LAWYER REES and MAORI LAND.

Patea Mail, 4 June 1881, Page 3

LAWYER REES and MAORI LAND.

Mr Henare Totnoana, M.H.R., the representative of the East Coast Maori Electoral District, in the course of an address to his constituents at Gisborne, spoke very plainly and strongly on the system inaugurated by W. L. flees on the East Coast. Mr Toinoana said he would now pass on to a subject of grave importance to the Maori population of Poverty Bay. And he would ask his hearers to weigh well in their minds the remarks he had to make. He alluded at once to the extravagant manner in which the Natives of this district had handed over the absolute control of their lands to two or three persons whom they called trustees. Darkness came upon him when he saw the people follow the course they did. That they should do so was not for their ultimate good, could, he thought, be hardly gainsaid. And when they petitioned Parliament that permanent trustees, as proposed in Mr Rees’ “ East Coast Land Settlement Bill,” which was rejected by the whole house, should be appointed, he felt sorry indeed lest such a measure should become law. But it did not become law. Many of the Natives of this district had appointed Mr W. L. Rees their trustee, having, in conjunction with one or two others, absolute control of their lands. He (Henare Tomoana) would say this :—lt is heard far and wide throughout the land that misfortune was befalling the Natives of this district, and their land, in consequence of this ill-advised step they had taken. On all sides the cry was heard. It was two, three, or four years now since Mr Rees had been working as trustee for natives, and it was high time that he should render up an account of his trustee-ship. He (Henare Tomoana) had spoken to his own people in Hawke’s Bay about the trustee business in that district. He was glad to say that the Government, he understood, contemplated legislating this year further upon the subject of trustees. Already there was a Public Trustee, and the proposed legislation was with a view to extending the powers he already held. It would, according to the proposed legislation, be his duty on application being made to him to investigate the administration of all trusts whether held by Europeans or Maories. Should the proposed legislation take place, then if any person whose property was held in trust he pouri as to the mode in which the trustees were dealing with such property, all he need do

would be lo apply to the Public Trustee in the matter, when the latter would demand the necessary information from the trustees as to the management of the trust property. By such means the tribes and hapus need have no cause to apprehend evil. He strongly urged upon his hearers the advisability of petitioning the House, with the view to the desired legislation upon the subject of trustees being speedily brought about. It was practically the only safe-guard the people had, especially the Maori, and that too in a case where a European who knew not their language and they not knowing his, was holding their lands as if they were absolm’ely his own. He believed that under a judicious system much good could be brought about by the proper administration of lands conveyed by Natives in trust to reliable persons. The system itself he would not condemn, but in the local instance there was a Pakeha in the matter. He (Henare Tomoana) would say distinctly that he did not approve of what Mr Rees was doing. He (Mr Bees) had been working in the same direction for a long time, and it had not been shown that any good had yet resulted. For himself, he did not profess to understand the laws of the country. Why had it not been shown that Mr Rees understood the laws—if he really did ?