I.—3a.

10. If, in the case of any lands held by Maoris, it shall be brought to the notice of the Board that such land is being overgrown by noxious weeds, the Board shall direct that such lands be cleared and improved within a certain number of years, to be stated by the Board; and, if the owners thereof do not within the said period clear the said land, then it shall be lawful for the Board to clear and improve the same on behalf of the owners thereof. 11. The Government to appoint a special Commissioner under this Act, such Commissioner to be a Maori linguist. 12. The Board to have power to appoint other Committees to take charge of the sanitary matters connected with the Maoris, namely,— (1.) To direct and correct their domestic economy; (2.) To urge their children to attend school; and (3.) To inspect their houses and dwellings and their mode of living, &c. These Committees are all to be appointed on the non-payment principle, and there should be at least ten or more such Committees in the Eastern Maori Electoral District. 14. Any lands the purchase of which, either by the Crown or by private persons, is uncompleted, shall be handed over to the Board for the purpose of either completing the purchase, or of cutting off a portion of such land equal to the interests bought, or of giving other land in exchange for the interests so bought. Due consideration to be given to the equity or otherwise of each such sale.

Suggestions re Native Legislation. Me. Heke. Finding that it is impossible to get the Parliament to assimilate the laws operating over all Native lands to those controlling the lands of Her Majesty's European subjects, and realizing that the present Administration has made it their policy to enact and bring into operation over Native lands the Crown's right of pre-emption, I have deemed it my duty to consider and adopt one of two methods, that is to say : (1) The assimilation of the Native land laws to those controlling European lands in this colony; or (2) reserving Native areas entirely from sale, and asking that the Crown purchases should cease as well as private purchases—except by way of leasing. I am, under the existing circumstances, in favour of the prohibition and reservation of all Native lands (with exceptions, according to the circumstances of some of the owners). lam also in favour of a Board being constituted. Board to consist of Europeans and Natives. Europeans to be nominated by the Governor, and the Natives to be elected by the Maoris of each district. Native districts to be created. Powers of the Board. —(1.) The leasing and the administration of all lands placed under its control. (2.) Board not to act on its own motion, but in leasing or administrating any land it must obtain its directions from the owners of any land by an application from such owners. Board not to have any judicial functions. (1.) Board not to exercise or usurp any of the functions of the Native Land Court. If the Native Land Court is to be abolished then I would suggest a substitute to be created in the following manner:—(l.) That two bodies be constituted—one to be the " General Committee," the other to be the " District Committee." Such Committees to consist of Maoris and Europeans. The General Committee to be a Court of Appeal. The District Committees to undertake the work of investigations, inquiries, partitions, successions, allocation of interests, and making orders for same, except as provided under head of Papatupu Lands. Papatupu Lands. —That all hapus, sub-hapus, families, and individuals alleging to have a right to any papatupu lands after the passing of this Act shall elect a committee from amongst themselves, such committee to be called the "Papatupu Committee," or Native-land Committee, the names of the members of such committee to be recorded in a record book, and such book to be the property of the Begistrar of the district. Its Functions. —(l) To ascertain the hapus, sub-hapus, families, and individuals properly interested; to record a list of the owners; and (2) to locate the outside boundaries, hapu boundaries, sub-hapu boundaries, family boundaries, and individual boundaries if convenient, and comply with the wishes of the owners. All proceedings under this head must be recorded, and it must give the cause, the reasons, and source of all claims to such lands, whether it is by : — (1) Ancestry (mana), (2) conquest (ringa kaha), showing (a) by whose mana the territory was protected from outside raiders and attacks, (6). for how long did such mana exist, (c) through what families was such mana held, (d) who are the nearest descendants. Members of the hapu or hapus claiming ancestry as their rights must show source in usual way: (3) Occupation; (4) gifts and

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