G.-7

16

to the real chiefs and principal owners, as no distinction is made between them and the person who by the Maori custom had only a right to use land required for his maintenance, with the tacit understanding that a portion of the crops should _r;o to the chief or lord of the manor in way of royalty. As the question now goes, it is found that the smallest owners, having once got their names inserted in the memorial of ownership, expect as much payment as the others, and the difficulties surrounding a subdivision are much increased. Such a state of things is not in accordance with Maori custom, whatever it may be else. I have, <fee, The Under Secretary, Native Department. S. Locke.

. No. 7. Mr. J. P. Hamlin, Napier, to the Under Secretary, Native Department. Sir,— Napier, 4th July, 1577. In accordance with the instructions contained in your letter of the 17th May, 1877 (N.L.P. 155-2), I have now the honor to furnish the following report of all my land-purchase transactions on behalf of the Government since the Ist July last: —■ I have held my report over till the last moment, in hopes that I should have been able to complete the purchase of the Tauwharetoi and Rotokakarangu Blocks; but owing to disappointments on the part of the Natives this has not been accomplished. I regret that, for various reasons, I have only been able to complete tho purchase of one small block of land during the past year —namely, Makahei, containing 500 acres, for £100, or, say, 4s. per acre. The great length of time occupied in the survey and passing of the land through the Court, coupled with the fact of there bciug iv each block a very large number of grantees to deal with, have been tho chief causes of delay. There are under negotiations of purchase six blocks, namely, — No. 1. Tauwharetoi, containing 56,680 acres, surveyed and passed through the Court; price agreed to be paid £6.000, equal to a little over 2s. Iyd. per acre. Twenty-eight signatures are still required to complete this purchase, on which there is a balance unpaid of £812. No. 2. Rotokakarangu Block, in Upper Mohaka, containing 19,640 acres, surveyed and passed through the Court; price agreed to be paid, £2,000, equal to about 2s. Ojd. per acre. To complete the purchase of this block seven signatures are required, on which there is a balance to be paid of about £299 14s. Bd. This block is suitable for a cattle or sheep run. It also contains a great deal of valuable totara timber. No. 3. Whakaongaonga Block contains 18,640 acres, and part of Hangaroa-Matawai, 4,200 acres, in all 22,840 acres, surveyed and passed through the Court; price agreed upon, £5,000, equal to about 4s. BJd. per acre. I intend proceeding to Gisborne, as soon as time will permit of my doing so, to settle about the division of money amongst the different hapus. No. 4. Tuahu Block, containing 10,852 acres. There has been no price fixed for this block. This I hope to do on my next visit to Wairoa. No. 5. The Waihau Block, 13,500 acres, leased to the Crown for twenty-one years, at a rental of £200 per annum. In this block I have purchased four interests out of twelve, for the sum of £840. On my next visit to Gisborne I expect to purchase more interests. The block is a very valuable one, and quite suitable for a special settlement. No. 6 Mangatainoko Block, in the Seventy-Mile Bush, contains 70,000 acres; no price fixed; amount paid on account, £1,325 Is. I am sorry to say the completion of the purchase of this block has be:'ii delayed through a long-standingd ispule among tiie different hapus of Rangitane tribe. Tauwharetoi, Whakaongaonga, Tuahu, and part of Hangaroa-Matawai Blocks contain a large quantity of clean land suitable for pastoral purposes. About three-quarters of the total area is open fern land, about 5 per cent, of which is fit for agricultural purposes. None of the blocks under negotiation of purchase by me have been subdivided, but they have all been surveyed and passed through the Native Land Court. The unusually largo number of grantees that have been put into the different blocks has greatly retarded the completion of my purchases. It is difficult to fix precisely the time on which these several purchases arc likely to be completed. Should nothing stand in the way, I hope to complete Rotokakarangu early next week ; Tauwharetoi on my next visit to Gisborne, within a month or six weeks ; Whakaongaonga and part of HangaroaMatawai—in fact all the inland Wairoa Blocks —on my next visit to the Wairoa, say within the next three months. I have, &c. The Under Secretary, Native Department, J. P. Hamlin, Wellington. Land Purchase Agent.

TABULAR STATEMENT of LAND PURCHASE NEGOTIATIONS.

Blocks 'urchased. Blocks under Negotiation of Purchase. Area. Price per Acre, j Amount of Money to be Paid. Amount Paid. Pastoral, Agricultural, or otherwise. Surveyed or under Survey. Date on which Purchase likely lo be Completed. 'akahei Acres. 500 s. d. 4 0 £ s. d. Nil. £ s. d. 100 0 0 Pastoral and agricultural Pastoral and partly timbered Surveyed Completed. Tauwharetoi 56,680 2 n 842 0 0 5,158 0 0 Incomplete. Botokakarnngu Whnkaongiionga and Hanguroa Tuahu Wailiau 19,610 2 04 290 14 8 1,709 5 4 )» )> )> M ] 22,840 10,852 13,800 4 34 Not fixed 840 0 0 Good for settlement a M Mangatainoko 70,000 a 1,325 1 0 J. P. Ham La .IN. id Purchase Agent. Nai ler, 4th July, 1877.