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1878. NEW ZEALAND.

WAIROA PUBLIC POUND.

Return to an Order of th " House of Representatives, No. 13, of 7th Auyust, 1878. " That there be laid upon the Table copies of any Reports from the Eesident Magistrate at Wairoa, Hawke's Bay, having reference to the refusal of certain Natives at Mahia to allow a Eesident Magistrate's Court to hear and determine a charge of breaking a Public Pound, and any instructions issued to the Eesident Magistrate thereon."

No. 1. Mr. F. F. Obmond to Mr. S. Locke. (Telegram.) Wairoa, Napier, 17th June, 1878. Re Mahia pound : Full account sent to Government. Will send you report by mail. Natives most determined not to attend Court. S. Locke, Esq., Napier. Fbed. F. Osmond, E.M.

No. 2. Komene Te Ito to Mr. S. Locke. Mahia, 7th June, 1878. Feiend, —Greeting: This information I send you that you should know of the great troubles of Mahia. The reason of these troubles is the pound, and horses that were driven there. When the persons the owners of the horses knew that the horses were impounded, they then went and broke down the pound, not leaving the matter to be settled by the law regarding the impounding of the horses, but took a Maori view of the matter ; therefore the poundkeeper took proceedings against them, and left it for the law to settle the matter of the breaking the pound open. The summons was duly served, and the day arrived, but they did not appear to see what the law did say in the matter. They then set to devising other means, according to Maori custom, after the manner of the Hauhaus, to evade the law at the present time. When we heard of these works of these people, we went to those people ; those of us who went there were Toha, Hamana, and Komene Te Ito. When the people heard of our coming they then got ready a place of fire for us to sit down upon, and welcomed our arrival. We then sat down, not knowing that wo were sitting down on the fire. When we began to feel the heat we moved down to that part where there was less heat. Then they began to see that they had done wrong. We did not fix a day to punish them, as we went to uphold the law; that is the idea which came across us when we were treated by them in the manner they treated us. Suffice it, it is true these people have gone back to the ways of tho Hauhau ; they would not listen to anything that we suggested according to the law. That you may know the names of the chiefs who acquiesced in these doings, they were Ihaka, Eaiwheke, and others, and the whole of their tribe. Suffice it, I have sent the word to you relative to this work here. From S. Locke, Esq., Napier. Komene Te Ito.

No. 3. Mr. F. F. Obmond to the Hon. the Natite Ministeb. Sib, — "Wairoa, Hawke's Bay, Bth June, 1878. I have the honor to inform you that I proceeded to Mahia on the 2nd June, intending to hold the Eesident Magistrate's Court there on the 3rd, as duly advertised. One case of releasing a horse from the Mahia pound was, I had heard, causing some excitement; and I was also led to understand that a professional gentleman would attend on behalf of the Natives, to dispute the validity of the impounding. In order to meet the case fully, Mr. Burton, Justice of the Peace and Chairman of the Wairoa County Council, accompanied me, to explain matters, the pound itself having been established by act'of the County Council. Major Goring, Armed Constabulary Force, was also present as a Justice of the Peace, and Toha and Hamana as Native Assessors. On the 3rd, at 11 a.m., this case was called; and we were then informed that the Committee refused to have the case heard. In the evening Toha and Hamana visited the pa. I enclose their statement of what took place.