ZEALAND TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE.

17

A.—No. 1

It will be found from their statement that they allege that the pa was planned not by the original owners of the land; that it was principally built by the Waikatos, who built it to fight the Europeans, for the same reason that they had built so many pas in their own country ; that had the Waikatos not come there no fighting would have taken place until the road had crossed the Waitotara River; that at length the sellers of the land assisted in building the pa lest it should be thought they were abandoning the King movement; that the building the Weraroa Pa had nothing at all to do with the purchase of the land at the Waitotara, and they emphatically insist that that purchase was a straightforward one. This statement exactly accords with that made to me by Chiefs of the Waitotara Block upon the spot, and with arms in their hands which they intended to use. G. GREY.

Enclosure 1 in No. 13. Proclamation. By His Excellency Sir George Grey, Knight Commander of the Most Honorable Order of the Bath, Governor and Commander-in-Chief in and over Her Majesty's Colony of New Zealand and its Dependencies, and Vice-Admiral of the same, &c, &c, &c. Whereas Her Majesty has been pleased to assent to " The Native Lands Act, 1862," and by Proclamation of the Governor, dated the twenty-ninth day of December, one thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, the operation of that Act has been extended over the whole Colony of New Zealand. And whereas the operation of this law renders unnecessary the continuance of the Native Land Purchase Department, by which, prior to its enactment, the cession of Native lands to the Crown has heretofore been conducted. And whereas other provisions will from time to time be made for any future cessions of land to Her Majesty which the Governor may permit to be made under clause thirty-two of the said Native Land Act, 1862: Now therefore, I, the Governor, do hereby revoke all commissions authorizing the purchase of lands on behalf of the Crown from the Aboriginal inhabitants of the Colony of New Zealand, and do proclaim that the Native Land Purchase Department will from and after tho date hereof be done away with and cease to exist. Given under my hand, at the Government House, at Auckland, and issued under the Seal of the Colony of New Zealand, this seventeenth day of May, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-five. G. Gret. By His Excellency's command, Walter Mantell.

Enclosure 2 in No. 13. Memorandum by Mr. Eolleston. May 11th, 1859. —£500 paid on account of 30,000 acres at Waitotara to Ngarauru Natives. The Ngatiruanui Natives resisting the purchase. February Ist, 1860.—Mr. Deighton complains that the Maoris ask for too large reserves, especially at Peretranui, a reserve of five miles long. It appears from a subsequent letter (April 28th) that difficulties are arising from the unsettled state of affairs at Taranaki, as well as about the price to be paid (*. c. the balance). The reserves amount to 7,301 acres, leaving a block of 24,900 acres, of which 7,500 are poor land, leaving 17,400 acres for a price of £2,500. . On September 4th, 1862, Dr. Featherston asks for £2,000 to complete the purchase, and £1,000 to complete surveys, out of the Land Purchase Loan. On July 4th, 1863, the purchase was effected, and the money, £2,000, paid to Piripi and Eio, who gave a receipt in full. In April, 1865, a claim is put in by Eihari and others to part of the payment, on the ground that they were ignorant of the day of sale. This Dr. Featherston distinctly denies. (See Minute of July 21st.) The Natives have been promised that there shall be an investigation, by two successive, Ministers. It remains for Government to determine the manner and time of this investigation. W. Eolleston. Friends, Mr. "Weld and Mb. Mantell, — Te Aro Pa, "Wellington, 18th April, 1865. Friends, salutations to all of you. Friends, do you hearken ? Your letter has come to us ; we have seen it. Tou said, " Hereafter lot your land claim be investigated." Friends, we are not willing that it be left in abeyance a long while, because that land is (in your possession) in your hand ; what we wish is that the money which remains due on the purchase, £500, and the money for the reserves, which are in statu quo, and have not yet been advanced, be given to us now. Do not withhold it, but give it straight away to vs —let it not bo long —Give ! That is all. From all of us, Eihari Mokaikereru, Hone Te Put.*, Wituraki.