THE NATIVE LAND PURCHASE AT THE THAMES.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 716, 18 January 1877, Page 3

THE NATIVE LAND PURCHASE AT THE THAMES.

A lbtteb signed by a number of natives of the Upper Thames appears in the 'Thames Advertiser," in reference to the land purchases in that distriot. The letter is addressed to the Native Ministor. We make the following extracts : " O Parent: Salutations to you,— This is a notification of ours to' you in order that you may know the system made use of by Mr James Mackay, the Government Land Purchase Agent, in connection with our lands at Te Aroha. He is acting wrongly in charging without reason ogainst our lands at Te Aroha the "rai hana" and debts of the Hauraki tribe who are not connected with us (the owners). Very great indeed is the wrong of this European who, without any right takes for the Government land belonging to us as payments for debts for goods and money that he and his Europeans have advanced to tribes who have no title or ancestral claim to the Aroha Block. The reason that he does this is that he may acquire land for the Government. It is on this account that we write to you, so that you may know, that we intend to

} ' iucinutv »» -- -v- ■ , that we consider the judgment of the , Court was both correct and well under- , stood. But it ia your Land Purchase ; Agent (Mr Mack\y) who is plundering ! wur land Te Arobn, to pay for the debts vi the tii!-es who have no claims there, and it is he who wants to charge the debts of those tri-'es on our laud. Id was heard stated duiing the meetin » that took place concerning lhe 'ruihana' that had b. en had by the tribes, which meeting commenced ou the 18th November, 1876, that Mr Mackay had'no right to charge some of the debts of the Hauraki tribes against Te Aroba, as those tribes had hot agreed with him that those debts were to be cLarged against Te Aroha. During that meeting, Mr Mackay penisted in charging the debts of the tribes against Te Aroha, and he stated that all the tribes of flauraki had a claim on Te Aroha through ' Marutuahu ;' and according to European law, as Marutuahu was the name of all the tribes who lived at Hauraki, and it was through this svying of Mr Mack ay's that the tribes were glad to have their debts paid in that way. But perhaps.through this letter of ours, you will understand that all the tribes of Hauraki have not a claim on Te Aroha block j and we wish you to notify to Mr Mackay (that is if you take into consideration the application of ours to you) that he (Mr Mackay) should not incite the tribes to lay olaim to To Aroha; and'that he should not proceed there merely for the sake of pointing out certain lands there, as he bas no knowledge of the boundaries of our. lands. It is not land that was owned by his ancestors whereby he can have knowledge of the boundaries of pieces owned by Maru tuahu, by Ngatitomanaunga, by Ngatitamatera and by Ngatipaoa, and other tribes whose debts he has charged against ou" lnnd Te Aroha. tut rather let ub Maoris dispute among ourselves. We ask you to do this because we are sure these tribes will never come to Te Aroha and dispute with us, that is,- if Mr Mucky does not accompany them for the purpose of making them strong (to ■cmtest n with us). A greit princip'e is involved in this application of ours to you concerning Te Aroha, as we apprehend that, trouble will "foolishly originate in this district on account of the determined opposition of this European Tho seizes on laud to pay for the debts of his tribe s. But rather leave matters concerning this land and this trouble for the Hauraki tribes to settle among themselves, as the Hauraki people are noted above all other tribes of this island (for their skill in settling disDUtes), and have been so from the time that the Gospel was introduced among t them down to the present. They h»ve never had any quarrels amongst themselves or with any other tribes. Therefore it is that we wish to impress upon you the advisability of instructing Mr Mackay not to proceed to Te Aroha, lest trouble should ensue and we have cause to blame one another in the future.