1.-8

2

[Translation.] RIPOATA O TE KOMITI WHIEIWHIRI MO NGA KEREME MAORI KI TE WAIPOUNAMU. Ko te Komiti Whiriwhiri i whakaturia hei hurihuri hei ripoata mo runga mo nga kereme Maori ki Te Waipounamu, a ka»whai honore te Komiti ki te whakaatu i ma hara ratou me timata ta ratou hurihuri i te keehi a Ngaitahu (e mohiotia ana ko te hoko a To Keepa) a i runga i te whanui rawa o nga take e tika ana Ida kimihia i runga i te ahua o taua keehi me te nui rawa o nga pukapuka me nga korero epa ana ki taua mea. A no te mea no te 23 o Hune katahi ka timata te mahi o taua Komiti na reira kihai i ahei te mahi te uiui i nga hoko o Otakou Murihiku me Akaroa. Ko enei mea kua korero tia i te tuatahi ake nei koina te take nana i arai te Komiti a kihai i oti te hurihuri mo te keehi o Ngaitahu, engari he nui rawa nga mea kua oti, ara te whiriwhiri me te kohi kohi i nga korero me nga tini pukapuka me nga korero a ugutu me te whakatakoto pai i aua mea katoa ; a i runga i tenei tera e mama te mahi o tetahi Komiti mehemea ka whakaturia a muri ake nei. Kua oti hoki te whakahuihui te whakapoto i nga korero me nga mea katoa e pa ana ki te keehi o Ngaitahu mai ano i tona timatatanga. Kua whakarongo hoki te Komiti i te korero i whaka puakina e Te Matara me Te Eoretana me Taiaroa, a kua tae mai hoki te korero whakaatu a Te Taka, minita. Ko tenei huihuinga korero me te Apiti me nga korero a ngutu kua oti ra te whakaatu i runga ake nei ka tukua atu inaianei hui atu ki te ripoata. A na te mea i runga i te poto o te wa e toe ana e kore e taea te whakaoti pai i tenei uiui inaianei, he mea nui rawa hoki tenei e kore e tika kia mahia hangahanga noaihotia. A ite mea hoki ka mutu te mana o tenei Komiti ana mutu te noho o te Paramete nei, na reira e whakaaro ana te Komiti, me whiriwhiri me whakatu he Komiti penei ano i te tuatahi tonu ana huihui mai te Paramete i tenei wa e haere ake nei. Kia whakaotia paitia te uiui me te tirotiro mo te keehi a Ngaitahu, me te whakaoti i era atu keehi. E tono ana hoki te Komiti kia perehitia nga korero kohikohi me nga korero apiti me nga korero whakaatu, me perehi ki te pukapuka motuhake a me tuku atu ki nga mema o nga Whare c rua. 22 o Akuhata, 1888. Na Te Tiwene, Tiamana.

AN EPITOME OP THE NGAITAHU CASE.—(l7th July, 1888.) The first instructions bearing on the purchase of the block appear to have been given by His Excellency the Governor to Lieut.-Governor Eyre. They are contained in a despatch, dated the Bth April, 1848,' from which the following is an extract: " Appoint some person for the purpose of extinguishing any title to the tract of country in the Middle Island lying within the limits before alluded to, which may, upon inquiry, be found to be vested in the Native inhabitants thereof. The mode in which I propose that this arrangement should be concluded is by reserving to the Natives ample portions for their present and prospective wants; and then, after the boundaries of these reserves have been marked, to purchase from the Natives their rights to the whole of the remainder of their claims to land in the Middle Island. The payment to be made to the Natives should be an annual one, and should be spread over a period of four or five years. An arrangement of this nature will remove all possibility of the occurrence of any future disputes or difficulties regarding Native claims to land in that part of the Middle Island." Acting upon this despatch Lieut.-Governor Eyre issued instructions to Mr. Kemp, in a letter of the 25th April, 1848, 2 in which he said, "In entering upon the arrangements necessary to effect this object it will be your duty to reserve to the Natives ample portions of land for their present and prospective wants; and then, after the boundaries of these reserves have been marked, to purchase from the Natives their right to the whole of the remainder of their claims to land in the Middle Island. The payment to be made to the Natives must be an annual one, and be spread over a period of four or five years, as the only means of removing all possibility of the occurrence of any further disputes or difficulties regarding Native claims to land in that part of the Middle Island. On your arrival at Otago one of the New Zealand Company's surveyors will, by Colonel Wakefield's directions, undertake the survey and marking-out of the Native reserves you may consider it requisite to make." It will be seen that the instructions contemplated a final arrangement upon reserves being made to meet the wants of the Natives, and upon the payment of a sum of money to be made. On the 19th June, 1848, Mr. Kemp announced the completion of his mission, 8 and forwarded the deed of cession 4 duly executed. Exception was taken to this deed by Lieut.-Governor Eyre '"' on the ground of departure from instructions/' in not making specific reserves, and the manner of the payment of the purchasemoney. The next step taken was Mr. Mantell being sent by Lieut.-Governor Eyre with a view to completing the arrangements entered into by Mr. Kemp. Those portions of his instructions 7 bearing upon the inquiry were as follows : " Deciding upon and seeing marked distinctly on the ground the

1 App. No. 1, Governor Grey to Lieut.-Governor Eyre, Bth April, 1848, p. 208, Vol. i., Native Affairs, South Island. - App. No. 2, Instructions from Lieut.-Governor Eyre to Mr. Kemp, 25th April, 1848. 3 App. No. 3, Letters from Mr. Kemp, 19th, 20th, and 21st June, 1848, pp. 209, 210, Vol. i., N.A., S.I. 4 App. No. 4, Translation of deed and receipts, 12th June, 1848, pp. 211 and 212. 5 App. No. 4a, Letter from Mr. Gisborne to Mr. Kemp, 21st Juno, 1848. 8 App. No. 5, Despatch from Lieut.-Governor Eyre to His Excellency, sth July, 1848. ' App. No. 6, Letter of instructions to Mr. Mantcll from Mr. Gisborne, 2nd August, 1848.