G.—7

120

SoJcomata. ComplaintNo.il. Ex parte Cannon and Wife.

CASE No. IX. W. A. Cannon sworn. Chairman.] What is your complaint. The block is Onepu East, 155 acres ; the principal grantee, Keremeneta. When the Natives got the block in the Land Court, my wife said " Put my name down." I was present. Judge Monro said to me, " Well, Cannon, there is ten in this block already, I cannot put any more names in; but I will give you a certificate from the head grantee (Keremeneta) to get her share of the money, which will be just as good as her being in the Crown grant, as they are going to sell the land. They did not sell the land, but they have leased it. Some time ago they drew some money from some man named McLean; I do not know his other name. They got money, and I brought this certificate and claimed my share; and they laughed at me and told mo my name was not in the Crown grant. I produce the original order written by Mr. Monro, signed by Keremeneta, and witnessed by Mr. Monro on the day the block w rent through the Court. [Order produced. See order and translation below.] Did you see Keremeneta sign ? Yes. Waipawa, 4th Hepetema, 1868. E whakaae ana ahau Ida hoatu kia Te Hokomata c tahi o nga moni utu mo te Onopu ana ka hokona c matau taua whenua ma nga tangata c noho ana ite karauna karaati c mea kia hia ranei nga moni c hoatu.—Keremeneta.—Witness, H. Moneo. [Translation.] Waipawa, 4th September, 1868. I consent to give some of the money which will be received in payment for the Onepu to Te Hokomata as soon as the land shall have been sold ; it is for the persons named as grantees to decide what the sum shall be.—Keresieneta. —Witness, 11. Monro.

Moeangiangi. Complaint No. 13. Ex parte Paora Hira and 17 others.

CASE No. X. Paora LTira sworn, deposed. The piece of land Moeangiangi was excluded by me formerly, at the time of selling ; Moeangiangi was the name of the whole block; that piece was for us; we were not aware of the selling of the reserve left for us. I know when the land went through the Court; the Court sat in Napier, we were all here. Pitiera, Winiata, and Ketiinana were in the grant; all the people did not name them. We were not in at that Court, and they named themselves; I remember 1 was not at that Court. Pitiera and "Winiata sold to Messrs. McLean and Locke; before the land passed the Court they had their own sale. Pitiera and Winiata came here and sold the land ; they took the whole of the money to themselves; they sold secretly. I do not know whether they are here; one is dead (Pitiera) ; Winiata is at his own place, at Mohaka. I and my people live at Arapawanui, close to this land. Retimana lives at Tangoio, that is close to. We occupied and cultivated the land since the sale. I and my party are in the occupation of the land; there are no Europeans living there ; there are sheep on it. Winiata and Pitiera's claim was not very large. The reason we left the land was because the European said it belonged to him. Wo heard there were ten acres reserved at the mouth of the river; but it was not enough. We did not agree, because the sale was not heard of by us. Ido not know what was paid for by the block. There are no Natives living on the land. The Europeans told us to leave, and we went to Arapawanui. The money that has been paid should rest on the other lands. Mr. Locke.'] Do you not remember there were 200 acres only mentioned in the deed (Deed in Eegister, page 119, of the Eeserve produced) ? I thought it was 1,000 acres. Chairman.'] The Government have two shares out of the three: could it not be divided? We should not be clear about a division, because it was a permanent place for us. Two persons, Pitiera and Winiata, heard it was for all of us, and they went and wrongfully sold it. Did you not hear of the Court sitting : why did you not oppose ? I did not hear of it. Pitiera and Winiata saw me at Arapawanui, but they did not tell me they were going to the Court; this was when they came in to sell. I did not hear of it till a long time after the money had been received. Te Jietimana Ngarangipai sworn. Chairman.] Were you at the Land Court when the land was granted to Pitiera and Winiata and yourself? I happened to come in when it was going on in the Court. I went in at once to drive Winiata and Pitiera out. How was it you did not~succeed ? The Court was for the ten acres (a small reserve out of the former reserve). We know that is a mistake; the Court was for the 1,000 acres (the whole reserve). The ten acres passed the Court. The 900 acres went (were awarded to Government) for Pitiera and Winiata's money. AVTiere were you then residing ? At Tangoio. I do not consider the Crown has bought the 1,000 acres. It must all be given back to us. Mr. Locke.] When did you hear of the sale to the Government ? After the fall of Omarunui; it was previous to the sitting of the Court. Why did you wish to put the other men out ? To get my own name alone on that land. Chairman.] Did you know at the sitting of the Court that Winiata and Pitiera had sold ? No ; I still considered it was ours. They had not received the money. Mr. Locke.] Did you not say at the sale of Omarunui that you heard of the sale? Yes; I thought the land was still free, and then I found there was only five acres. Chairman.] Do you say Pitiera and Winiata had no share ? Ido not know. How is it that Kopu has signed the deed of sale of the whole block ? The reason of his name being there was because he came to our chief Te Teira, and he asked for some money out of the land to pay for his ship.