PETITIONS.

17

That no further claims of individuals of Raukawa who have been rejected (permitted on the 28th tilt.) will be received after the 17th insfc., when the Court will sit to hear and determine all applications of persons in the list who were absent on the 28th ult. and previous days, and have been rejected. That the Court adjourn to the 17th inst. Then the Court will adjourn for a further period, to enable the parties to agree upon the boundaries of the lands to be allocated to the three hapus of Raukawa, comprising the persons who shall have been recognized as owners, and who shall not have signed the deed. That, at the sitting of the said Court, on the 17th day of September, 1869, pursuant to the said last-mentioned order, no further claims of individuals of Ngatiraukawas were made. That the said Court did thereupon, in further pursuance of the said order, adjourn sine die, in order to enable parties who were adjudged to be entitled to the said lands to agree upon the boundaries of the lands to be allotted to the three admitted hapus of Ngatirakauwas; but before any sufficient time had been given to the said parties to investigate and agree upon such boundaries, the said Court at the instance of the Agent for the Crown, and without any notice whatsoever to your petitioners, held a sitting on the 25th day of September, 1869, and without hearing any evidence on the part of your petitioners or others, being members of the three admitted hapus of Ngatiraukawas, made a final decision in relation to the matters referred to them, and allotted certain lands in manner set forth in a judgment then given, but of which judgment your petitioners have no copy. That your petitioners dispute the justice of the said judgment upon the following amongst other grounds: — 1. That they had no notice, that there was to be a sitting of the Court upon the 25th day of September, 1869, for the purpose of making a division of the land or for any purpose, and that consequently they were entirely unrepresented upon the occasion. 2. That the award of land then made is not in accordance with the judgment on issues, viz., to three hapus of Raukawas, but to certain individuals of these and other hapus. 3. That the award is not made upon evidence or only on ex parte evidence as to the quantity and situation of the land to which the parties are entitled. 4. That the three hapus of Raukawa were at the time of the judgment honestly engaged in terms of the order of the Court of the day of September, 1869, in endeavouring to agree with Ngatiapa as to their respective boundaries, and failing an agreement within some reasonable time would have submitted to a ruling of the Court upon tho point, —■ such ruling to be made of course upon evidence, after due notice. That after the delivery of such judgment, a Proclamation was issued by the Crown, pursuant to the said Act, declaring the Native title in the lands in question to have been extinguished, thereby precluding your petitioners from any further recourse to the said Court in relation thereto. That your petitioners aro greatly aggrieved by tho position in which they have thus been placed. Your petitioners therefore humbly pray that your Honorable House will be pleased to afford them such redress as to your Honorable House shall seem meet; and your petitioners will ever pray &c. [Here follow 33 signatures.]

No. 5. PETITION OP WARDENS AND FELLOWS, CHRIST'S COLLEGE, CANTERBURY. To the Honorable the House of Representatives, in Parliament assembled, The Petition of the Warden and Fellows of Christ's College, Canterbury. Humbly Shewetii, — That your petitioners are aware that a Bill is now before your Honorable House, by which it is proposed to create a New Zealand University, and that, conditionally on agreement between the Council of the said University and the Council of the University of Otago, it is proposed to fix the seat of the New Zealand University at Dunedin. That your petitioners, while they recognize the great advantage that would be derived by the Colony from the establishment of an examining body which might form the nucleus of a future University, do not consider it advisable to attempt to localize a University under the existing circumstances of New Zealand. That, under the existing circumstances of the Colony, it would be premature to expect any considerable number of students to be collected in one place from the different settlements in New Zealand, or that they would submit to such lengthened course of instruction as would justify the conferring of degrees. That, for the present, we must rely upon local schools and colleges to do the teaching work, looking to the future affiliation of such colleges to a New Zealand University. Your petitioners would most respectfully suggest that a " University Commission " be appointed by authority of Parliament. That such " University Commission " be not connected with any particular locality as the probable seat of the future University. That its functions should be—(l.) To hold in trust any public or private endowments for the foundation of a University ; (2.) To confer with, advise, and assist the Managers of existing educational institutions ; (3.) To fix a standard of attainment in the ordinary branches of a liberal education to be reached by those who are candidates for admission to the legal and medical professions and to the Civil Service of the Colony, due regard being had to the requirements of such professions and employments in England ; (4.) To make provision for periodical examination throughout the Colony, and to confer certificates of proficiency.