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1902. NEW ZEALAND.

THE EAST COAST NATIVE TRUST LANDS BILL COMMITTEE: REPORT, TOGETHER WITH MINUTES OF EVIDENCE. (Mr. MASSEY, Chairman.)

Report brought up on the 27th August, 1902, and ordered to be printed.

ORDERS OF REFERENCE. Extracts from the Journals of the House of Representatives. Friday, the 22nd Day of August, 1902. Ordered, " That a Select Committee be appointed, consisting of eight members, three to be a quorum, to whom shall be referred the East Coast Native Trust Lands Bill; the Committee to consist of Mr. A. L. D. Fraser, Mr. W. Fraser, Mr. McNab, Mr. Massey, Mr. Millar, Mr. Pirani, Sir W. R. Russell, and the mover."—(Hon. Sir J ' Ordered, "That the East Coast Native Trust Lands Bill be referred to the Select Committee appointed to consider the same."—(Hon. Sir J. G. Ward.)

REPORT.

The above Committee, to whom was referred the Bast Coast Native Trust Lands Bill, have the honour to report that thev have carefully considered the said Bill, and have taken evidence thereon, and recommend that the Bill be allowed to proceed, with the amendments shown in the copy attached hereto. W. F. Massey, Chairman. 27th August, 1902.

MINUTES OF EVIDENCE.

Tuesday, 26th August, 1902. Frederick de Carteret Malet examined. (No. 1.) 1. The Chairman.] Will you give your full name to the Committee ?—Frederick de Carteret Malet, residing in Christchurch. 2. What is your business?—l have no business; I call myself a farmer. lam Chairman of the Bank of New Zealand. _ 3 Have you read the Bill which is now being considered by the Committee >— JNo, sir. 4' Do you feel inclined to make a statement regarding it to the Committee ?—Well, I can only say this for the information of the Committee: that the Bank of New Zealand was approached by the representatives of the trustees, and we were asked to suggest that action should be taken in the direction of this Bill to preserve the lands for the Natives, and the bank considered the matter and acquiesced in the suggestion that a Bill should be introduced with the object of postponing the sale for some time. We originally thought of a year, and we subsequently consented to the suggestion from the trustees that it should be two years, and the Bill was drawn up on those lines, and an agreement was drawn up and executed by the bank. The bank was anxious to afford every facility for bringing the matter to a settlement. It has been standing now, I think, for something like twenty-two years. I think it is about twenty-two years since the first advance was made to the trustees. It is a long and involved history. As far as the bank is concerned, it has no purpose to serve at all The position as it stands to-day is that we have judgment against these lands. We have an order of the Supreme Court for the sale of the lands on Friday next, and unless some superior power to the order of the Court intervenes the sale proceeds on Friday. The bank has no desire to force the position in any way whatever. It would be very pleased if a Bill of this nature were passed in order to put an end to litigation and proceedings in the Courts which have been taking place for some years past. The bank has no purpose to serve at all except to bring this I—l. 14.