G.—2. (Appendix A.)

restored to such of the Native owners thereof as have not been actually engaged in warfare against the Queen, or who, having been so engaged, have returned to their loyalty —should be acted on by the Government in the direction of assigning allotments under Crown grants to such Natives, irrespective of their original holdings, whether as individuals or as members of kapus or tribes ; as the indiscriminate giving-up of such unappropriated lands to the original owners thereof might enrich a few Natives, but would effectually deprive the Government of the power of awarding lands to other members of the said tribes, whose lands have been otherwise disposed of.

-• No. 6. Eeport of the Native Affairs Committee of the House of Bepresentatives on the Petition of Pehimana te Tahua and others, presented by Mr. Wi Parata, M.H.8., for the Bestoration of the Confiscated Lands : 25th September, 1872. [Parliamentary Papers, 1872, H.-11, p. 4.]

Your Committee have the honor to report that the following resolution was agreed to : — " That your Committee do not feel at liberty to recommend the House to interfere in the matter of the prayer of the petition in the direction proposed. The Committee are of opinion, nevertheless, that where it is found to be the case that tribes have not been actively engaged in warfare against the Queen, or, having been engaged, have returned to their loyalty, the lands which have been taken from them, if not otherwise disposed of, should be restored to the Native owners." 25th September, 1872.

No. 7. Letter from Mr. Wi Parata, M.H.8., regarding the Bestoration of the Land North of Waingongoro.

Ki a Wiremu Makitonore. Poneke, Hepetema 12,1872. Ehoa tena koe. Kua tae mai tau reta ki a au. Kua rongo hoki koutou kua hinga te Kawanatanga tawhito, kua tu he Kawanatanga hou. Ehoa ma, ka tahi ano ka marama iti ake etahi tikanga mo nga Maori me o ratou whenua i tangohia. Tera e whakahokia etahi wahi, nga wahi e takoto kau ana. Ko nga wahi ia kua hokona i mua ki etahi pakeha, ekore ena e taea inaianei. Ehoa, ehe ana te mahi a Parete ki taua whenua: Ko Waingongoro te wahi kua tino whakahokia ki nga Maori, tae noa ki Taranaki: kua tino oti tena :he pokanoa ta Parete. Heoi. Na W. Parata.

(Translation.) To William McDonnell. Wellington, 12th September, 1872. Eriend, salutations. I have received your letter. Tou have all heard that the old Government has fallen and a new Government has come in. My friends, at last it is to a small extent clear that something may be done for the Maoris and their lands which were taken from them. Very likely parts will be returned —the parts which have not been taken up. The parts which have already been sold to pakehas (Europeans) cannot be meddled with at present. Eriend, the work of Parris in regard of that land is wrong. Erom Waingongoro all the way to Taranaki is in reality returned to the Maoris—this is quite decided. Parris is interfering without authority. Enough. Wi Parata.

No. 8. Letters and Telegrams between Hon. Mr. Stafford, Hon. Mr. McLean, and Te Keepa [Major Kemp] in September, 1872, respecting the Bestoration of the Confiscated Lands.

1. — Telegram from Hon. Mr. Stafford to Major Kemp. To Major Kemp, Whanganui. Government Buildings, 24th September, 1872. A word to you from Mr. Stafford, inasmuch as news has reached here that the Maoris are returning in small numbers to Waitotara and the Wairoa. Do you issue instructions for the return of those people, lest trouble arise. The Government wish Mr. Worgan to purchase all the lands 'belonging to the Maoris there, and the people to be settled upon other land when land has been found available for that purpose, either in Whanganui or elsewhere. Do you send me a telegram, and I will show it to Mr. Stafford, so that he may know your opinion ; but reply at once. G. S. Cooper.

2. — Fxtract from Telegram of Major Kemp in reply to Hon. Mr. Stafford. Whanganui, 25th Septemher, 1872. The cause of all the trouble was Taranaki. commencing at Waingongoro right on to Stoney Biver. Those lands have been returned to those tribes by the Government: it is this which has troubled the spirit of these [Major Kemp's] people.

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