A.—No. 4.

with the diminished number of children born, and with the diseased constitution of many of the children which are born. The estimated population of the Native race in this Province I have made up from returns in my office, and find that they amount to about 2,500. During the war there can be no doubt that a very bitter and unhappy feeling prevailed between the races, quite as vindictive on the part of the Europeans as on that of the Maoris, but that feeling I have no hesitation in saying has died out on both sides, and wherever Europeans go among the Maoris, they are treated with that hospitality which has always characterized the New Zealander. With regard to the question of peace being permanently established, there are two difficulties yet to be overcome, on which this mainly depends. One is the continued existence of the King Movement, which brought all the trouble upon the country, and which the "Waikato tribes have never yet shown any inclination to abandon, but on the contrary are at the present time using all manner of devices to support and extend. Their head-quarters are now at Tokarigamutu, on the Mokau, where the head men keep doggedly aloof from the Government, and refuse to hold communication, although they continue to send forth declarations of peace. But it is an encouraging fact, that nearly the whole of the Natives in this Province have seceded from the movement, thus materially lessening its importance. The other difficulty is that of dealing with the confiscated lands. It was an old custom among the Maoris themselves to forfeit land for provoking war, but such forfeiture remained a matter of dispute for a great many years, and in many cases land so forfeited has been retaken. So in the case of the confiscated lands, I am afraid that a great deal of trouble will arise before the whole of the confiscated territory is settled. At present lam of opinion, that the Natives will be very cautious how they commit themselves by any overt act of violence. I sincerely believe that the Natives of this Province desire peace, but they have a great dread of being entirely subjugated to our rule, having been led to believe by designing persons that the ultimate object of the Government is to reduce them to slavery, and in many cases I have heard it said, to use them as beasts of burden. The Land League established in 1853-54 was the cause of dividing tribes and hapus against themselves, more particularly in this Province ; one part sided with the established league, and the other formed themselves into an opposition party. This state of things produced a very unhappy feeling of enmity between the two factions, which lasted for fourteen years, and to which they have now for the last six months been turning their attention, for the purpose of establishing friendly relations with all the tribes through the Province, by convening large meetings and giving great feasts, in accordance with their old customs, for the settlement of past differences. The process is a very slow one, but they know of no other, and it is useless to recommend any other to them. Peaceful relations between the different tribes are necessary for the future peace of the country; for a settlement of the question as between the Government and the late insurgents only would not be a satisfactory basis for the Government to work upon in future. I look upon the movement of the tribes in this Province in convening these meetings for the above purpose as the best earnest of their desire for peace. A few days ago, at a large meeting now being held in the Ngatiruanui Districts, at a place called Te Ngutu-o-te-Manu, where there were over GOO present, and at which meeting all the tribes in this Province were represented, one of the leading men, Titokowaru, called the attention of the people assembled to a very large house which they had built for the occasion, and said, " Many years ago two houses were built for the Land Councils, and named Taiporohcnui and Kumeamai; afterwards two houses were built for the Maori king, and named Aotearoa and Rangiatea. These houses are no longer in existence, and I wish to direct your attention to the house we have lately built, and the purpose for which it is intended. This house is built for the King of Peace; there is no longer a Maori king in this district." With regard to the effect of any recent legislation in respect of Native Lands, Education, and Representation, the state of this Province for the last fourteen years has been such that the development of such questions has been a matter of impossibility. What has been done in the way of education has been done under very serious disadvantages. The question of representation is one which will have to be modified by increasing the number of members or altering the mode of election. Considerable dissatisfaction appears to prevail at the North in consequence of Whanganui being the place of nomination for so large a district. The Native Lands Court never held a sitting in this Province, consequently I have had no experience of its working. The confiscation dealt so largely with the lands of this Province that it will take years to work the whole matter out in the terms of " The New Zealand Settlements Act, 18G3." The Native Reserves Act, under which this class of Native lands is administered in this Province, seems to give general satisfaction to the Native owners. I have, &c, It. Paeris, Taranaki, Ist April, 1868. Civil Commissioner.

3?. Parris, J2sq t ~~ continued.

No. 13. W AIM ATE. Report from E. M. "Williams, Esq., Resident Magistrate, Waimate. Sib — In compliance with a request contained in a letter from your office, No. 71-2, dated 15th February, 1868, that I should furnish, for the information of His Excellency Sir G-. F. Bowen, a general report on the past as well as present state of .the Natives of this district, I have the honor to transmit the following remarks, which I trust may, in some measure, supply the information His Excellency is anxious to obtain. I have to apologize for the delay which has taken place in forwarding this report, occasioned by frequent absence on public duty, and other hindrances of various kinds. 1. In regard to the history of the past few years, I shall first notice the political feeling manifested 6

E. M. Williams, Esq.

21

THE TIME OE SIR G. E. BOWEN'S ARRIVAL.