a— 7

And whereas the Crown, by its officers and servants, amongst other things, laid off within the boundaries of the said Pukeroa-Oruawhata Block the Township of Rotorua, and otherwise undertook the management, administration, and control of the said Pukeroa-Oruawhata Block : And whereas the management, administration, and control of the said block having, from divers causes, been beset by difficulties, the Maori owners of the said block and the persons holding under leases granted by the Crown generally represented to the Crown that it should, in their interest and the public interest, purchase the said PukeroaOruawhata Block from the Maori owners thereof : And whereas the Crown in the year 1889 and following years, by deeds of conveyance and otherwise, did so purchase and acquire the said Pukeroa-Oruawhata Block or divers interests therein: And whereas, amongst other things, the aforesaid deeds of conveyance respectively contained a recital to the effect that from time to time certain portions of the said Pukeroa-Oruawhata Block had been demised by deeds of lease for certain terms of years in accordance with the Acts therein referred to, and sums of money had from time to time been paid or had accrued due as and for the rent reserved by the said several deeds of lease respectively, and witnessed, amongst other things, that the parties named therein as vendors and each of them did as to the respective share or shares of them thereby assign unto Her Majesty the Queen all the rents and profits which had accrued due under and by virtue of any such deeds of lease : And whereas by section 10 of the Thermal Springs Districts Act, 1910, the land described in the Second Schedule to the said Act, being substantially the said Pukeroa-Oruawhata Block, was declared to be Crown land instead of Native land and to be vested absolutely in His Majesty the King accordingly, subject to all valid leases affecting the same at the commencement of the said reciting Act, but free from all right, title, estate, or interest vested in the former Native owners of the said land or their successors in title : And whereas certain of the former Maori owners of the said PukeroaOruawhata Block, or their descendants or representatives, have alleged that they suffered loss and damage by reason of various acts or omissions on the part of the Crown's officers and servants in relation to the management, administration, and control of the said PukeroaOruawhata Block and by reason of the inadequacy of the purchase-price paid by the Crown in respect of the said Pukeroa-Oruawhata Block : $ $ $ $ And whereas the Government is desirous that the truth and justice of the respective claims and complaints of the Maoris as hereinbefore set forth should be tested by inquiry so that, if such complaints be well founded and of substance, the Government will be able to take order for the redress of the grievances laid upon the Maoris :

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