MAORI LETTER.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2577, 11 April 1877, Page 2

MAORI LETTER.

(Xi te Kai ta o te EvJHiNa Stib.)

He mea i kita i roto i nga mahi nga a te Kooti Whenua Maori i nanahi nei:— Ara ko tetahi whenua Kei Piako Jko Te Puninga te ingoa a i whakaae ano nga kai tono o te Kereeme kia Whakaurua atu ate Meremana Konui kite karaati mo taua whenua i runga i te ritenga o te tupuna kotahi o nga Kai Lono ratou ko taua Meremana. Otira i runga ito pakeke o nga kai whakwa o taua Kooti kite pana atu ia Meremana Rore anaia i uru ki taua Kereeme rite mahara ake ate ngakau; He mea tika ano kia riro i te Kooti te ritegna mo runga i nga Kereeme c tautohetia ano c nga Kai Lono ratou ko otahi atu: He mea tika raua kea kia kaua c takahia c te Kooti te mea i whakaaetia c nga kai to no o te Kereemo. Na reira i tika ai kia mia rite Paremata enei mea katoa.

Mibema.ni. KoKtrr.

Apenua 11,1877.

[transiation.] ~ i (To the Editor of the Evining Star.)

This is something that was found out in connection with the conducting of matters by the Native Lands Court yesterday. It. is this :—A block of land called Te Puninga at Piako was passing through the Court. The applicants had agreed amongst themselves to allow the name of Te Meremana Konui to be included in the Crown Grant in accordance with (Maori) custom applying to claims made through one common ancestor, as in the case of the. claimants themselves and Te Meremana Konui. But because the Judge and the. Assessor of the Court persisted in ignoring his claim, the name of Te Meremana was not allowed to be inserted in the Crown Grant.

It is natural to suppose that the Court should have the right to decide in cases of lands in dispute between two parties. But surely it is not right that the Court should set at nought any arrangements that have been previously agreed to betvreen the people claiming the land/ Therefore it will be right to petition FarJiament concerning all matters of this sort. . . . " (Signed) Mebemana Konui. April 11,1877. ,