E—No. 9 Sec. VI.

Those pahs which are named are already announced as having the right to elect two Assessors for each group. Tliey would also have a Village Runanga of their own, and would hold separate ownership of their own lands respectively. I have not been able to visit Wairoa, not considering that my time would be well spent in so doing; but I have written to the people there, saying that they will have a visit from the Commissioner. The Natives of that part of the district are numerous; but hitherto no difficulties have occurred between them and the Europeans. • As to the time of holding the first general Runanga, I would suggest that advantage be taken of the great tangi for Moananui, which takes place at the end of February and beginning of March, at wliich all the principal people, from all parts of the district, will be present. By that time the Assessors may be chosen and confirmed. When the Runanga meets, the first business will be the land. I trust that all disputes will have been settled both with Europeans and among themselves. If so, the first duty will be the record of title to the hapus, and the enrolment of the owners in the registers. Next will come the disposition of the land. This I recommend should be kept in the hands of the Runanga; but exercised according to the wish, so far as may be, of the owners. In the first place, an attempt might be judiciously made to reserve a portion of all income from land for general purposes, to be appropriated by the Runanga. I think this would be agreed to almost unanimously. The remainder would be divided among the claimants, according to the proportions shown by the registry. It seems to me that the natural disposal of the land would be to deal with all the northern and all the southern land as run districts. Frame a short series of regulations granting a moderate term of tenure of a simply pastoral character. Licenses to be issued by, and money paid to, a Board or Court, say the Resident Magistrate's Court of the district, who should account to the Runanga. These licenses should give no title to the land, and should not preclude the owners from selling the land at any time they chose. The rate of rent should be high: I think not less, at least for good runs, than 2d. per acre. The system should embrace all runs already let. Certainly, the Natives should not be taught to break their agreements; but reserving the land for the man, I am of opinion that it would be both just and politic to bring his rent up or doion, as the case may be, to the standard, if the Runanga are willing to do so. For many reasons I would work for this end. Further, in all cases where an arrangement has been made contrary to the law, I would compel the applicant for a license to pay a fine to the Crown of some fixed amount, as a recognition of his breach of the law. It would stand in lieu of revenue to the Province. I would deal very hardly, so far as possible, with any who had made their arrangements at a late period, calculating on the Government ratifying their agreements. As regards the plain country, I would deal with that in quite another way. It is absolutely necessary that some legal arrangements should be made by which the settlers' cattle may run on the Native land. One sees, also, the great advantage, not to say need, of using this land for agricultural purposes sooner or later. The European population in the vicinity of the town is greedily eyeing these fat lands, and is most urgent to turn them to profitable account. At present, there is no power to do more than license persons to occupy lands for pasturage. I recommend, therefore, that a special system be adopted for this particular part of the country. I suggest a division into four parts, to be called " commons," " komona," namely, Waipureku common, Pakowai common, Petane common, and one on the upper (south-west) ponion of the plain, to be called by any convenient name. Give the Court the power of issuing licenses to cattle owners to run so many head on any one of these commons, say at 10s. per head per annum, for the firstnamed three, and ss. for the fourth. Compel all cattle to be branded. Have a law for fencing and trespass. Keep a policeman on each common to look after the cattle. Treat all unbranded stock, and those beyond the licensed number belonging to each owner, as trespassers, and let the

13

HAWKE'S BAY.

HURIRI. WAIPUKURAtr, &C. Waiboa. SuB-DlSTKICTS AND PAHS. SuB-DlSTEICTS AND PAHS. Vaipureku - datahiwi Te Aute Pokawa Patangata Caramu 'a Whakaairo 'a Kowai )marunui WaimaramaPourerere 'etane krapawanui - Waipawa - Waipukurau •4-J O Porang-ahau-Eparaima Rua Taniwha Takapau Tiko Kino - m "I