G.—6a

1917. NEW ZE A L AND.

NATIVE LAND AMENDMENT AND NATIVE LAND CLAIMS ADJUSTMENT ACT, 1916. REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION ON PETITION No. 276 OF 1915, RELATIVE TO MANUKAU BLOCK.

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly in pursuance of Section '£//. of the Native Land Amendment and Native Land Claims Adjustment Act, 1916.

Sir, — Native Land Court (Chief Judge's Office), Wellington, 18th October, 1916. Re petition of Karaka Rutene (Mauukau F) : I have the honour to submit herewith the report of Walter Edward Rawson, Esq., Judge of the Native Land Court, made under the provisions of section 24 of the Native Land Amendment and Native Land Claims Adjustment Act, 1916, with exhibits thereto attached and lettered from A to H inclusive [not printed]. In conformity with the provisions of the aforesaid section, I recommend that the agreement submitted to the said Judge on behalf of the parties interested —Exhibits A and B to the said report —be adopted as the equitable basis of a settlement of the matter in dispute, but I wish to add, — I entirely dissent from the proposal that the President of the Tokerau District Maori Land Board be appointed to arbitrate in case of dispute between the Natives to whom the land is returned, and you will see from the report that in this dissent I am in accord with Judge Rawson. The reason of my stand on this point is that any order of that President would confer no legal title, and could not be registered under the Land Transfer Act; also, that the Governor in Council has no power to confer jurisdiction on such President to so act, but His Excellency has power to confer, under section 25 of the Native Land Act, 1909, jurisdiction upon the Native Land Court to do all that is required in this matter, and to make orders upon which I may have Land Transfer titles issued. I also dissent from appointing the Natives trustees, as set out in the said agreement, and am strongly in favour of the Public Trustee being the trustee; but I understand this was not acceptable to the parties interested when suggested before Judge Rawson, also that the conveyance of the land in question is now made out to the Native trustees. I am quite in accord with "the few remarks" submitted by Judge Rawson at the end of his report. I have, &c, Jackson Palmer, The Hon. Minister of Native Affairs. Chief Judge,

Manukau Block F. Application by the Chief Judge, under Section 2//. of the Native Land Amendment and Native Land Claims Adjustment Act, 1916, for a Report upon the Petition of Karaka Rutene and, Twenty-nine Others, praying for an Inquiry re Sale and Partition of Manukau Block. Sir,— 25th September, 1916. I have the honour to report that at a sitting of the Native Land Court held at Kawakawa on the 6th and 7th September, 1916, this matter was brought before me.