A.—No. 4.

Honor's party to Puketotara on the morrow, in order that they might be present at the meeting with the Eangitane, when the whole question would be argued and discussed. Dr. Featherston's party proceeded accordingly to Puketotara on the following day, descending the Oroua Eivcr by canoe and arriving at the settlement about 4 p.m. Messengers were then despatched to collect the tribe for a meeting on the morrow. I. E. Feathehsto>-. Superintendent's Office, Wellington, 30th June, 1866. Enclosure 3 in No. 6. Notes of a Meeting at Puketotara (Manawatu), Gth December, 1865. The Eangitane having assembled with their chiefs in the Eunanga house (Puketotara), His Honor and party entered about 9 a.m., and a very spirited discussion commenced, which lasted (with only an hour's intermission) till about 11 p.m. Hoani Meihana te Kenehe opened the meeting with a speech, to the following effect: —Welcome Dr. Featherston and Mr. Buller, We have long expected you, and we now welcome you. All my people have assembled, and you will presently have their thoughts respecting Rangitikei. If they say hard and unpleasant things do not be angry. Eemember that they have waited long and grown impatient. I shall speak for myself; all the men of the tribes will speak for themselves. I have nothing to add to what I have already said. You will remember the meeting at Te Wharangi Hotel, when the nine chiefs handed over to you this land of fighting and trouble, and when you consented to take it. I was present at that meeting. I consented to all that was said. Eangitlkei is still in your hands, and we are waiting for you to complete the purchase. What we said then I say now, —" Let all the tribe agree." If the tribe will make haste and unanimously agree to the sale we shall soon get our money ; if, however, the sale is delayed, we shall have to wait the longer for our money. I shall never consent to your relaxing your hold upon Rangitikei. Some of my tribe may disapprove of what has been done. Ido not propose to sell the land in spite of them. When the chiefs, on behalf of their respective tribes, offered to sell the lands, they told you that the final decision would rest with the people. I say the same now; but this I also say, I shall never consent to let Bangitikci be taken out of your hands, to become again—as it probably would —the scene of conflict and division. The tribes will never agree as to the title. Therefore, I say, hold fast to the land. Don't listen to the eager cry of the people for the rents. If you allow that money to be paid, and evil should result, the fault will be yours. I shall never recede from my offer, nor will the other chiefs. Some of the people have already consented; the rest will in due time. Do not be in a hurry to close the purchase. lamin no hurry for the money, if the people would prefer waiting. Let us go on talking, talking, talking. I shall not cease to urge my tribe to sell the land. I hope my relative Te Peeti will not be angry at what lam saying. [Peeti: go on, go on. The discussion is between friends. Let us fight with each other on friendly terms —let there be no anger. You may in the end prevail, or I may.] lam glad that my friend is not disposed to be angry. What lam saying now is nothing fresh. I have never ceased to say it. Since the day I met you at Manawatu I have been constantly urging my people to get rid of the disputed land; and I shall continue to do so. Let Mr. Buller talk with the people ; let Ihakara talk with his tribe; let the Ngatiapa go on talking ; and I will talk with my relations. The end of all this talking will be that Eangitikei will be sold, with the consent of all the people. It may be a long time hence; but that does not matter. Let the tribes have ample time for talking. I have nothing more to say. Tapa te Whata : I have only a few words to say. Hoani Meihana has said all. I agree entirely with him. I shall never withdraw from the agreement to sell. I listened to the cry of the people, and I urged you to pay the rents, but that matter rests entirely with you. As for the land it is still in your hands. Be earnest in holding it. Wait patiently till all the members of the tribe have consented, and i the land will be yours. Peeti Tc Aweawe: Salutations, Dr. Featherston and Mr. Buller. 1 was not present at the meeting at Manawatu when the nine chiefs handed over Eangitikci. You did not hear my voice then, but you shall hear it now. I dispute the right of those nine men to dispose of my land. Hoani says that they only consented subjected to the general consent of the tribe. Then let me tell you at once this tribe will not consent. The Ngatiraukawa may, and the Ngatiapa may, but the Eangitane never will. If we sell this land, where shall the tribe look for support. We have sold the upper block to you, and we want the lower one for our cultivations. It is true that we are not actually cultivating it at present, but it is leased to Pakehas, and we are living upon the rents. These rents have been very long impounded. We can wait no longer. We want money, and we must have our rents. You perhaps think that there will be fighting over the division of the rents. Then let me make three proposals, either of which you may accept. Either let the rent be fairly apportioned before it is drawn ;or let the total amount due from the various tenants be ascertained, and be then divided into three equal shares, one for each tribe ; or let the whole of the rents be at once paid into your hands, to be distributed among the claimants in such manner as you may decide. lam not angry with my relative (Hoani Meihana.) We will go on disputing in a friendly way with each other. If he should in the end prevail, then 1 shall take good care to get my full share of the purchase money. (Laughter.) TeKoorosaid: Friend Dr. Featherston, 1 told you at Awahuri thai I should follow you down, and urge again at this meeting my claim to the rent-money. lam opposed to the sale of the land, and shall continue to oppose it till you consent to remove t lie restriction we complain of. Let us have the money and spend it. After that we shall probably be in a humour to to talk about .selling the land to the Queen. If you will not consent to the payment of all the rents, let us of Oroua at any rate have ours. Our land is not in dispute —our title is perfectly clear. V\ by, then, should we be kept out of our money? With regard to the proposed sale of the land ; if the tribe generally should ultimately consent to the sale, I shall contend fora large reserve at Te Awahuri. All the best land is being sold to the Pakehas, and we shall have none left for our own support. 1 have heard a proposal made by some of the Natives for the sale of the Oroua Reserve. To this I shall never consent.

19

THE MANAWATU BLOCK.