MIDDLE ISLAND NATIVE LAND PURCHASES ROYAL COMMISSION.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 4, Issue 382, 19 March 1880, Page 2

MIDDLE ISLAND NATIVE LAND PURCHASES ROYAL COMMISSION.

Tuesday, March 16.

The Court opened at 11 a.m

Hone Paratene Te Maunuarangi, tribe Ngaitahu, hapu Ngatihinekura, was living at Kaiapoi, and got a letter from Hamilton, inviting him to Lyttelton before Hamilton went to Akaroa, which he accepted, and Hamilton told him he wanted to see him at Akaroa about the purchase of his land, so I went with Hamilton, and carried the money for Hamilton. The people came over the third day after we arrived. All the principal chiefs and people assembbd, amongst them being Hakaroa, Hoani Papita, and Mautai. The first remark I heard the above chiefs and the people making was thai the money was too little. After saying this. Hoani Papita commenced to speak about the boundaries for the reserves which he wished for the Maoris, and they refused to part with the land as they could not get what they wanted. Hamilton then said if they did not want his money he would take it to Murihiku. I did not hear what reply was made, but I did not hear Hoani Papita agree to part with the land until Mautai got a reserve at Wairewa. I signed the deed as a witness, but I see since they put my name as a principal. I wrote my own name ; I objected to sign at all, but Hamilton advised me to sign as a witness. The reason I did not want to sign was because I came as a paid companion with Hamilton to bring the money. I might have had a claim on the land long back, but I cannot tell now. I do not know who of the Ngatiirakehu were present or absent.

Recalled : I received some money, but it was given me by the people, and not by Hamilton. About 150 other Maoris accompanied Hamilton at the same time as myself. The reason some of them came was because they received a letter from M'Lean instructing them to help Hamilton in his negotiations.

Heneri Te Paro, tribe Ngaitahu, hapu Ngatiinakou, deposed: I was present when Hamilton was negotiating about the land. There were several absentees in various parts, a great many having been taken prisoners. Hoani Papita set apart a portion of the land for them. He set apart no money. The part Hoani Papita wanted reserved for the absent was to the south of Hamilton's purchase. [He specified the exact boundaries.] Ido not know whether Hamilton was aware it was wanted for the absentees. I got both land and money.

Heneri Watene Tauha, recalled : I remember Governor Browne coming to Akaroa, but I could not tell whether it was before or after Johnson came, but it was a long time before Hamilton. I saw Governor Browne speaking to the Maoris at Akaroa about the land. He had an interpreter with him, but I do not know his name. The Governor asked the Maoris to sell the land, but they appeared luifvilling to part, and a heavy sum. The Governor, in remonstrance, asked— ,( Can you drink up the sea," inferring that they could not prevent him purchasing the land, at which the Maoris were angry, and Puaka rushed up to the Governor, who said—" If you do not let me have the land I shall send soldiers." Then Hoani Papita cooled the wrathful one down, and they went away all together. That was the only time I heard him speak about the land.

Tame Karangahape, tribe Ngapuhi, deposed : I was present when Governor Browne converged with the Natives near to where Bruce's Hotel is, and heard Governor Browne say that the land about Akaroa, and especially near Wainni, was good land. Hoani Papita said they owned all the land, and did not wish to sell it, as they wanted it for themselves. Governor Browne said he believed the French had all that land, but Hoani Papita pointed to the head ot the Bay, and said that was what the French had bought. Hoani said they would not sell, as they were waiting for the French, the people who had first bought their lands. Governor Browne said he had the land. This being denied, Governor Browne said — " Son, you are very obstinate." His only reply was a renewed refusal to sell the land, on which Governor Browne said—" Can you drink the ocean." It ended with Governor Browne threatening to send soldiers, on which Puaka refused decidedly to let the land go, and the threat was repeated, and was assured the soldiers would finish them all off before breakfast, on which Puaka made a rush at the Governor, but was desired by that authority to desist. The interview ended here.

George Robinson, being sworn, stated that Hoani Papita, Hakaroa, and Mautai had sold the land hie mother had a claim on, and a large one, but her consent to the sale was not given. Although present al the time, she was living by herself, and did not know where her husband was. She had received no money, nor did any of her children, neither Maoris nor halfcastes. My mother then went to live on the lands reserved for the Maoris—sometimes at Onuku and sometimes at Wairewa —to the time of her death. She used first one and then the other. When she died I lived there till I came of age, when I went to live amongst the Europeans, occasionally returning to my people. When the Native Land Court sat at Christchurch, I was in Otago, and did not know the Court had adjudicated upon the Akaroa claims until it sat at Otago afterwards. The notices were served, but only upon the chiefs, the majority of the people knowing nothing about it. When I heard it, I returned, and asked why the people had not put forward my claim, and whether my mother had not had a claim on the land. They said yes, an important one; but they did not know where I was, whether alive or dead, and now I have no land I am not an exception, there being numbers in the same position, and we have to move about from place to place like dogs without a master, loafing ■ upon our friends, owing to ;he careless neglect of the chiefs. Witness

spoke at some length, but it was all to the same effect, and tended to show that whereas some had had more than they had any right to, others, and that the majority, had had to go without anything , . Mr W. J. 'W. Hamilton (late Commissioner), being sworn, stated : I am unable to speak about any transaction between Mr Johnson and the natives, but am able to say positively that, so far as I was concerned, no threats of any kind had been used to the Maoris. In the first place, it was totally adverse to his feeling on the matter to adopt such a course, and secondly, there had been no necessity for it. The Maoris had mefe him one day, in j the forenoon, near Bruce's Hotel, and had had a short meeting, and had asked him to give them a reserve at Wairewa, which he had immediately consented to. To the best of his recollection, the whole affair had been concluded that afternoon, and the money paid, or, at any rate, the next day. He was quite sure the deed had been read over to them, as although he could not recollect the fact, still he was sure that his cautious nature, connected as he had been for years with magisterial duties, would have caused such a course. He was not sure,-but he believed Mr Aldred had read it. At any rate, either he or that gentlehad. The facts were, the natives had come prepared to have a long korero to secure a reserve at Wairewa, and no such korero had been necessary; in fact, had they asked for more, Mr Hamilton's impression was that he would have given it without any demur. He considered he was vested with a large amount of discretion, as at that time it took upwards of three months before correspondence could be replied to from Auckland, then the seat of Government. With regard to the clause in the deed referred to especially, to the effect that the Maoris were making an absolute sale, and that they were to agree to satisfy, from the proceeds, any after claims that might arise, which clause had been pointed out to Mr Hamilton as having been thought by Mr Izard as clearly forseeing claims from absentees, Mr Hamilton said no such thing had been the case. That it had simply been put in to make the Maoris fully realise that it had been an absolute sale. He did not know that there were absentees, but he did know that both Mantell and Kemp had paid money on the land, and considered he was completing the transaction by paying over the money. Honi Paterson came down with him, and signed the deed. Hβ signed it &S one of the principals, and to the body of the deed, not as a witness. Hβ believed Honi Paterson to have been interested in the land.

The Court here adjourned till 11 a.m next day.

Wednesday, March 17,

The Commission met at noon.

George Kobinson continued his statement which had been interrupted on the previous day, to admit of Mr Hamilton's evidence being heard. He spoke for half an hour in the same strain as he had commenced, much repitition being made use of. The evidence, although probably important to the Commissioners, would not be interesting to our readers, as the greater part of it was a sort of geneaological description, showing how the various claims arose. He also said that at the time the Native Lands Court sat, some of those who had received neither money nor land were included in the list of claimants for reserves, and some who did get money were put, and consequently got a double share.

Paratene, re-called, said that the Maoris understood when Mr Hamilton said he would take the money to Koau ma, he used it as a throat, as equivalent to saying they had better take the opportunity offered, and sell their land. I did not hear of any letter being sent by Koau ma to the Government.

Paurini Hirewea and Heneri Watene Tawha were re-called, and persisted in their statement that Hamilton had used the threat mentioned. That he had spoken the words himself, and that the interpreter was not on the spot at the time. That there had been a short koero on the small ness of the amount, but that it had not lasted long.

Hori Kerei Taiaroa desired to make a statement, but as the Commission submitted that their time here was necessarily so short, it was decided that that portion touching on the Murihiku matter should be heard, and the rest postponed for a sitting somewhere else.

Hori Kerei Taiaroa, being sworn, made a statement, putting forth his claims to a portion in the Murihiku and Akaroa Reserves, from which he and others had been wrongfully excluded. He looked to the Government for the satisfaction of his claims. He postponed making his final statement as to the Ngaitahu blocks until after the Commission had finished taking all the evidence. Kirihona Pohau, gave evidence, testifying to the correctness of Taiaroa's statements. W. J. W. Hamilton, being questioned by Tamati Tikao and Paora Tau, said he had not raised any objections to giving the Wairewa reserve; that he had not had any long discussion with Mautai on the subject. The shortness of the time the whole transaction took precluded such a possibility. The meeting commenced on a Tuesday, was adjourned till Wednesday en account of the absence of one or two chiefs whose presence was absolutely necessary, was resumed on Wednesday, and the whole affair settled and the money paid the same day. No word had ever been mentioned to him about the absentees. Had there been he would either have declined the whole transaction or else made provision for them. As a proof of this he had made a provision for an absentee, old Kaikoura, in the Kaiapoi transaction. He thought Mr Johnson had settled all those matters, and thathe had merely to conclude the bargain and pay the money. He never could have told Iloani Papita that if they would not sell the land he would take the money to Murihuku, as' he did not then know of such a place. It was quite possible that he might have told them that if they did not sell their land he should take the money back again, as he had no time to lose. In reply to Commissioner Nairn, he stated that he had taken only the £150 with him for the purchase, and had not taken the money intended for Kaiapoi with him. Keplying to Gecftge Robinson, witness stated that he could ;not tell whether he had received any letteV written from Otago to Auckland about when at Akaroa, the tim^^^^^^^^^HK. Mr izard uddress in in

;hs evidence,

though he cevtamly would not cast any imputations on Mr Hamilton, still he thought that possibly the Maoris, being the most interested parties, would perhaps be likely to have a better and more clear remembrance of the whole affair. He considered that they had been most unjustly treated,by the Government, and that they ought to receive what was fairly due.

After thanking the Commissioners, the Court adjourned till Wednesday, March 24, where they will meet at Aparima (Jacob'sßiver), Riverton, Southland.