Land Commissioner's Office, Wellington, December 15,1854.

Colonist, Volume III, Issue 286, 17 July 1860, Page 4

Land Commissioner's Office, Wellington, December 15,1854.

Sir—l have the honor to inform you that I have taken advantage of the arrival here and at Porirua of the principal chiefs from the Middle Island, ineludiug Wiremu te Kanas and his followers from Wairau: Taiaroa, the principal aboriginal chief of the island; Pukekohatu, and several others; to effect a final arrangement with them, as well as with all the chiefs on this island, for their several claims to the Middle Island, for which the first instalment was paid before Sir George Grey left here iv August, 1853. I should have preferred carrying out this arrangement (as previously intended) at Nelson, after the surveys of the native reserves were further progressed; but, after due reflection, I found that it would be impossible for me to get such a collection of iufluential chiefs together at Nelson as have assembled here. Taking also into consideration the urgent necessity for hastening an adjustment of the question, so as to throw the land open for colonization, I have, on the assurance of the chiefs that they will, aa soon as the their reserves are marked off, give peaceable possession of the whole of that portion of the island, paid them a sum of two thousand pounds (£2,000), as acknowledged in a deed receipt, the translation of which is herewith furnished for your information. I am aware that, although the chiefs from the Middle Island have fully entered into this arrangement, there will be some questions to settle with a few minor tribes residing at Wakapuaka, Queen Charlotte's Sound, and other portions of the islands; but these, I feel satisfied, oan be duly adjusted by the principal chiefs to this arrangement, who have undertaken to accompany me, when my duties here will admit of my going 6ver to Nelson, to settle with their respective tribes and followers resident at the Middle Island. Wiremu te Kanae will facilitate the surveys of the necessary reserves for the natives at the Hoiere and Kaituna districts, whenever Mr. Brunner is prepared to proceed with the surveys in that neighborhood. His Honor the Superintendent mentioned to me (when last at Nelson), that he was anxious to obtain a portion of a native reserve at the Wairau in exchange for other land, as the place alluded to would be very desirable as a site for a ferry. ' I have spoken to Kanae on this subject, who agrees to give up any portion of a reserve tbat may be requisite for the above purpose. Pukekohatu, or To Tana, from Motueka, has received two hundred pounds (£200) as his share out of the two thousand pounds (£2,000) recently paid to the natives. Iv addition to this sum, he is to reoeive for himself aud his tribe a further sum of four hundred pounds (£400), which, with another sum of one hundred pounds for the people of Wakapuaka, he has agreed to accept; and, in the meantime, he intends to deposit with you, until he and his tribe are finally settled with, the sum of two hundred pounds (£200), which has been paid to him out of this enstalmeiit. I find that it would be impossible to effect ja final and amicable adjustment of the land comprised within this purchase, which may be estimated at eight millions of acres,' for the sum originally stipulated in the deed of sale, more; especially as so many more natives from different tribes (including those tribes who claim by right of conquest as well as the remnants of those who originally owned the country) are resident in that portion of the Middle Island than in any other part of^it; and, as no arrangement with them could be binding without the full concurrence and sanction of the principal conquering chiefs resident on this island. I think you will agree with me that the best course was finally to dispose of the latter

claims, when such a favorable opportunity for doing so, in connection with the chiefs of the [Middle Island, presented itself. • • I have, &c, ': (Signed) Donald M'Lean, • Land Commissioner. The Commissioner of Crown Lands, ■■ Nelson. Auckland, June 25,1856. Sic—We have the honor to report, for the information of his Excellency the Governor that in settling the Nelson land question we found it necessary to pay the natives a sum of three hundred and twenty pounds (.£320) for lands included in Mr. Spain's award in favor of the New Zealand Company, and which additional payment had not been foreseen in making the general purohase of the Nelson province. ' Iv the map signed by Mr. Commissioner Spain, it appears that certain lands were in--1 eluded, such as Separation Point, the cession of which to the Company has never been acknowledged by the natives; and the claimants to this land stated to us, at a public meeting at Nelson that the land had never been sold ; that they had never signed any document transferring it; and, if such document existed, they requested that it might he produced, when they would, on the production of any deed or receipt to which their names are attached, relinquish all claims. Wa could not trace out any deed or other evidence of this land having been sold by the' natives; consequently after full investigation of the subject, we deemed it advisible to make a payment of one hundred and fifty pounds (,£1.50) for the Separation Point district, to prevent aU further difficulties ;or disputes respecting it. At Motupipi and Takaka a dispute had existed since the date of Mr. Spain's award, partly in consequence of some of the claimants not having received a share of the money awarded by Mr. Spain, and partly of their reserves not having been properly defined. This difficulty was overcome by making necessary reservations, and paying a sum of sixty pounds (£6O). A similar difficulty occurred at Aorere, in the Massacre Bay district; and it was deemed advisable that these outstanding claims should be definitively settled, in order that Europeans might obtain undisputed possession of sections they had purchased in these districts, and on which, in some cases, gold had been discovered, rendering the speedy settlement of the native claims a matter of urgent importance. A payment of one huudred and ten pounds (110) waa made accordingly to settle this question. The total sum expended to make good the whole of tbe disputed land included in Mr. Spain's award, amounts to three huudred and twenty pounds (£320.) Three hundred pounds (,£300) of this amount was verbally authorised by his Excellency when at Nelson in November last; and we have now the honor to request that this amount, together with the additional sum of twenty pounds (£2O) which we found it expedient to pay, be submitted for the approval of his Excellency. We have, &c., (Signed) M. Richmond, C.C.L. D. M'Leak, Commissioner. The Private Secretary, &c, &c.-, &c.