THE NATIVE LANDS QUESTION.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 19, 8 December 1883, Page 3

THE NATIVE LANDS QUESTION.

I’hk following letter we extract from The Seie Z aland Free Press To thB Editor of ihb Free Press I\KW6?APER.

Friends, —I have seen a document of a Company, who uro engaged in dealing with Maori lan is between Tuurungu und Waiupu.

Tins document sets out, fur the information uf ail men, the names of the bl -cks uf land that have been acquired by this Company, and also the acreage of the land. Tiffs Company aiso sets out what it eomiders to be h e correct value of Hus land j also the amount that is resting on the land by way uf mortgage. 'This document also sets out the amount of money that has been paid by this Company t«» the Maoris, who are the owners of ah t .e land, the names uf which muds are written in tne document of tne Company < hai. I have seen. In this document it is said that the lands wh >se names are witten in tins do -u--meni. have aneolutoly bee one the property of the Company.

1 wish to make this plum for the information of all men. that there are interests existing on some of the lamia, the names of which have been published by this Company.

In the year 1882, [ went from Auckland to Tauranga, und seven months I rein lined there. I scan hed tor ud papers and docu merits in Napier, as well us Tan-unga, having reference to the lands belonging to my triB,;, viz., the Aakuwhui, Tekure, ami langutete No. luid 2. This matter was pm in my hands by my trine, that I mig.it work fur their lands.

They (the natives) had been told by some white man that their lands hud gone to the Company of Rees und Wi Fere. That is the reason my tribe placed the matter in my hands that I might search out the reason for this dealing with their lands in this manner, seeing they have never signed any document or deeds that their lands should go to the Company or to any other person ; and they were aware that they had never received any consideration from the Company iu payment for this laud, not one sixpence, no, not even one copper.

1 saw one document in the Registry office in Napier. The document sets out that certain Aluoris shall have the management and control of their lands. These inuii are : —Hemi Waaka, Era Puhutu, Eru Riki, Nepia Tepaka, Taniehana, Mitu Puku, Hiritii Temtu, and Wi Peru aud William Lee Rees. There are six uf these men who will nob on any account agree to allow their lands to go to this Company. They have heard Rees say this laud has gone to the Company. The Mauris have sent a summons to William Lee Rees and William Pere to have the case tried at the Supreme Court to be held at Turunga in December of the year 1883, about the Pukowhai and ocher of this land. (Signed) Hamoira Mangakahia,