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and a portion went to Ngatihuia. I am connected with both hapns. Then the judgment of the Court stated that Kipa Whatanui should be excluded from Te Waka. The Court also said that when the survey was completed an order would issue. At this time the Ngatihuia had sold their land to Buller and somebody else. I applied to have the survey made, and the Government agreed to do it. My survey was approved of. But when it was brought before Judge Young in 1879, Dr. Buller stood up and objected and opposed. Mr. Bees: We are forbidden by the terms of our commission to enter into particular cases We are anxious not to interrupt Kipa, but, without knowing it, he is forcing us to hear that which we are expressly forbidden to hear. Kipa Whatanui : If you had told me that sooner I would not have gone on. Mr. Bees : We were anxious not to interrupt you; but this matter is foreign to the scope of the Commission. Kipa Whatanui : Well, you have heard that there are a great many grievances under which the Maoris labour. Ido not know Avhether you will be able to deal with them. We have a voice in the Parliament of New Zealand, but we know that in one-half the Parliament of New Zealand we are not adequately represented. I think that the troubles in regard to these lands should be settled by Parliament; but, at the same time, the number of the Maori members should be increased. That is what I have to say. Atanatiu Kairangi : Salutations to you who have come here to-day ! I have much pleasure in expressing my sense of the honour you do us in coming here. Ngatiraukawa has practically said all that there is to be said. I stand up to speak with reference to another matter. The first subject that was explained by the Commissioners had reference to the Native Land Court. Ngatiraukawa has said that the matters you have dealt with are to be considered after you leave us. I have a word or two to give utterance to Avith respect to that Court. Some of us hold our lands in severalty, and others hold collectively, under Crown grant. I wish to speak to the Commissioners with regard to the land which we hold collectively. I say that in these cases Native Committees should be established to administer such lands, and -that after the Committees had finished their investigations in respect of such lands they should be submitted to the Court. That is the idea I have myself entertained for some time past. The subdividing of these lands should also be carried out by the Native Committees defining the lands that each person or each hapu, as they deem best, should have. Then, when the subdivision of any block of land has been individualised, each particular owner should have the power of dealing with his own land for lease or for sale. That is all I have to say about that. With regard to matters of contention between Europeans and Natives, I have nothing to say. I shall now refer to the matter of the school endowments. There are two schools in my district. The school at Otaki is one of them. When that school was established I was one of the children who attended it. At that time —the time of our fathers—there were about three hundred Native children attending that school. In 1865 1 left that school, and then the children ceased to live together there in large numbers. In 1874 I returned to this district, and I saw that instead of the three hundred children who formerly attended that school there were only twenty children in attendance. I have returned here once more on the present occasion, and now Ido not see any children there at all. That is the reason why people like myself and these younger men are most anxious that that land which is no longer used for the purposes for which it was given away should be returned to us. I have nothing further to say about that particular school. The second school to which I alluded is situated upon the Porirua endowment. In the year 1847 Sir George, Grey asked for land in the vicinity of Porirua to be given the Government. The Natives consented, and in 1848 the transaction was completed. And in 1848, also, Bishop Selwyn and Sir George Grey asked for a block of land called Whitiroia to be used as a school endowment, and the high chiefs of Ngatitoa consented to that land going for the purposes of a school endowment. It was agreed that it should be an endowment for the sole benefit of their own children ; and yet, from that year down to the present time there has neither been a school established there nor anything else. It is on account of nothing having been done there that AA'e ask for the return of that land also. I have nothing more to say on that subject. I wish to speak about another matter which concerns myself. It will be for you to decide whether it is a subject that you are at liberty to consider, or whether it will oblige you to say to me what you have already said to Kipa. In 1884 I sent to Parliament a petition Avith reference to certain land situated nearer the middle of the Island. It was referred to the Native Affairs Committee of both Houses of Parliament, and a report Avas presented by the Committee in my favour. This is the fifth or sixth year—perhaps more—that I have been reminding the Government of that matter, but I have received no reply. I wish to know whether or not this is a matter to which you can give consideration. Mr. Bees : Yes. It is not a matter of personal consideration of which you complain, but has reference to policy, and it therefore interests other Maoris as Avell as yourself. Atanatiu Kairangi : Then, that is all I have to say. May God preserve you ! Hoani Taipua, M.H.B. (after briefly addressing the Natives): I noAv turn to address myself to the Commission. First of all as to my idea Avith regard to the Native Land Court. In reference to Native lands that are still under Native title, I think the Native Land Court should cease having anything to do with papatipu lands in large areas. Let the Government and the Commissioners look into the troubles that exist in connection with the lands that have already been dealt with by the Court. Let not the Government place restrictions upon our lands. Do not let us be reduced to the position of slaves. Even though the areas may be large, let any restriction that may rest upon them be removed. Another application that I have to make is, that Mr. Ballance's Act of 1886 may not be put in force over our lands. I appeal to the assembly of Natives before me to say whether they approve of Mr. Ballance's Act of 1886. [The whole assemblage with great vigour responded " No."] I AA'ould also have the Commission say that those Natives who have already parted with much of their lands should be debarred from selling what small portion they have left. There