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1913. NEW ZEALAND.

NATIVE LAND CLAIMS ADJUSTMENT ACT, 1910: REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION ON PETITION No. 597/1910, RELATIVE TO TE UNUUNU BLOCK.

Laid before Parliament in compliance with Section 2X of the Native Land Claims Adjustment and Laws Amendment Act. 1910.

Native Land Court (Chief Judge's Office), Wellington, 2nd July, 1913. The Hon. the Native Minister, Wellington. Re Te Unuunu Block. Pursuant to section 28 of the Native Land Claims Adjustment Act, 1910, I have the honour to forward herewith report in connection with the above-mentioned block, and I would strongly recommend you to advise the Native Affairs Committee that, in the opinion of myself and of the Judge of the district within which the land is situated, the petition is wholly without merit. Personally, I think petitioner should be compelled to pay the costs of the Court inquiry, but I am afraid there is no statutory provision for such. Jackson Palmer, Chief Judge.

In the Native Land Court of New Zealand, Wellington District.—ln the matter of a parcel of land known as Te Unuunu ; and in the matter of a reference to the Court for inquiry and report by the Chief Judge in pursuance of section 28 of the Native Land Claims Adjustment Act, 1910. . To the Chief Judge. I beg to report that, at sittings of the Native Land Court held at Greytown on the 23rd, 24th, and 25th days of May, 1911, I inquired into the merits of the petition of Hape Renata and others regarding the title to the Te Unuunu Block. The petitioners were represented, and tendered evidence in support of their petition. The respondents wen- also represented by counsel, but called no evidence. The facts appeal to be as follows : — Te Unuunu contains 1,883 acres, and once formed part of a large block, which was purchased by the Crown in 1855, the aforesaid piece of 1,883 acres being excepted from sale and becoming afterwards a Native reserve within the meaning of section 11 of the Native Lands Act, 1867. On the 2nd May, 1870, the Native Land Court investigated the title and awarded the block to seven persons, subject to a survey being made and the boundaries marked within six months. As the survey was not made within the time limited, no title was issued. In 1882 a Commission was appointed to ascertain the title to the block, and as a result of his report of the 25th March, 1884, a certificate of title was issued on the 11th August, 1891, in favour of seventyfive persons—such certificate to date back to the 25th March, 1884. These seventy-five names represented three hapus —Ngatimahu, Ngatikawaikairangi, and Ngaitumapuhia—and on a partition in 1888 a piece, containing 380 acres, was cut off in the south-east of the block for Ngaitumapuhia, and was awarded to thirty-seven persons with defined shares. This division is called " Te Unuunu No. 2," and the residue of the block, containing 1,503 acres, was awarded to the remaining owners with undefined interests, and was called " Te Unuunu No. 1." The relative shares in No. 1 were defined in 1895, when, as a result of a conference and arrangement made outside the Court, a list of owners with suggested relative shares was handed in, read, and passed, there being no objectors. The father of Hape Renata, one of the present petitioners, was present, and spoke in support of the list of shares.