1.—3

20

[Translation.] Te Pukapuka-inoi a Aperahama Tahunuiarangi. Ko tenei pukapuka-inoi c whai tikanga ana ki tetahi pukapuka-inoi i tukua mai kite Whare i te tau 1876, i penei te kupu a te Komiti o taua tau : — "Ko te Kupu ate Komiti mo runga ite Pukapuka-inoi a Aperahama Tahunuiarangi. (No te Tau 1876 i tukua mai ai.) " Ko te kai-inoi he rangatira no te Iwi o Ngatiapa c ki ana ia c pouri ana ia notemea kahore ratou ko tona iwi i ora i nga porowhita i whakaritea mo ratou i roto i etahi hokonga whenua o mua i nga Takiwa o Whanganui o Rangitikei a ko tona tikanga ki reira he tikanga kau no ratou tahi ko etahi atu tangata o tona iwi. " Kua whakahaua ahau kia ki penei atu kite Whare : — " Xi te whakaaaro o te Komiti ma te Kawanatanga c whiriwhiri te tikanga o te mea c whakahuatia ana i roto i te pukapuka-inoi. " John Bryce, " Hepetema 6, 1877." " Tumuaki. Kua whakahaua ahau kia ki atu kite Whare, kahore he kupu hou ma ratou. Oketopa 24,1878.

No. 96. —Petition of Te Kobowhiti Tuataka (Mrs. Douglas). The petitioner, who is a Native of Wairoa, on the East Coast of the North Island, states that her name was wrongfully omitted from a grant, notwithstanding that she was universally admitted to be the principal owner; that Captain Morris has purchased the land in question from the grantees, and is now seeking to have it ratified by the Government. The petitioner proceeds to say that she has made many applications, without success, to the Government for that relief which she now requests from the House. I am directed to report as follows : — (1.) That the evidence taken in this case has led the Committee to believe that the petitioner had some right to have her name inserted in the grant of a piece of land including Pukepoto, Ohaituiti, Te Karai, situated in the District of Tauranga; but the Committee are not prepared to estimate the value of her claim. (2.) That the non-insertion of the petitioner's name in the grant arose probably partly through the forgetfulness of her own people, as stated in evidence. (3.) That the Committee have no reason to believe, and do not believe, that Mr. Clarke, of the Native Department, assisted Captain Morris in the purchase of the block of land in question. (4.) That the Committee have not sufficient means to enable them to estimate the value of the petitioner's claim, if any, and therefore recommend that a Commission be appointed, consisting of one Judge and one Assessor of the Native Land Court, possessing all the powers of the Court, to ascertain and determine the nature and extent of the petitioner's interest iv the land in question, and to report upon the circumstances under which she came to be left out of the Crown grant. (5.) That, in the opinion of the Committee, this recommendation ought not to form a precedent for any cases which have been heard before the Native Land Court. (6.) That, in the opinion of the Committee, no other portions of the land in the Tauranga District which was returned by the Government to the Natives should be allowed to be alienated, by way of sale or by way of lease, for a longer period than twenty-one years, aud then only by public auction or by public tender. 24th October, 1878. [Translation.] Te Pukapuka-inoi a Te Korowhiti Tuataka (Mrs. Douglas). Eki ana te kai-inoi —he tangata Maori ia no Wairoa ite taha kite Tai Rawhiti ote Ika-a-Maui—l he te hapanga o tona ingoa i roto i tetahi Karauna karaati ahakoa i whakaaetia ko ia tetahi o nga tino tangata no ratou taua whenua. Hokona ana c Kapene Morihi te whenua i nga tangata ote karaati a c tono ana ia inaianei kia whakamana taua hoko etc Kawanatanga. Eki ana te kai-inoi kua maha ana tona kite Kawanatanga kia whakaputaina he oranga ngakau ki a ia, kihai i whakaaetia no reira kua tahuri mai ia kite Paremete tono ai. Kua whakahaua ahau kia ki penei atu kite Whare : — (1.) I runga i nga korero kua puakina i te aroaro o te Komiti c whakaaro ana ratou i whai tikanga ano te kai-inoi kia whakaurua tona ingoa ki roto kite piihi whenua c uru nei enei ingoa a Pukepoto, a Ohauiti, me Te Karae ki roto kei te takiwa o Tauranga engari kahore te Komiti c marama kite whakarite i te nui i te iti ranei o ona paanga ki reira. (2.) He wareware pea no tona iwi ki a ia i hapa ai tona ingoa i te karaati inahoki i puta he kupu pera i te aroaro o te Komiti. (3.) Kahore he take i whakapono ai te Komiti, a kahore ratou c whakapono i awhina aTe Karaka, o te Tari Maori, i a Kapene Morihi i tana hokonga i taua whenua. (4.) Kahore te Komiti c marama kite whakarite i te nui i te iti ranei o te paanga o tenei wahine mehemea ia c whai paanga ana ia, koia te Komiti i mea ai kite Whare he mea pai ki ta ratou whakaaro kia whakaturia tetahi Komihana Kia kotahi Kai-whakawa kia kotahi Ateha o te Kooti Whenua Maori ko to raua mana ko te mana tonu o te Kooti ma raua c kimi te ahua me te nui o te take o te kai-inoi ki to whenua kua whakahuatia i runga ake nei ma raua c whakaatu nga take i ngaro ai te ingoa o Te Korowhiti i roto i te Karauna karaati. (5.) Engari ko tenei kupu ate Komiti kaua c waiho hei tauira mo etahi atu whenua kua whakawakia i te aroaro o te Kooti Whenua Maori. (6.) Xi te whakaaro o tenei Komiti kaua etahi atu wahi o te whenua i Tauranga i whakahokia etc Kawanatanga ki nga Maori c tukua kia hokona, kia riihitia ranei mo nga tau nuku ake i te rua tekau ma tahi engari ko aua riihi me mahi i runga i te hoko karangaranga anake kia mohio ai te katoa, i runga ranei i te uiui kite katoa kia kitea ai ko wai ranei te tangata c utu i te utu nui. Oketopa 24, 1878.