PETITION OF WILLIAM BARTON, OF WAIPA, WAIKATO, FOR RETURN TO HIM OF CERTAIN LANDS IN THE WAIKATO WHICH HAVE BEEN CONFISCATED.

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1866 Session I, G-03

a.— ISTo. 3.

PETITION OF WILLIAM BARTON, OF WAIPA, WAIKATO, FOR RETURN TO HIM OF CERTAIN LANDS IN THE WAIKATO WHICH HAVE BEEN CONFISCATED.

PRESENTED TO THE HOUSE OP REPRESENTATIVES 10th AUGUST, AND ORDERED TO BE

PRINTED 14th AUGUST, 1866.

(Mr. Q. Graham.)

WELLINGTON.

1866.

a.—No. 3.

KI A HORI KEREAMA, — Karakariki, Waipa, Hurae 30, 1866. E hoa, tena koe. Tenei taku pukapuka, mau o whakatakoto kite aroaro oto Runanga. He whakaaro naku mo tetehi wahi o to matou whenua ko toku Iwi kia whakahokia mai kia matou, ara, o te whenua c takoto mai ana i Ngaruawahia tae noa ki raro mai o Whatawhata, i waenganui o nga awa c rua o Waipa o Horotiu. Ko nga moni hold kua whakaritea etc Kawanatanga mo tenei whenua nui £234. Kaore matou c pai ki a tango i aua moni. Ko taku i tohe ai kia te Make Komihana, ko tetehi wahi ano o taua whenua kia whakahokia mai kia matou. Kaore ano tenei i rite noa ia ia. Kia rongo mai koe ko taku tino whakaaro tenei kia tino whakaotia mai c te Runanga inaianei ta matou i whakaaro ai. Kia whakahokia mai tetehi wahi ano o taua whenua kua tangohia nei etc Kawanatanga, me timata mai i Otamauri puta noa mai ki raro mai o Whatawhata. Ko aua moni c £234 waiho atu kite Kawanatanga. E hoa kia rita mai tenei ito Runanga. He aha hoki te pai ko te nuinga ote whenua kua riro katoa i te Kawanatanga he aha to tenei wahi iti te whakahokia mai ai kia matou ko toku Iwi, titiro hoki ko o matou wahi kua oti katoa te whakanoho he pakeha ki runga c te Kawanatanga, kua whakaaro matou inaianei, kua whakaititia te whakaaro o te Kawanatanga ki a matou kua whakauuia to ratou whakaaro kite taha Kingi, ko nga kupu a nga tangata o te taha Kingi c whakamana ana c te Kawanatanga. Ko a matou kaore c hohorotia mai te whakamana. Kua tuhituhi au kite Runanga i tera Huinga o te Runanga i tau hou nei, mo nga wahi i tangohia hetia c te hoko a te Tatana (ara mo Te Toto, mo Tumaeke, mo Parawai) kihai rawa i marama aua wahi, ko tenei c hoa kia marama mai ta koutou whakaaro ki a matou ko toku Iwi. Ko tenei whenua kua tuhia eau i runga ake nei kia tino whakahokia mai ki a matou ko toku Iwi no te mea c kore rawa matou c pai kite tango moni ite Kawanatanga mo to matou urunga ki runga i nga wahi i tangohia etc Kawanatanga mo te hara. Ko ta matou moni tenei c tango, ko tetehi wahi ano o taua wahi kua tangohia me whakahokia mai ano kia matou, mo to matou urunga ki taua wahi i tangohia. Kua tukua atu c au tenei pukapuka aku ki a koe, mau c whakatakoto kite aroaro ote Runanga kia whakaarohia mai aku korero. E hoa, kia kaha koe kite awhina iau mo taku c whakaaro nei. Kia rite mai tenei ito Runanga no te mea ko koutou nga kai whakahaere ture mo to tatou nei moutere. Heoi ano. Na to hoa aroha, Na Wieemu Patene. [teanslation.] To Me. Geoege G-eaiiam, — Karakariki, Waipa, 30th July, 1866. Priend, salutations ! Here is my letter—do you lay it before the Runanga. I have a desire that a portion of the lands belonging to me and my people be returned to us ; that is, the land between Ngaruawahia and the lower part of Whatawhata, and lying between the Waipa and Horotiu Rivers. The money which has been awarded us by the Government for this large extent of land is £234. We are not willing to take that money. What I urged upon Mr. Maekay to do was, that a portion of that land be given back to us. But this has not been done by him yet. Do you give heed. This is my principal desire for this to bo done by the Runanga at this present time—this which we desire (viz.) that a portion of this land which has been taken from us by the Government be given back to us. Let the piece commence from Otamauri, and go on to below Whatawhata. Leave that money, £234, with the Government. Priend, let this be granted by the Runanga. Por what does it advantage the Government to keep this small portion, they having taken the whole of the land ? Why not return this small piece to me and my people ? Por see on the whole of our lands people have been located by the Government, and it appears to us now that the consideration of the Government has become less for us, and more for the Kingites. The words of the Kingites are allowed by the Government to have weight, but ours are not soon considered. I wrote to the Runanga when they met last year, regarding those portions which were wrongfully taken at the time of Mr. Purton's purchase (" investigation of title ") those pieces were Te Toto, Tumaeke, and Parawai, but those pieces were not made clear by any means. But, O, friends !in this case let your thoughts and decision be clear as regards me and my people. That this land, which I have described above here, be altogether returned to me and my tribe; for we are not at all willing to take the money oft'ered us by the Government for our claims to those places which have been taken for rebellion. Let this be the money for us, some portion of that land which has been taken. Let it be returned to us, instead of our claims to that ("to the whole of that ") which has been taken. I have sent this letter of mine to you for you to lay before the Assembly, for them to take thought of my words. Priend, be strong in aiding me, with a view to my obtaining the object which I have in view, that this be granted by the Runanga ; for you all it is who make laws for our Island. That is all. Tour loving friend, Wieemu Patene.

PETITION OF WILLIAM BARTON, OF WAIPA, WAIKATO.