TPE. NATIVE TROUBLE ON THE WEST COAST.

Waikato Times, Volume XIII, Issue 1121, 30 August 1879, Page 2

TPE. NATIVE TROUBLE ON THE WEST COAST.

j (By Electric Telegraph. From our Own Correspondent.) RErORT OF THR MAORI COMMISSION. ! Wellington, Thursday. The following is a copy of a circular issued from Wellington to the tribes : — "To the Maori tribes interested m the ; lands confiscated by the Government, m \ consequence of the wars between the i Maori and the European people : We, the 1 committee appointed to inquire into, and \ to take proceedings for testing the validity I of the laws under which the said lands 1 have been confiscated, and are now claimed by the Government ; and to inquire into, i and test the validity of the • actß done by * the Government under the provisions of * thoso laws, Send greeting 1 . Know ye, > that we have consnlted lawyers, at Port L Nicholson, touching the matters, and we are informed, as folloAvs:— ;' Tliat m the I month of December, 1863, the General Assembly of New Zealand passed a law, authorising the Governor, whenever he . was satisfied that any Maori tribes or s hapus had been engaged m war against . thc Government since the lst day of l January, 1863, to declare and fix the boundaries of districts within which the lands of such tribe or hapu were situated, and then to set apart any of such lands as ' sites for settlement ; and by the said law, i every site so set apart was to become the property of the Government, freed from * the title of the native onmers of the same. But it was by that law provided that compensation should be made for the takihg of such land, to any of thc native owners who had been engaged or concerned iv the war, for which the same had been confiscated. Now, wo find that the Government, purposing to act under the provisions of that law, and oi other laws passed by the General , Assembly m connection therewith, have created districts m various parts of tho North Island of New Zealand, and claim to hold the lands of the Maori people within those districts, on the alleged ground that the said lands have been lawfully confiscated, by reason : that the owners thereof had been engaged m wars against the Government, since the first day of January, 1863. We know that the right of the O-overnment, to confiscate these lands and retain the same, has been disputed by the i Maori owners thereof, but that no proi ceedings have ever been taken m any court of law, to test the validity of the Acts of the General Assembly, under which they have been taken, or of the proceedings of the Government under those Acts, or the right of the Government to retain any portions of the land so taken, which have not been set apart as sites for settlement. We, therefore, having been appointed to enquire into those things, have advised that the proper course for the Maori people who object to them is, to commence proceedings m i the Supreme Court of New Zealand, m order that the following questions may be heard and determined by law : — (1) Whether the Acts of the General Assembly, authorising the confiscation of the Maori lands, are valid Acts or not. (2) Whether those Acts, if valid, authorised the Government to confiscate any of the Maori lands, by reason of wars which happened after the third day of December, 1863. (3) Whether those Acts, if valid, authorised the Government to retain any of the lands within the proclaimed districts, which had not been specifically set apart as sites for settlements, before the 3rd day of December, 1867. (4) Whether the proceedings of the Government, under those Acts, have been regidated and proper, so as to bind the native owners of the lands taken. (5) Whether if those Acts be valid, proper compensation has been made to those who had not been engaged or concerned m the wars. These are the principal questions which we have been advised by our lawyers to bring before the Supreme Court, but there are many others m connection therewith which will also have to be decided, and all such questions will be duly raised m the interests of the Maori people. We have also been advised that if we are not satisfied with the Ji decision of the Supreme Court upon any i of these questions, we shall be entitled to appeal to the Great Court of the Queen m England by which the case will then be fully heard and decided. Now, m order that these things may be properly done, we, the committee call upon you to assure the Government that you will not commit : any deed of violence or attempt to assert your claims to those lands by force, and ' that you will leave your rights to be settled : by law, and not by the sword, and we will ' urge upon the Government, ou the other i hand, not to proceed with the surveys, or < to deal with the disputed lauds, until the ] law has decided the question we raise m ] respect of the same. Andwe further make < known to you, that acting m the belief i that it is your wish that these things c shoidd bo peaceably done, we intend afc t once to take steps for bringing all c questions touching your claims to the 1 QQufisoatcd lands before, tlje Supremo £

Court. From the committee— Hori Kerei Taiaroa, M.L.C. (President), Wi Parata te Kakakura (Secretary), Wi Tako Ngatata, M.L.C, Mokeua Kohere, M.L.C, Heuaro Tomoana, M.H.K., Hori Karaka Tawiti, M.H.R., Ihaia Tainui, M.H.R., MaihiParaoneKawiti.Keepa te Rangihiwinuij Major New Zealand Militia, Peete te Aweawe."