5

1.—3

raised. In order to satisfy the claims of loyal Natives in the Poverty Bay District to confiscated territory, a block of land known as the Waimate Beserve, and containing 4,214 acres, was restored by Proclamation under the provisions of "The East Coast Act, 1868." In this Proclamation the names of twenty-three persons are recited, and the question which the petitioners seem desirous of raising is, whether those twenty-three persons have an exclusive right to the benefits derived from the reserve, or whether they are to be merely regarded as trustees for a larger number of Natives entitled to participate in the rents and profits derivable from it. Erom the evidence of Mr. Locke, it seems certain that the persons whose names are set forth in the Proclamation were selected as the representatives of a large number of peoplo, and that they ought therefore to be regarded as trustees. But the Committee do not think it desirable, even if they were competent to do so, that they should express an opinion as to whether the legal position of those people is what the Committee believe it ought to be. The Committee commend the subject-matter of the petition to tho consideration of the Government. 29th August, 1878.

[Translation.] Te Pukapuka-inoi a Noko (Poaru o Kapene Rice) me etahi atu. Ko nga kai-inoi he tangata Maori no Turanga, c ki aua ratou i piri pono ratou kite Kuini i te wa katoa o nga whawhai kite Kawanatanga i roto i taua takiwa a i te wa i tangohia ai te whenua i taua wahi mo te hara o te iwi i uru tahi ratou kite tuhituhi i tetahi pukapuka tuku i o ratou paanga whenua i reira. E ki ana ratou no muri iho ka whakahokia c 4,000 eka ki etahi tangata Maori i uru kite tukunga o o ratou paanga, engari kahore ratou nga kai-inoi i whiwhi ki tetahi wahi o taua whenua i whakahokia ra. E ki ana nga kai-inoi c whai tikanga tika ana ratou ki tetahi wahi o taua whenua i whakahokia ra c tono aua ratou kia hoatu tetahi oranga ngakau ki a ratou. Kua whakahaua ahau kia ki penei atu kite Whare :— Kua whakarangona c te Komiti nga korero o tetahi o nga kai-inoi me etahi atu kai korero mo runga i nga tikanga o tenei pukapuka-inoi, a kua kitea c he ana nga tino korero o te pukapuka-inoi i runga i te taha ki etahi tangata tokowha i tuhituhi i o ratou ingoa ki to Pukapuka-inoi, notemea c uru ana o ratou ingoa kite pukapuka whakatuturu i taua whenua rahui mo nga tangata kua whakaingoatia i roto: engari mo runga i te taha kite toenga o nga kai-inoi c whakaaro ana te Komiti kua kitea tetahi putake ahua raruraru. I whakahokia tetahi whenua i Turanga ko Waimata te ingoa, tona nui 4,214 eta hei whakaea i nga paanga o nga tangata i piri pono kite Kuini i panuitia te whakahokinga i runga i nga tikanga o "Te Ture o te Tai Bawhiti, 1868." E rua tekau ma toru nga ingoa o nga tangata i whakahuatia i roto i tenei panui a ko te hiahia pea o nga kai-inoi kia inohio ratou mehemea ranei ma ana rua tekau ma toru ra anake nga hua o taua whenua mehemea ranei he kai-tiaki kau ratou mo etahi atu tangata mafia atu c tika ana kia uru kite kai i nga hua ara nga reti me era atu painga c puta mai ana i taua whenua. I runga i nga korero a Eaka c kitea ana ko aua tangata kua panuitia nei o ratou ingoa he mea whiriwhiri hei kai-whakahaere mo nga tikanga o etahi tangata maha a no reira me whakaaro he kai-tiaki kau aua tangata i panuitia ra. Engari kahore te Komiti c whai kupu —mehemea ia c taea c ratou te whakapuaki kupu—mo te tv o enei tangata i runga i nga tikanga o te ture. Ko tenei, c mea ana te Komiti he mea tika kia tukua atu tenei pukapuka-inoi kite Kawanatunga kia whiriwhiria ai nga tikanga c ratou. Akuhata 29, 1878.

Nos. 55 and 150.—Petition of Heeemaia te Ara and 43 Others, and Wieemh Katene and 48 Others. The petitioners refer to an alleged impropriety in making up the Electoral 801 l for the Bay of Islands. They pray that the system of allowing Maoris to vote for European members should cease, and that the number of Native members in the Assembly should be increased. I am directed to report as follows: — That, in the opinion of the Committee, the Government was justified in requiring Mr. E. Williams, the brother of Mr. J. Williams, M.H.R., to resign his position of Begistration and Returning Officer for the electorate which his brother, Mr. J. Williams, represents in this House, and that in similar cases a similar course should be pursued. That the Government should without delay, and if possible during the present session, take steps to cause an inquiry withiu the district, by Royal Commission, into the charges made in the petition of alleged improper practices in the making of claims to vote for the electorate of the Bay of Islands. That such Commission should be composed of persons not being officers of the Government, residents or owners of property in the district, or having the right to vote therein. With reference to so much of the petition as relates to tho Maori dual voting, the Committee consider it unnecessary to make any recommendation, as the whole question is now under the consideration of the House. 4th September, 1878.

[Translation.] Te Pukapuka-inoi a Heeemaia te Ara me ona Hoa c 43, me Wieemh Katene me ona Hoa c 48. Ko nga kupu o enei pukapuka-inoi he whakaatu i te he ki to ratou whakaaro o te mahinga o te pukapuka rarangi ingoa o nga tangata whai mana kite pooti ite Takiwa o Pewhairangi. E tono ana ratou kia whakamutua te pooti a te Maori kite pakeha, a ko nga mema Maori o te Runanga me whakatokomaha. Kua whakahaua ahau kia ki penei atu kite Whare : —