67

G.—s

owners to extort upon or to dispute and repudiate their previous agreement with the Land Purchase Officer. Sometimes a higher figure is the bribe offered by the European ; sometimes the double payment is a sufficient inducement to the Native; while one of the most common weapons in the hands of the former is the utterance of all manner of speeches and statements disparaging to the Government and its Agent, all which would be prevented if such surveys were not permitted. Another phase of the business is that it seems to be quite probable that Europeans get up these surveys for the simple purpose of being bought off by Government. In any case I believe it is only my duty to state my opinion that surveys of this character have an injurious effect upon the Native mind, and that they have militated against the operations of the Land Purchase Department in this district. At the present time the practice pursued in this district is to send applications for surveys to me for approval before final authorization. This course fully meets the case in so far as this department is concerned, provided all applications, without exception, are thus referred. I have, &c, J. A. Wilson, Mr. T. Heale. Land Purchase Commissioner.

No. 57. Mr. J. A. Wilson to the Chief Judge, Native Land Court. (Telegram.) Gisborne, 3rd November, 1876. In regard to matters now before the Royal Commission sitting here, please state whether you wrote a letter to the chief Karauria, of Tolago, informing him, long after the period allowed for survey in Judge Munro's interlocutory order had lapsed Uawa Block, that if he (Karauria) would cut the line marked by Judge Munro (and initialed by him), upon the ground, that a certificate of title would be made and issued. If such letter was written by you, please telegraph me a copy of it. J. A. Wilson, Land Purchase Officer.

No. 58. Mr. A. J. Dickey to Mr. J. A. Wilson. (Telegram.) Auckland, 6th November, 1876. Can't find a record of any such letter as that referred to by you. A. J. Dickey, Chief Clerk, Native Land Court.

No. 59. Mr. A. J. Dickey to Himiona te Kani re Uawa, and the Interlocutory Order relating thereto. E Hoa Ma, — Tari o te Kooti Whenua Maori, Akarana, Maehe 15, 1876. Tena Koutou, —Kua tae mai ta koutou pukapuka o te 9 o nga ra o Hanuere mo Ihunui, i ki mai nei koutou i nukuhia nga rohe o taua whenua e te Kooti i te tsima i whakawakia. Na, e hoa ma, i tukua atu e ahau ta koutou pukapuka ki a te Moanaroa, ko ia hoki te Kaiwhakawa, ako tona whakahoki mai tecei. Na nga tangata Maori i tohutohu nga rohe i roto ite Kooti I maakatia te raina i runga i te mapi i te aroaro o te Kaiwhakawa, a e kore e taea te whakanuku te whakaputa ke ranei i taua raina i muri. Na to koutou hoa, Na Tiki, Kia Himiona Te Kani, Uawa, Poverty Bay. Mo te Tumuaki Kawhakawa. [Translation.] Fbiend, — Native Land Court, Auckland, 15 th March, 1876. Salutations. —Tour letter of the 9th January has arrived respecting Ihunui, in which you state that the boundaries of the said block were extended by that Court when adjudicated upon. Now, Friend, I submitted your letter to Mr. Munro, who was the then presiding Judge. This is his reply. The Maoris themselves pointed out the boundaries in the Court, and marked out the line on the map in the presence of the Judge ; after which such line cannot now be altered or extended any way. A. J. Dickey, (for the Chief Judge).

No. 60. Tari o te Kooti Whakawa Whenua Maori, E iioa e Abapeta,— Akarana, Akuhata 29, 1874. Tena koe. Kua tae mai to pukapuka tono o te 12 o nga ra o Akuhata kia whakawakia a Mangarara a Wairoro hoki. 9—G. 5.