EVIDENCE RELATIVE TO THE ORIGIN

1. \_The Hon. Mr. Richmond.] Had the Ngatituaho and Ngatihinga a right to the di«puced block, independent of the hapusoi the Ngatiawa?—Yes; decidedly. 2. Do the sellers, including llopoama and his people at Queen Charlotte's Sound, properly represent these two hnpus ? —They do. 3. After the inquiry you have made, do you know of any outstanding claim?—l have referred to one man who may have a claim, that is Putukakariki, though I do not know that he has. 4. Do you believe that any considerable claim can be outstanding?—l do not. 5. As to Te Patukakariki, did he oppos? Teira's offer?—No, he never did. 6. Has lie ever made a claim? —He never, to my knowledge, made a claim to that particular block. 7. Do you think he possibly has a claim to any extent ? —I think lie may possibly have a claim to a small extent. 8. Do you consider that Riwai Te Ahu has a valid claim to any part of the Block ?—I do not consider that he has, 9. Has King ever made a elaitn of proprietary right ?—William King has never made such a claim to my knowledge. 10. Under the peculiar circumstances of the Taranaki case, had King, in your opinion, any right to interfere with the sale by another hapu of their lands ?—-Decidedly he had not. 11. Has any similar interference by the chief been recognized in Taranaki, either in favour of King, or of any other ?—Never in connection with any of the purchases made there. 12. Having regard to previous transactions, do you consider that the Government ought to recognize any but proprietary claims in Taranaki ? —I do not th-nk the Government should recognize any but proprietary claims. 13. \ Mr. J. C. Richmond."] Will you inform the House of the relations which subsisted between Mr. Parris, Land Purchase Commissioner at Taranaki, and the Puketapu chief Katatore (or Waitere) at the time of the murder of the latter ?—The relations which subsisted between them were of a most friendly and even intimate character. And I know that Mr. Parris much regretted Katatore's death. 14. Does anything in those relations justify the statement that Mr. Parris was glad of the death of Katatore? — No, quite the reverse. 15. Are you aware whether on any occasion, and when, it happened that Mr. Parris defeated an ambush prepared for the destruction of W Kins and his part} , ? — I am aware that he did defeat such an ambush in 1848, when Ihaia and others were seeking William King's life. 16. Would it be possible for Mr. Piirris to refer to that event in conversation with W. King without insult to thai chief according to Maori ideas?— Quite possible. 17. Do you think the words naku hoe i oraai, alleged to have been used by Mr. Parris, could properly and inoffensively, recording to Maori ideas, be used in reference thereto?— Certainly. 18. \_Mr. Williamson.] I wish to call your attention to the instructions to District Land Purchase Commissioners, which appears as No. ] of E No. 3 of the " Papers relative to the Native Insurrection," and to ask if you are aware whether or not Sections 1, 2, & 4 of those instructions have been attended t~>, with reference to the land offered by Te Teira ?—They were fully attended to. Sections referred to: — 1. In order to facilitate your negotiations, it will be necessary for you to study with great care the history and genealogy of the Taranaki tribes, from their early location at Ngapuketurua, on the banks of the Waiongona River, up to the date of their dispersion and conquest by the Waikato ; also to make yourself acquainted with the subsequent migrations, inter-marriages with foreign tribes, and other changes affecting title, that have occurred amongst the Ngatitama, Ngalimutunga, Ngatiawa, Ngamohi, Taranaki, ISgatiruanui, Ngarauru tribes, from that period up to the present date. 2. Having well fortified yourself with this general knowledge, which will greatly facilitate your future operations, you should devote your attention to a careful and minute investigation of the rival claims of the seveial sub-divisions of those tribes in such localities as they a)e most anxious to cede to the Government, bearing in mind that the object of your investigations should not be confined to acquiring a knowledge only of the Natives actually residing on the land, but should Le extended to those also who are inter-married among neighbouring tribes, as well as to those who are living in distant districts of the Colony. 4. At the same time I am desired to state that it is His Excellency's wish to have a separate investigation of the claims of absentees instituted at the places where they reside ; when tht-y will be settled with, in proportion to the relative merits of their claims, on a basis which will fully preseive the distinction which should be made between resident and non-resident proprietors. 6. A record of all claims submitted by the Natives should be noted by you in a book kept expressly for that purpose, more especially in those cases where conflicting interests have to be dealt with; and great care should be taken not to give too much prominence to that class of claimants who are frequently the first to offVr their lands for sale, from the fact of their title being in many instances very defective. The actu-1 uwuer, in contra-distiiiction to the class to which I have just referred, seldom makes a noisy or boosting demonstration of what his claims really are ; it may therefore be inferred from his silent and uncompromising demeanour, that his rights are not to be trifled with, and that without his acquiescence, it will be impossible to make a valid purchase, This class of claimants it will be your duty to search out, as they will be the least likely, from feeling secure in the justice of their cause, to press themselves upon your notice. 19. The former part of the 6th Section directs that a record of all claims submitted by Natives ehould be noted in a book. Do you know whether this has been observed in the instance to which the present inquiry relates ? —I believe that a record of the claims, and of the various meetings has been

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