A.—Ho. 2.

14

PAPERS ON NATIVE LAND COURT

thereout shall be drawn up by the Judge before whom such question shall have arisen and submitted to the Supreme Court for its decision which decision shall be final. 48. No lease or conveyance by any Native to any person not of the Native race shall be valid unless properly explained to such Native before the execution thereof by the Interpreter attached to the Judge of the District in which the land is situate and unless a clear statement of the contents thereof written in Maori and certified by the signature of such Interpreter shall be indorsed on such lease or conveyance respectively. It shall be the duty of such Interpreter to record a certified copy of every such written statement. 49. And whereas contracts have at various times been made by officers duly authorized for the cession of Native land to Her Majesty and in some cases money has been paid on such contracts but the purchase of said land has never been completed : Be it enacted that it shall be lawful for the Judge of the District on application of the Governor or any Native claiming interest in such land to investigate the Native title to such land in the manner herein provided and to certify the boundaries of such land the names of the Native owners thereof the terms of the contract and the amount of money paid thereon. 50. And whereas agreements for the purchase of timber flax and other natural productions growing upon Native lands were at various times before the passing of " The Native Lands Act 1865 " entered into by Europeans and Natives which though having no legal force were made and have been carried out in good faith by the parties thereto : Be it therefore enacted that it shall be competent for the Court in its discretion to annex to any Crown grant or certificate of title issued in respect of such land such condition as shall prevent the land so granted being dealt with in a manner inconsistent with such contract. 51. Except as hereinbefore mentioned every conveyance gift contract or promise relating to Native land in respect of which a Crown grant or certificate of title has not been issued by the Court shall be null and void. 52. It shall not be necessary for any married woman of the Native race on executing any deed required by law to be acknowledged before Commissioners to make such acknowledgment and such deed shall be as valid and effectual as if signed by a femme sole. 53. No Native land shall be subject to or affected by any laws made or to be made by any Provincial Legislature nor shall any land granted under this Act or under any of the Acts hereby repealed be subject to or affected by any such laws as long as Natives alone are the owners thereof.

SCHEDULE. Certificate of Title under " Native Land Court Act 1871." to all to ■whom these presents shall come It is hereby certified that the Natives whose names are arranged according to their hapus and tribes in the table hereinafter contained are the sole owners of all that piece of land at in the District of in the Province of known by the name of containing by admeasurement be the same more or less bounded on the as the same is delineated en the plan drawn hereon or hereunto annexed together with all the rights and appurtenances thereunto belonging. And it is hereby further certified that the proportionate shares of the said owners in the said piece of land are as set forth in the said table. And it is hereby further certified that the above-named owners may under this certificate exercise the power hereinafter defined and none other —that is to say they may " lease the said land for any term not exceeding twenty-one years in possession and not in reversion without fine or premium and without agreement or covenant for renewal."