Gi—2.

is going to put a stop to the survey of the Plains. This is going too far: Blake's own influence, or Takiora's, does not go far with the Natives; but using the Native Minister's name as being opposed to the acquiring of confiscated lands, cannot but have a bad effect with the Natives; and steps should, I think, be taken to prevent his using the Native Minister's name in opposing the acquirement of these lands by the Government. Some of the Natives know Blake too well to place any reliance on what he says ; but of course there are many who are opposed to ceding those lands, who are ready to believe anything favourable to their views. "Major Brown, GO, New Plymouth." " P. G. Wilson. 710. When did you report that to the Government ?—I did not report that until the present Government took office; not in writing. I reported it in December last to the present Government, but I did not report it in writing to the previous Government, because I did not think it would be of any use; but I reported it to Mr. Sheehan verbally. He said that Captain Blake should not have done so, but I did not understand that Mr. Sheehan denied the correctness of Captain Blake's statement to the Natives, that I was not authorized by Sir George Grey or Mr. Sheehan to take the survey on to the Plains. Mr. Bobert Parris, late Civil Commissioner, examined. 711. The Commissioners.] We are about to examine you respecting the arrangements made by you on behalf of the Government on the. West Coast. Tou were Civil Commissioner at the time the arrangements w rere made, after the sitting of the Compensation Court, for the settlement of the awards ? —I was. 712. We will take, in the first place, the arrangements made on the south of the original settled districts at New Plymouth: and we will begin with the Oakura District. In your report to the Government, dated 29th August, 1870, you gave a general description of the arrangements made, in these words: " There was awarded in the Oakura District, from the Omata boundary to the Stoney Biver, to resident loyal Natives, all the unappropriated portion of the block of land seaward of the inland line of the military settlements, at the Oakura and Okato." Did that arrangement settle all the questions then pending between the Compensation Court and the Natives ? —lt did. There used to be on the survey maps an imaginary line drawn, within which all the land unallotted to military settlers, and all unallotted land seaward of the military settlers' land, was to be handed back to me for the Natives. It was put in this way : All land seaward of and within military settlers' settlements that had not been allotted to military settlers was to be handed back to me for Native purposes. 713. Can you give us the names of the chiefs and the tribes for whom that land was to be given back?—l will commence at Omata and go south. Bobert Ngarongomate and his following; Porikapa and his following ; Komene and his following. Those were the three leading friendly Natives between Omata and Hangatahua. 714. Will you describe the lands separately ?—At Oakura there were 96 town sections, containing 66 acres: these were all allotted to Ngarongomate and his people. 715. They were separate sections? —Tes; sections that had not been allotted to military settlers. Then there was the suburban land, comprising 134 acres, which was tbe town belt of Oakura. The next was at Koru: here there were 20 town sections, and 75 acres suburban. There was another reserve, of 101 acres, abutting on the Tapuae Biver, seaward of the Koru township, and inland of the South Boad : also another, wbich was called Poutoko and Poukiekie, of 460 acres. We found there were two burial-places within a piece of land that had been allotted to Mr. Pitcairn, a military settler, and these two pieces were also reserved for Ngarongomate. He complained about these two burial-grounds being included in Pitcairn's grant, and he gave up a piece of land which belonged to the Natives, and had the burial-grounds restored to him in exchange. 716. Was there not a certain part out of the Poutoko afterwards granted to Mr. Wellington Carrington ?—There were 300 acres which had been previously granted to Mr. Carrington, leaving 460 acres, Poutoko and Poukiekie, still belonging to Ngarongomate and his people. Kaitake, and another piece at Pahitere, were also handed back to Ngarongomate and his people; they contained 848 acres. I now come to the reserves for Komene's people. First at Ahuahu: there were 32 town sections, 16 acres; and 137 acres suburban. These were individualized. The Crown grants are not yet issued. Then there is a block between Kaitake and the Pouakai Bange. That was divided as follows : For Ngarongomate and his followers, 5,800 acres ; for Komene and his followers, 1,300 acres ; and for Porikapa and his followers, 1,600 acres : making a total of 8,700 acres. Hauranga has also been subdivided and given to the Natives. That completes the arrangements made in the Oakura District up to Taturaimaka. Farther south, the following arrangements were made : The belt of the Okato Township, containing 160 acres, which was individualized, was reserved ; also six unallotted military-settlers' sections, and a reserve abutting on the Hangatahua Biver. There is a large piece of land between the coast and the military settlements, bounded on the south by the Hangatahua, and on the north by the Katikara. This block was intended to be sold, but, on account of a deficiency in the land for the friendly Natives, it was included in the arrangement when the land was handed back to me. The land has been individualized, and I believe all the Crown grants have been issued. That completes the list of reserves between Omata and Stoney Biver. 717. In your report just quoted from, you refer to the block between Stoney Biver and Waiweranui, which you there call " Division 8," and you say that 1,625 acres had been awarded to resident loyal Natives there ; while further on you say that Division 8 has been abandoned, and that the awards of the Compensation Court in that division would merge in the abandonment. Will you explain that? —The land within those two boundaries was not formally proclaimed as having been abandoned ; but, as it had been promised to the Ngamahanga, I supposed that the awards made by the Compensation Court on that particular block would merge in the abandonment, and be no longer a charge on the Government. 718. What was the authority for the statement, constantly repeated in official papers, that this block was abandoned ? —On the 12th February, 1867,1 sent in a report to the Native Minister, which I

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