PETITIONS.

9

G.—No. 1

the first settlement of the said districts, as in each year nothing like a just proportion of the revenue derived from the aforesaid districts has been expended. Your petitioners would wish to point out that, owing to the great embarrassments of the Provincial Government of Canterbury, whose account is at this present time overdrawn at the Bank of New Zealand to the amount of nearly one hundred thousand pounds, no Public Works are likely to be undertaken in the aforesaid districts, and even the formation of the public highways must be done by rates levied by the different Road Boards. The maximum rates that can be legally levied are far from sufficient for the purpose. That your petitioners appeal to your Honourable House to afford these districts protection, and to provide against the recurrence and permanency of the evils under which they are now labouring. And your petitioners pray that your Honourable House will give its most favourable consideration to any Bill having for its object the establishment in their districts of such a form of government, and with such powers, as will harmonise with existing institutions. And your petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray, &c, &c. [Signed "by T. AV. Hail, J.P., and 599 others.]

No. 9. PETITION OF NATIVES OF POVERTY BAY. Ki te tino Runanga Nui o Niu Tireni e noho nei i Poneke. Turanga, Hurae 8, 1867. Ko te inoi tenei o o koutou tangata pono o o koutou hoa aroha o nga tangata o Turanga e mea ana. He nui te pouri o matou e noho nei, ko to matou hiahia nui, ko to matou tino whakaaro, ko te noho tuturu i raro ite maru oto tatou Rangatira ote Kuini; ko ia ano hoki to matou matua, heoi ko o matou mate enei ka whakapuakina o matou kia koutou. He inoi tenei na matou ki a koutou, kia tirohia e koutou o matou mate, me nga whakararurarutanga, me nga taumahatanga e whakapurangatia ana kia matou i roto i nga marama katoa kua pahemo nei. Ko enei nga pouri ki a matou ko o matou whenua e tohea tonutia ana e te Kawanatanga kia riro i a ratou, kua rua nei nga tau kua pahemo i muri o te whawhai ki tenei tara wahi o te motu nei, mutu tonu te whawhai ka riro etahi o nga tangata o konei ia a te Kawanatanga te mau atu ki Wharekauri, ko te whenua i waiho marire kihai i puta tetahi kupu kia riro o matou piihi. Kihai i puta mai tetahi panuitanga a to Kawanatanga ki a matou kua riro tenei whenua i te rau o tana patu heoi ka whakaaro matou, heoti tonu te mate mo tenei iwi ko nga tupapaku i hinga, ko nga tangata i riro herehere atu ki Wharekauri; tena ko tenei, kua maroke noatu te toto i roto i nga tau erua kua pahemo nei, katahi ano ka puta mai te kupu a te Kawanatanga ki a matou kia murua o matou whenua, no roto i tenei tau taua kupu, mehemea i puta mai taua kupu i te takiwa o te whawhai kihai i tino kaha to matou pouri, ahakoa kihai matou i uru ki te hara ote Hauhau. Whakarongo mai ra ete Runanga Rangatira, he nui te pouri ki a matou i naianei mo nga mahi a te Kawanatanga ki te tawai tonu i a matou kia whakaaetia e matou kia tukuna atu te wahi raorao katoa o tenei whenua, na matou na nga Rangatira i noho pai to nuinga o te whenua, heoi, ko te utu tenei mo to matou noho pai kia tere matou ki te wai: no te tau kua pahemo nei, i te marama o Hune, ka tae etahi pukapuka a etahi o matou ki te Kooti Whakawa whenua Maori kia whakawakia etahi take whenua a matou, hoki mai ana te kupu a te Kaiwhakawa, aTe Penetana mea ana, " e pai ana, otira me ruri te whenua i te tuatahi aka oti, katahi ka whakawa," no muri iho ka puta mai nga panuitanga ki a matou "ka tu te Kooti Whakawa whenua Maori, a te tekau ma rua o nga ra o Hepetema, 1866," i puta pono mai aua panuitanga ki a matou, otira ko te panuitanga mo te rironga o te whenua o tenei tahatika kihai i puta mai ki a matou, I huihui rawa matou ki Turanganui i te ra i whakaritea ai e Te Penetana, kihai i tu to Kooti, heoi ka whanga marire matou kia rongo i te take, kihai rawa i rongo, kihai hoki tetahi panuitanga i puta mai i taua taima kia riro to whenua, otira i tuarua te panuitanga mo To Kooti, puta mai ana taua panuitanga mea ana, " ka tu te Kooti i te rua te kau ma rima o nga ra o Oketopa, 1866," huihui rawa matou ki reira, kore noa iho, heoi ka kimi matou he aha ranei te take o tenei tikanga e whaka-poraru tonu nei i a matou, ka roa to matou kimihanga, katahi matou ka rongo i te kupu tango i te whenua, ko nga kupu whakaora i te tuatahi, ara, ka tu te Kooti Whakawa Whenua ki konei, muringa iho ko te kupu whakamate, ara, ko te tango whenua. Heoi, ka maha nga marama i whanga marire ai matou kia ora matou i runga ite ture, kore noa iho. I kaha tonu matou ki te tono ite Kooti i aua marama, i kaha tonu hoki aTe Piki ki te tohe i to matou whenua kia whakaaetia, kia tukuna, katahi matou ka whakaae atu ki a ia tetahi pihi whenua, he pihi nui noatu he iti rawa te wahi i mahue atu ki a matou, ko te nuinga o taua whenua na matou, na to taha i te taha Kawanatanga, otira te take i whakaae ai matou he hoha no matou ki tona tawainga i a matou, me te maha o nga kupu whakawehiwehi ate Kawanatanga ki a matou, kihai ia i pai ki ta matou i whakaritc ai, ko tana i pai ai kia riro te raorao katoa i a ia, kia tere matou ki runga i nga maunga; heoi ka mea atu matou me waiho ma te Kooti Whakawa c whakaora i a matou, katahi ka puta mai tana ki ki a matou, ka mauria mai e ia te Kooti Tango whenua, katahi ano matou ka rongo i tenei ingoa mo te Kooti, miharo ana matou, ko wai, ka whanga marire matou ko te Kooti W Thakawa Whenua i whakaritea kia tu i te toru o nga ra o tenei marama, a tae mai ana nga Kai whakawa katahi matou ka whakaaro ko te oranga pea tenei mo matou. Aue ! no hea te oranga, tae rawa mai tutakina tonutanga e Piki, ara, e te Kawanatanga, a i naianei e lei ana, ka rapua ano he tikanga ki a koutou ki te Runanga hei whakahe i a matou ; na reira matou Rangatira ka kimi whakaaro i roto i a koutou kia whakaorangia matou me o matou whenua. Ko nga tangata i huihui ki tenei Kooti ho maha noa atu, i Waiapu mai a puta noa ki te Wairoa, kihai i whakaarohia e Te Kawanatanga to matou huihui huhuakore i era taima e rua, taea noatia tenei, 3