans. It is situate between the Porangahau, Maharakeke, and Otakohe Streams. The grievance about this land has formed the subject of much correspondence and many petitions, inquiries, and reports, and has been before at least one previous Commission