A.—No. la,

100

DESPATCHES FROM THE GOVERNOR OF NEW

In the year 1863, Ngatiapa came, with guns in their hands, to disturb my tribe; my tribe thereupon stood up with guns in their hands. I then sent a request to Governor Grey, and the Honorable William Fox, Colonial Minister, that they might send Mr. McLean to investigate the BangitikeiManawatu question. I received a letter from Mr. McLean informing me of his willingness to perform that service ; but instead of him Dr. Featherston came, in the year 1864 ; when he came quarrelling was over, and we were waiting for Mr. McLean, whom we wished to have as investigator. For Dr. Featherston's plan of investigating was to buy the block of land so that he might get it into his own possession ; it also consisted in aiding Ngatiapa, and falsely saying ho had brought life to these tribes (prevented bloodshed). In the year 1865, my tribe sent a Petition to the General Assembly, praying them to disannul that Act which excluded my land from the Court; but the Assembly paid no heed. In the year 1866, Dr. Featherston came openly to urge the sale of our land to him, but we were not willing. His words, expressed with a view to intimidate us, were as follows —" This land I hold in my hand; eight hundred of Whanganui have agreed to the sale; one hundred of Bangitikei and Muaupoho have also consented to the sale ; all these tribes went with me to fight those people who were fighting against the Queen's Troops; they have all consented to my having this land; they are many, you are few. You cannot keep back this land from the sale." When my tribe heard his words of intimidation and slight as regarding us, we stood aghast with shame and fear. But I replied, asking him, " Friend, where are the many hundreds of those people you have mentioned who have claims upon this land? The Court only shall put you in lawful possession." He answered me, " Parakaia, this land will never be taken through the Court." Upon hearing this word of Dr. Featherston, we went to the Governor, the Assembly, and Ministers, urging that our claims to that land be investigated according to law. At the first, thirtyfive of us went; on the second occasion, fourteen ;at the third time, twenty-four went. Some were disheartened, but I persisted alone ; yet without their acceding to my request. Then I asked myself, Where can the Treaty of Waitangi be, that its good results do not appear ? During the month of December, 1866, Dr. Featherston handed over the money in payment for the Bangitikei-Manawatu block to the sellers; some of my tribe also had some of it, the greater portion having no claim to the land. Some of the money also was handed over to distant tribes, who had no ground of claim to our land. He then told my tribe, " The whole of your land has gone to the Queen." Because of this, I, your subject, now pray you to send a person to investigate this injustice carefully, that he may give life te us and our tribe, and raise up again the Treaty of Waitangi, which has been trampled under foot by the Government of New Zealand. Otaki, 4th July, 1867. Paeakaia te Pouepa.

Enclosure 2 in No. 44. Haee Hemi Tahaeapa to His Excellency Governor Sir Geoege Geet, K.C.B. To Goveenoe Geet, — Here is our petition: we send it to you. Please have it forwarded to the Queen of England. Haee Hemi Tahaeapa.

Sub-Enclosure to Enclosure 2 in No. 44. Petition from Haee Hemi Tahaeapa to Her Majesty the Queen. To Hee Majestt the Queen of England,— Here do we, your Majesty's loving subjects, cry to you out of the midst of the injustice inflicted upon us. We had all heard before tho Treaty of Waitangi, that you, tho Queen, would take care of us and our lands. We now write to you because of a block tof land belonging to us, situate at Bangitikei, in the Province of Wellington. We, the Ngatiraukawa, took that land by force of arms prior to the sovereignty of the Queen over New Zealand having been declared, and we have kept possession of it up to this time. In the year 1862 the General Assembly and the Governor established a Court to adjudicate upon Native Lands. The Government of the Province of Wellington being desirous of purchasing our land, urged the General Assembly to exclude our lands from the operation of the Native Lands Act, in order that it might be bought by the Government of Wellington. To this the General Assembly at once assented. Give heed: Only the land of us the Ngatiraukawa has been excluded from the Native Lands Court. We sent a Petition to the General Assembly praying that that Act might be disannulled, in order that our claims might be taken through the Court. We have also been to Governor Grey and shown him our trouble, and requested that our claims to the land might be investigated; and we have also been to the Colonial Ministers, and requested to have our title to tho land investigated, but they paid no heed. In December, 1566, the Land Purchase Commissioner, the Superintendent of Wellington, handed over the purchase-money to certain persons who own the land adjoining ours. Ho gave money also to tribes dwelling at a distance who had no ground of claim to our land. We have all seen the speech of the Superintendent of Wellington, made in opening the Provincial Council, on the 26th April, 1867, in which he stated that ho had purchased the whole of our land, that is the Bangitikei-Manawatu block. He, upon a former occasion, made use of these words—" Tho whole of your lands have gone to the Queen of England." Still we were aware this law was not made by the Queen, but was made at their own instance, by the Assembly at Wellington.