G.— l,

" 3. The Chief Judge and Judges of this Court shall choose the most intelligent, well-informed, sober, and exemplary men to be Assessors—men who will not be guilty of those objectionable practices not unknown to the Assessors both of this Island and Waipounamu. The Assessors to be associated with the Chief Judge only in carrying on his investigations or his inquiries into applications for rehearings or such other investigations by Commission ordered by the Chief Judge or the Government in pursuance of the public necessities of the colony in relation to Native lands, the duties of such Assessors, Chief Judge, and Commission being more specifically set forth hereinafter. "4. Six competent Assessors to be selected from the Assessors of the colony, or the whole tribes of the tAvo Islands.—Passed. "5. All such Assessors to be paid an. annual salary, the Government, together with the Chief Judge to determine the rate of annual remuneration. " 6. Should any Assessor be guilty of improper conduct, drunkenness, or show partiality to any of the suitors in cases before the Court, or any investigation or Commission of Inquiry, such Assessor to be removed from his position and a substitute appointed.—Passed. "7. Should the Chief Judge of this District Native Land Court preside over any case, let there he not less than two Assessors sitting with him to hear the case that is being adjudicated upon or the subject of investigation. " 8. The Chief Judge of this District Native Land Court may adjudicate upon any claim submitted to him by the Committee for investigation claims; such applications to be sealed with the seal of the Committee, or to be signed by the Chairman, together with an explanation by the Chairman as to the grounds of the application or claim, Avhether or not such application or claim relates to land in the papatipu state, land for subdivision, or to cases where successors are to be appointed. The District Committee of the Court, along Avith the Chairman, to be the proper parties to deal with such cases as are mentioned in clause 8 of this law. " 9. In investigations only of applications for r<jhearings shall it be proper for two Assessors to sit along with the Chief Judge of the District Native Land Court. " 10. No applications made by any person or persons to the Chief Judge of this Court in relation to papatipu lands, subdivisions, or succession shall be dealt with. All such applications for adjudicating upon papatipu, lands, subdivision, succession claims must be sent to the office of the Chief Judge of this Court or to such place as the Chief Judge may determine. Upon the receipt of all such applications by the Chief Judge he Avill forward them to the Chairman of the Committee of the district for investigating claims, and to AA'hich such applications as aforesaid relate. The same mode of procedure in reference to applications to be observed throughout both Islands. The Chief Judge of the Native Land Court shall appoint such time as he may think fit for the members of the Committees for investigating titles to meet in their respective districts hereinafter to be specified. "11. Upon applications for adjudicating claims, such as are specified in the preceding section 10, being received by the Chief Judge of this Court, he will transmit them to the Chairman of the Committee of Investigation, to be considered by his Committee. The Chief Judge of this Court to publicly notify the date upon which the Chairman and the Committee of Investigation shall consider the nature and circumstances of all such applications, whether the same relate to papatipu \b___s, subdivision succession, cases, sales, leases, surveys, mortgages, wills, and all such similar subjects of contention, forming the subject-matter of applications to the Chief Judge. The names of applicants shall be published, and the nature of their applications, together AA-ith the intimation setting forth the name of the place where, and the month and the day Avhen, the Committee of Investigation shall proceed to consider the nature and purport of all such applications submitted to it. " 12. Applications for rehearing papatipu claims, claims for subdivision, and succession, not included in the provisions set forth in clause 10 of this IaAV, shall be dealt Avith by the Chief Judge and such Assessors as he may choose to sit Avith him. " 13. On the Committee for Investigation having completed their inquiry into all matters pertaining to applications as set forth in clause 10 above enumerated, the proceedings should be permanently recorded in writing in the Committee's records, and in duplicate, one copy to be forwarded to the Chief Judge for his information and the information of the Judges of the Court and the Committee of the Native Land Court of the district, one copy to be retained in the office of the Committee of Investigation as a record of the proceedings. " 14. All such applications as are enumerated in clause 10 of this laAv, approved by the majority of this Committee as correct, shall be signed by the Chairman, avlio shall affix his signature to each application, certifying that himself and the Committee are satisfied. After the seal of the Committee has been affixed to all such applications, they shall be declared as finally passed. The Clerk of the Committee shall record the Committee's decision in the minutes of proceedings, quoting the number of each application so passed, together with the numbers of all such applications as are not indorsed or approved of by the Committee. The Chairman shall note that ail such applications are not approved of by the Committee, signifying the reason Avhy the Committee disapprove. All applications so disapproved of shall not have affixed to them the seal of the Committee. " 15. When the Committee for inquiring into all such claims for investigation of cases as set forth in clause 10 of this law has concluded its proceedings, it shall be proper to transmit to the office of the Chief Judge one of the duplicate copies referred to, together Avith all the applications forwarded by the Chief Judge to that Committee, including all such matters as are comprised within the Gazette notice. The inquiry, and the duty of the Committee, shall then be deemed to be determined and concluded. - " 16. Thereafter it shall be the duty of the Chief Judge of this Court to forward the applications, so signed by the Chairman of the Committee of Investigation of Claims, and sealed with the Committee's seal, and duly approved, to the Begistrar, to bo gazetted, in like manner as applications are gazetted for the Native Land Court, now known as the District Native Land Court.

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