The Native Commissioners' Report.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3530, 19 April 1880, Page 2

The Native Commissioners' Report.

, , [Br Telegbaph.] j Wellington, Saturday. ; The interim report of the Native Com- | missioners' is published. It deals first i with the question of the plains, or what is { to be done with the country enclosed by ; the Waingongoro and, Oeo Bivers. It j belonged before confiscation almost entirely to the Ngatiruanu tribe, and contains about 120,000 acres of available land, of which 30,000 is open plain. After a long review of the promises made and broken and severe condemnation of the conduct of the late Government in commencing surveys without making reserves, the commissioners make the following recommendation. 1. To make a broad continuous belt of reserve extending the whole distance between the Oeo and Waingongoro Bivers. 2. To cut the boundary lines of this continued reserve upon the ground, so to take in all the villages and clearing, enough land being included to allow of the aggregate reserve of 35,000 acres. 3. To cut three or perhaps four broad lines through the forest the whole depth of fhe reserve for access to the back country, in such a way as to meet the tribal right of each Hapu, and not to interfere with the settlements and cultivation. 4. To lay off; within reserve sites for .sawmills, and means for the supply of building timber, fencing, and firewood whenever settlers are placed upon the Plains, and to set apart sufficient land for the establishment and maintenance of the native schools. 5. To proclaim the 25,000 acres when .marked off as being unalienable reserves, so long as the natives live there in peace. 6. To ascertain as was promised thebribal ownership of the several hapus so as to be ready whenever they themselves consent to sub divide their reserves, give them titles under crown grants. 7. To allow on dealings whatever with any part of the reserve, except in occupation of resident natives until this ownership is ascertained, and regulations made under which such dealings can take place without ■ d anger. In laying out the continuous reserve its* front boundary on the Plain should be a line which will be the main road from Normanby to the township of Manaia, and then on to Oeo. Special care is necessary in this boundary to avoid! a repetition of the difficulty that happened last year, for it is dangerously absurd to let the question on which may hang the peace of the country be subordinated, as it might be, by surveyors, to the question of the easiest point at which to ford the stream or make,the road. The line of this front boundary should be cut from both ends at once, at Oeo and Normanby. Begarding Manaia's claim a giant of 1500 acres in a locality to be hereafter defined is recommended to be made to him. They also recommend that the piece of land between Oeo and Wahamoko, seaward of the main road, containing about 11,000 acres should be granted to Hone Pihama at once, as well as the land he has fenced and cultivated on the inland side of the road which may amount to 300 or 400 acres or more, and that the tribes reserve for his people to the same amount, between Oeo and Ouri, to be also surveyed now, and made inalienable. Begarding the Parihaka question, which they explain means what is to be done with the country between the Oeo and Stoney Bivers, which belonged before the confiscation to the Taranaki tribe, and contains about 125,060 acres of available land of which 34,000 are open plains. The Commissioners recommend—(l) That the country lying inland of the road now being made along the coast and extending as far back as will comprise from 20,000 to 25,000 acres, be at once, set apart for the people, so long as they live there in peace. (2) That the land seaward of that road in Paribaka block containing perhaps 10,000 acres of open country, according to a line which may be chosen for the road, as well as whatever is left in Oeo block, after the reserve for Pihama's people/ be kept in the hands of the General Government until the liability of the Crown under compensation awards be defined- We do not think such a definition can be made without legislation, and if so, nothing whatever ought to be done with the land that is left to lis till Parliament has expressed its will.