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495. Paetai said: lam speaking for the Ngatihine, and I wish to ask the Commission to have my land and house given me at Takiruahine. I ask for this land because I never received takoha. I have not received any money at all. 496. The Commissioners: We shall see whether there are any houses on Section C, and, if there are any, an arrangement may be made to add that part of the reserve to Section 5, which has been reserved for the Natives, and those entitled to it will get it. 497. Mohi: That land was reserved for Wharematangi, Tuteri, and Mawhiti. 498. The Commissioners -. We find that the land was originally reserved for Wharematangi, Tuteri, and Mawhiti, and there is no need to go any further into the matter now. 499. Hone Pihama : I wish to explain that Tuteri and Mawhiti both received money, but Wharematangi did not. That is why a piece of land should be given to Pairama and some others. 500. The Commissioners: Are we to understand from Hone Pihama that Paetai has as good a claim as Tuteri and Mawhiti ?—That is what I mean. 501. The Commissioners.] After what Hone Pihama has said, we are of opinion that Section 5 was originally reserved for the three persons just named, Wharematangi, Tuteri, and Mawhiti. Then there is Section 6, upon which there may be a ivhare ; and, as Mohi recommends there should be provision made for Paetai and Pairama, we will do so out of the land left in Section 6; but we cannot yet say how much there will be. 502. Maewai said: The block of land I wish to speak of was given by Mr. Eichmond to my father, Kirione. It was in the Kakaramea Block and near the pa. 503. The Commissioners: We do not see any reserve at all marked as having been so agreed about at the time. In what year was it ?—ln tho year 1866. 504. The only award made at the time was one for Nikorema Taiaroa of 120 acres, and that was afterwards bought by Mr. Stevenson, and subsequently by the Government. —The land I refer to is 120 acres inland. 505. No ; is not that part of the pa ? —The piece for Nikorema was reserved subsequently. 506. Tes ; but it was done in accordance with the promise of Mr. Eichmond, who was then Native Minister, and he directed what should be done ?—That was awarded by the Compensation Court, but the promise I refer to was made previously. 507. It is no use saying that. The Compensation Court settled that business, and we cannot reopen it. We can only deal with things that are new. 507a. Maewai: Then who has Nikorema's land ? 508. The Commissioners : The land has been sold, but we do not know who has it now. It was sold to the two Stevensons. 509. Pehi Turoa said: I wish to go on with what I stated yesterday, that if the Ngatihine speak about this land I would speak also ; and now that my relative has spoken and mentioned the place, I also will speak. Although what I state may not quite agree with what I have already said, yet they were the men who were there and saw what Mr. Eichmond pointed out. Although I did not appear before the Court, still I have spoken about the matter to the Government, and to Sir Donald McLean while he was alive ; and he said, " Leave it for the present, and I will look into it," but the matter ended there without him doing anything. 510. The Commissioners : What we understand is, that Sir Donald McLean did look into the matter and negatived the claim; did he not ?—That is another claim. That is a request made by Tahana and Pehi after they came back from Dunedin, where they had been prisoners. After that, Mete Kingi and myself went to Sir George Grey and Mr. Sheehan at Waitara. I spoke about it there, and Sir George Grey said, " Leave it until we go to Wellington," and so I went down there. When I got to Wellington Major Brown was there, and I repeated my claim to him as I had done to Sir Donald McLean and Mr. Sheehan. He said the same : " Wait, and leave it to the Commissioners. I will look into it." I am making my claim after the people and the land have gone from us. What my relatives are asking for has been settled, and all respecting the block of land and takoha has been finished. As to what my relative has just stated about the land promised by Mr. Eichmond to our parent Kirione, I will support her; that is, if she is correct. These people have all been settled with. Their blocks have been awarded and takoha received. Although lam without land and stand destitute, still I cannot ask for any, because I see it will not be granted ; but perhaps there is another place which may be granted if requested. I will finish now about the land, but will say this to the Civil Commissioner: Will you not have compassion on me in consequence of the payment of takoha ? 511. Major Brown: I have inquired into this matter, and the reply received by me from the Natives of this district was this : " We do not go to Hawaiki to claim reserves or takoha, and therefore do not see why Hawaiki should come here to claim land or money." That is an illustration of the remoteness of the claim ; and it has not therefore been admitted by any Government. 512. Mr. Parris: As to the application of Maewai for what she says Mr. Eichmond promised, I. wish to state, in explanation to the Commission, that in 1867, when Mr. Eichmond was travelling up and down here with me, there were numerous applications for small reserves. Mr. Eichmond never made a final promise as to where reserves would be, but said that the whole question would have to be considered. It is true what she said regarding Kirione :in order to be prepared for anything that might be necessary at Kakaramea, Mr. Eichmond ordered a 600-acre reserve to be made there ; but it was not called a Native reserve, only a reserve made by the Government. Some time after this, when Titokowaru went through the whole district, many things that had been brought before Mr. Eichmond were upset by succeeding Governments. When things quieted down, and before anything was done to settle reserves, this 600-acre reserve was ordered to be cut up into 120--acre allotments, and to be given to the people of Kakaramea; and Nikorema got 120 acres. The money grant which they had asked for was lost in consequence of the raids made by Titokowaru. 513. Pehi Turoa: I wish to answer Major Brown's statement as to the illustration about the people from Hawaiki not coming here to claim land. Tahaua claimed land for those people who were here, but Pehi claimed money. Tahaua was offered £50, but he said, "No ; I will sooner have the }and,"