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I am directed to report as follows : — That the land was purchased by Government in 1875. According to ■ the petition itself, the question is one entirely between the petitioners and their friends. There being no evidence adduced the Committee has no recommendation to make. 4th August, 1882.

[Translation.] No. 272 of 1882. —Pukapuka-inoi a Paeaone . Tuwhare, Utiku Huru, Herewini Nopera me Matenga Paeeata. E Xi ana nga kai-pitihana c pa ana ratou ki Takahue No 2 c tata ana ki Mongonui, engari kaore o ratou ingoa i uru kite karaati, hokona ana taua whenua c te Kawanatanga, na te kuare o nga kaipitihana kite Ture i kore ai c hohoro te tono kia whakawakia tuarua, c nui ke atu ana i te tahi rau tangata c pa ana ki taua whenua. E inoi ana ratou kia hoatu he 200 eka kia ratou. Kua whakahaua ahau kia ki penei:— I hokona taua whenua c te Kawanatanga i te tau 1875, penei me tenei c kiia ake nei c te pitihana, he mea ke tenei ma nga kai-pitihana me a ratou hoa c whakarite. Kaore hoki he korero whakatuturu. Kaore he kupu a te komiti. 4 Akuhata, 1882.

No. 299 of 1882.—Petition of G. A. Douglas. Petitioner states that on the 14th July, 1868, a Crown grant for 1,090 acres, part of the Island of Motiti, was issued to Hori Tupaea " upon trust for himself and the other members of the tribe called Whanau-a-Tauwhao." In the same year Hori Tupaea leased the land to the petitioner for twenty-one years at a yearly rental of £70. About the year 1874 the petitioner began negotiations for purchasing, and agreed to give £1 per acre, which seems to have been fair value. It was then that the legal difficulty cropped up. Mr. Douglas's lawyer told him that Hori Tupaea could not convey. This was confirmed in a case being put before an eminent Auckland lawyer. Negotiations were then opened with Government to get the restrictions taken off. In January, 1878, Mr. Sheehan, then Native Minister, ordered a letter to be sent to Mr. Douglas, pointing out the fact that the land was held in trust and the freehold could not be disposed of, and no Trust Commissioner could pass such a deed of sale. Notwithstanding this warning, Mr. Douglas, according to his own testimony, has gone on paying money on account until the advances amount to £553. He says he did this because he still thought that, either by an Order in Council or legislation, the.restrictions would be taken off. I am directed to report as follows : —■ That the question involved is one of a very serious nature, inasmuch as there are many cases in existence similar to that of the petitioner. The Committee is satisfied the difficulty is one which can only be met by special legislation, and it cannot recommend any legislation which will not deal with the whole subject. 7th August, 1882.

[Translation.] No. 299 Pukapuka-inoi a Takerehi (G. A. Douglas.) I te 14 o Hurae 1868 i whakaputaina he Karauna karaati kia Hori Tupaea mo te 1,090 eka o te Mou* tere o Motiti, i runga i te tikanga tiaki mona me tona iwi mo '• Whanu-a-Tuwhao," I riihitia taua whenua c Hori Tupaea kite kai-pitihana i taua tau ano mo te 21 tau mo te £70 ite tau. No te tau 1874 ka tahuri te kai-pitihana kite hoko i taua whenua whakaae ana ia kite utu i te £1 mo te eka, c maharatia ana hoki he utu tika tera. No reira ka puta ake te raruraru i runga i te Ture, ki atu ana te roia a Takerehi (Douglas) c kore a Hori Tupaea c ahei kite tuku atu i taua whenua. No muri iho ka kitea te tika o taua kupu i runga i te mahinga a tetahi tino roia o Akarana i tetahi mea pera ano. Ka tahi ka tuhia atu kite Kawanatanga kia wetekina te here. No Hanuere 1878 i whakahaua etc Hiana te Minta mo te taha Maori kia tuhia atu he reta ki a Takerehi (Douglas) hei whakaatu kia ia i raro taua whenua ite tikanga tiaki, c kore hoki te Komihana kai-tiaki c whakaae kia hokona. Na i muri i te tuhinga atu o tenei kupu whakatupato kia ia tahuri tonu a Takerehi (Douglas) kite utu moni a tae noa kite £553. Eki ana ia i pera tana mahi notemea i mahara ia tera pea ka wetekina te here i runga i te ota a te Kaunihera a te Kawana, ka mahia ranei kite Ture. Kua whakahaua ahau kia kia ki penei:— He tikanga nui rawa kei roto i tenei take, natemea he maha nga mea penei mo tenei c tono nei te kai-pitihana. E mohio ana te komiti ma to hanga Ture anake c taea ai tenei, c kore c ahei te komiti te tono kia hanga he Ture mo tenei c kore nei c pa ki aua mea penei katoa. 7 Akuhata, 1882.

No. 378 of 1882.—Petition of Henare Tawha and 7 Others. Petitioners state that they approve of the Middle Island Native Villages Regulations Bill, and disapprove of the Act of 1872 giving power to the Public Trustee. I am directed to report as follows :— That, these being matters of public policy, the Committee has no recommendations to make. 9th August, 1882.

[Translation.] No. 378 of 1862.—Pukapuka-inoi a Henare Tawha me etahi atu 7. E ki ana nga kai-pitihana c whakapai ana ratou kite Pire Whakahaere Kainga Maori o te Waipounamu, c whakahe ana i te Ture mo te kai-tiaki o te tau 1872. Kua whakahaua ahau kia ki penei: — He mea enei c pa ana ki nga mahi whakahaere Kawanatanga no reira ka kore he kupu a te komiti. 9 Akuhata, 1882.