C—No. 1

COMMISSIONERS' REPORTS

shores of the south side of the harbour of Whangarei, containing by survey, one hundred and sixty-two acres, for the sum of Forty pounds, with a pre-emptive right on their part of repurchasing forty acres of the same at the upset price of ten shillings per acre, but which His Excellency the Governor was pleased to order to remain in abeyance until the next meeting of the General Assembly, and that event having now elapsed, I would beg to bring to your notice that the said Natives have reiterated their request to me to obtain a compliance of their wishes. The matter is a small one, involving no loss to the Crown, and I would suggest that by permitting transactions of this nature to a limited extent, they would prepare the Native mind for receiving Crown Grants by individuals, if such should be the intention of the Government at a future time. I have, &c, John Grant Johnson, District Commissioner. Donald McLean, Esq., Chief Commissioner, Auckland.

No. 46. THE CHIEF COMMISSIONER TO MR. COMMISSIONER JOHNSON. Land Commissioner's Office, Auckland, 3rd November, 1856. Sir, — Enclosed, I send open for your perusal, two letters, one to Tirarau, and another to Parore, which you will have the goodness to see delivered at your earliest convenience. These letters detail the nature of the arrangements entered into with Te Uriohau tribe since Tirarau and Parore left Auckland. You will observe that Te Uriohau tribe have disposed of the whole of the land claimed by them between the Tauraroa and Manganui rivers, extending to the back boundary of the block purchased by you from Te Manihera at Ruarangi. The price paid to the Natives has been £400, the block being estimated at 12,000 acres; should it exceed this quantity, they are to be paid at the rate of £30 for every 1000 acres in excess of the above estimate, or to refund £30 for every thousand acres under the estimate of 12,000 acres. The disputed land in Maungakaramea is not included in this purchase; the Natives declined to accept £100, which I offered in order to remove all future difficulties in connection with that transaction; it appeared to me that they felt apprehensive that Tirarau would make it a cause of quarrel with them if they accepted any payment on land sold by him and bordering go close on the Tangihua range, therefore it is perhaps as well that the matter should stand over, leaving Tirarau to adjust it himself. I have to request that you will use your influence with Tirarau to prevent his bringing any armed party to cut down spars on the territory now in dispute between him and Paikea, as it is reported that he intends bringing 400 of his allies to work a forest in the vicinity of Parore's present residence, which might, if the Uriohau also resort to similar steps, result in dangerous consequences, affecting the tranquility of that part of the Island. I have, &c, Donald McLean, Chief Commissioner, John Grant Johnson, Esq., J.P., District Commissioner, Whangarei.

Respecting land purchased from Te Uri-o-Hau,

Enclosure 1 to No. 46. Akarana, Nowema 4, 1856. E koro c Te Tirarau, — Tena koe. Tenei taku kupu ki a koe. No muri i a korua ko Parore ka tangohia c te Uriohau nga rau pauna c wha (£400) mo te wahi whenua ki waenganui o te awa o Tauraroa o te Manganui, huri noa kite marangai kite rohe o ta te Manihera hokonga ki Ruarangi, me tetahi wahi iti ki uta atu o Tokatoka, puta noa kite Manganui; heoi nga wahi i utua c te Uriohau. I tohe au ki a ratou kia tukua mai te wahi c tautohea nei kei roto ki to hokonga o Maungakaramea kihai ratou i pai; otira, mau c whakarite tera wahi, no te mea kei a koe ano nga tikangs mo reira, kei hoki te raruraru ki runga i nga Pakeha ana nohoia taua whenua a mua a ke nei. Kei a korua ko Te Honiana tetahi mahinga ma korua i nga whenua rarurarukore i tenei raumati, kia mahia paitia nga oneone kia wawe nga raruraru te pahure ake i a tatou ; kia whiti ha maramatanga ki tena pito o to tatou motu, kite pito i timata ai te noho a te Pakeha ; a c mau nei ano te tohe o Ngapuhi kia hoki ano te Pakeha ki tona puna i putake mai ai. Naku, &c, Na Te Makarini.

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