I.—B.

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No. 98. —Petition of Susannah Soeenson. The pstitioner states that land in tho Waikato to which she and her brothers had a claim was confiscated by reason of tho rebellion of the tribes of that district; that she did not prefer her claim before tho Compensation Court, because of her youth, and the absence of her father. She complains that au inquiry recommended by a Committee of the House last session has not been duly held, and prays for relief. I am directed to report as follows : — That such slight evidence as the Committee have been able to obtain in reference to the alleged claims of the petitioner does not lead to the belief that there is much reality in them. The Committee cannot therefore recommend that specific action be taken for her relief. 2nd October, 1878.

[Translation.] Te Pukapuka-inoi a Susannah Soeenson. E ki ana te kai-inoi i tangohia mo te hara o te iwi etahi whenua i whai take ai ratou ko ona tungane, kahore ia i whai kupu kite aroaro o te Kooti Whakawa mo nga whenua i tangohia notemea he tamaiti rawa ia ai te ngaro hoki tona papa. Eki ana ia i runga i tona ngakati pouri kihai i uiuia etahi mea i whakahaua kia uiuia c tetahi Komiti o te Whare o tera tau a c tono ana ia kia whakaorangia ia. Kua whakahaua ahau kia ki penei atu kite Whare : — I runga i nga kupu mania i whakapuakina i te aroaro o te Komiti mo nga tono a te kai-inoi kahore te Komiti c whakaae ho tikanga nui kei ana tono no reira i kore ai te Komiti c tohutohu atu kia mahia he tikanga whakaora. Oketopa 2, 1878.

No. 206.—Petition of Wi Parata. The petitioner sets forth that he has lately been a member of the House of Representatives and also a member of the Cabinet; that, acting on behalf of his tribe, he brought a suit in equity, the nature of which is set forth iv the petition, against the Right Reverend the Lord Bishop of Wellington, which proving abortive, he incurred personally costs to the amount of £391 12s. 4d. He prays that, as he brought the suit on public grounds, his costs may be recouped to him from the public funds of the colony. I am directed to report as follows : — That a petition was presented to tho House of Representatives in 1876, signed by Wi Parata and eighteen other persons, sotting forth tho grievance, afterwards tested in the Supreme Court, as recited in the present petition. The report of the Native Affairs Committee in that year was as follows : — " The petitioners pray that land granted by their tribe to the Bishop of New Zealand may be restored to them, the conditions of the grant not having boon complied with. lam directed to report as follows: That the educational reserve referred to in the petition is a block of land situated at Porirua, in the Province of Wellington, containing 500 acres, which in the year 1850 was conveyed by Natives of Ngatitoa aud Ngatiraukawa Tribes to the Bishop of Wellington in trust for religious and educational purposes. There cau be no doubt, from tho terms of the grant, that the erection and maintenance of a school at Porirua formed the principal condition of the trust, and it seems equally clear, from the evidence taken by this Committee, that a school has not been erected. Moreover, it does not appear that there is any intention on the part of the trustees to fulfil the condition of the trust. The Committee are not prepared to say that it would now be either wise or expedient to erect a school on this particular piece of land for the purposes indicated in the grant, and still less are they disposed to recommend that legislative action should be taken for the conveyance of the laud in question to the petitioners. But your Committee are of opinion that, if many educational reserves are similarly situated to this one, the present position of the religious, charitable, and educational trusts of the colony requires the most serious and careful consideration of the House. " 19th July, 1876." " John Beyce. The Committee cannot recommend that the petitioner's law expenses should be refunded to him by the colony, as such a course would form a very dangerous precedent. 2nd October, 1878.

[Translation*.] Te Pukapuka-inoi a Wi Parata. E ki ana te kai-inoi he mema ia, i mua ake nei, o te Runanga Nui he minita hoki ia, a i timataria c ia tetahi whakawa a ratou ko tona iwi ki to Pihopa o Werengitana, hiaga ana taua whakawa a tau ana ki aWi Parata te utunga o nga moni c £391 12s. 4d. E tono ana ia notemea i timataria eia tenei mahi whakawa i runga i te tikanga mo te katoa kia utua taua moni i roto i nga moni o te iwi. Kua whakahaua ahau kia ki penoi atu kite Whare : —■ I tukua c Wi Parata me ona hoa 18 tetahi pukapuka-inoi i te tau 1576 ki to Runanga Nui he whakaatu ite mea i whakawakia i muri iho ite Kooti Hupii-imi. Ko tenei te kupu a te Komiti o taua tail: — " E tono ana nga Kai-inoi kia whakahokia ki a ratou tetahi whenua, i tukua c to ratou iwi kite Pihopa o Niu Tireni, notemea kahore i ea nga tikanga o te karaati. " Kua whakahaua ahau kia whakapuakina tenei kupu c au : —Ko taua whenua tikanga kura c whakahuatia ana i roto i te pukapuka-inoi kei Porirua i roto i to Porowini o Werengitana, te nui o taua whenua 500 eka i tukua ite tau 1850 c nga tangata o Ngatitoa o Ngatiraukawa kite Pihopa o Niu Tireni kia tiakina eia hei painga mo nga tikauga o te whakapono ote whakaako hoki. Kahore he