PETITION OF MANUHIRI AND 488 OTHERS OF THE MANIAPOTO AND WAIKATO TRIBES (AND CORRESPONDENCE RELATIVE THERETO).

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1883 Session I, J-01a

J.— la

1883. NEW ZEALAND.

PETITION OF MANUHIRI AND 488 OTHERS OF THE MANIAPOTO AND WAIKATO TRIBES (AND CORRESPONDENCE RELATIVE THERETO).

Presented to the House of Representatives, 21st August, 1883, and ordered to be Printed. No. 1. PETITION. [Translation.] To the Honourable the Speaker and Honourable Members of the Parliament of the Colony of New Zealand, in Session assembled. This petition of ours we herewith address to you as our protest against Wahanui's petition, that is, against the paragraphs in it marked 3 and 4, which deals -with the ancestral lands of Potatau and Tawhiao. We know that, on the following grounds, Tawhiao's title to his land is unquestionable :— 1. Ancestral right. 2. Bight by conquest. 3. It was land placed under the authority of Potatau, who was succeeded by Tawhiao. Our hapus and our names are written hereunder. From Ngatimaniapoto. From Waikato. From Manuhiri, Tukorehu, Ngatapa, Paku, Te Ngakau, Tana te Waharoa, Tati Wharekawa, Hatara, Nuimoa te Paewaka, and 480 others.

Kite Tumuaki o te Paramete o te Koroni o Niu Tireni me nga Mema c Noho Huihui ana i te Whare. He pitihana tenei na matou ka tukua atu nei kia koe he whakahe na matou mo te pitihana a Wahanui c mau nei ite3i te 4 o nga rarangi o taua pitihana. Mo nga whenua o nga Tupuna o Potatau a tae mai ana kia Tawhiao. He tino mohio no matou kite tika o Tawhiao ki runga i tona whenua. Koia tenei nga Take :— 1. Ko nga tipuna. 2. Ko te raupatu. 3. Ko te whenua tuku ki raro kia Potatau tae mai kia Tawhiao. Koia ka tuhia iho nei o matou hapu me o matou ingoa ki raro iho nei. Na Ngatimaniapoto. Na Waikato. Na Manuhiri, Tukorehu, Ngatapa, Paku, Te Ngakau, Tana te Waharoa, Tati Wharekawa, Hatara, Nuimoa te Paewaka, me ona hoa c 480.

No. 2. Letter from Honana Maioha to Major te Wheoro, M.H.E. [Translation.] •To Te Wheoro,— ; . Whatiwhatihoe, 24th July, 1883. Friend, salutations. I am instructed by Tawhiao to inform you that he thoroughly disapproves of the petition of Wahanui, Manga, Taonui, and 412 others. This is the first letter to impress on you to be strong in condemning that petition. The next will be the principal one from Tawhiao, in which will be collected all the names of the tribes and chiefs, numbering about 4,000

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persons, more or less. As soon as the names are all written in Tawhiao's letter, it will be sent to you, that you may be able to set that petition on one side altogether, for you know that the tribes and Tawhiao will suffer through this great work of Wahanui's. —That is all. From Honana Maioha. Whatiwhatihoe, Hurae 24, 1883. Kia Mai, c hoa tena koe kua mea mai a Tawhiao kia whakaatu ria atu kia koe te nei kupu c tino whakahe ana ia kite pitihana a Wahanui, a Manga, aTaonui me b raua 412 tangata, ko te reta wha, ka m; hira tuatahi tena kia koe kia tino kaha koe kite pehi i taua pitihana; kei muri i tena reta ko te tino pukapuka a Tawhiao huihuinga o nga ingoa katoa o nga iwi me nga rangatiratanga c tae ai kite 4,000 tangata neke iho ranei neke atu ranei kia oti nga ingoa o nga iwi te tuhi kite reta a Tawhiao ko reira tuku atu ai ki a koe hei tino whakakahore atu i taua pitihana c mohio ana koe he tino he nui- te mahi a Wahanui c pa ai te mate ki nga iwi me Tawhiao ano hoki; kia tere mai to kupu.—Heoi ano. Na Honana Maioha.

No. 3. Letter from Te Ana to Major Te Wheoro, M.H.E. [Translation.] Te Wheoro,— ~..-, Whatiwhatihoe, 28th July, 1883. Salutations. Paku has directed to write you the following words from himself: "I, Paku, do not approve of Wahanui's petition. I, with all my lands, are with Tawhiao, even from the time of Potatau. As I am now Ido not agree with that petition, and never will."—Sufficient my words. From Te Ana. Kia Te Wheoro,— Whatiwhatihoe, 28 Hurae, 1883. Tena koe. Kua ki mai a Paku kia tuhituhi atu au kia koe, koia tenei nga kupu, "koau ko Paku kaore c pai kite pitihana a Wahanui ko au kei a Tawhiao me taku whenua katoa kei: a Tawhiao, i a Potatau iho a tae mai ana kia Tawhiao a c noho nei, kaore au c pai ki taua pitihana a Wahanui, kore rawa."—Heoi nga kupu. Na te Ana.

Authority : G-eobge DiDSBURr, Government Printer, Wellington.—lBB3.