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appear there was no record of what passed at that meeting, and I was called upon by Mr. Mantell' who was then Nativo Minister, to give my remembrance of tlie matter at the time. 131. Hon. Sir George Grey.] There is an absolute record of the speech delivered by me. It was the absolute thing. I ordered Mr. Puckey to read a paper, and that was taken by the Press. There is a precise copy printed. 132. Mr. Rolleston.] The record of the general interview with Sir George Grey is in the Native Office?—l have been searching, but the records of that date are in such a mess. [Minute of Blr. Mantell read (vide Appendix), and papers banded in.]
Thursday, 3rd October, 1878. Mr. Douglas examined.
133. Hon. Sir George Grey.] What was your wife's father's name ?—Te Rangi Tuataka was his Christian name ; his Native name was Te Rangi Huihaira. 134. Did you sco Mr. Clarke, in 1871, on this claim ? —Tes, sir. 135. AVhat passed between you and Mr. Clarke on that occasion ? —lt was the latter end of February or beginning of March; I could not say to two or three days. My wife's aunt and several others requested me to take my wife before Mr. Clarke in connection with this land. I took her there. AVhen I went in there was Hamiora Tv and two others there. They were having a conversation witii Mr. Clarke, They said, " Our conversation will be long, and you had bettor hear this pakeha and his wife." Mr. Clarke asked me what I had come for, and I said I had come in connection with land which belonged to my wife. He asked her name, and I told him. He asked me what land it was, and I told him it was Ohauiti. Ho asked mo why she claimed this land. I told him it was through her father; and ho then said to my wife, " Tou will have no claim on these lands. Tour brother, Irimana, will have a claim." My wife then said, "My brother is dead." Mr. Clarke said, "It will then go to his children." My wife said, "He has got no children ; there is only mo that remains of my father." He turned round and asked Hamiora Tv and the others if they knew my wife. They said "Tes; " and told Clarke her name. He asked what was hor father's name. They told him. He then said, " Tes, these are your lands; but you are too late." I then asked Mr. Clarke," Why too late;" and ho said the lands had gone through the Court some years before. I said I was not aware that there had been a Court here, or that the land was adjudicated on —that every one knew where my wife was. He asked me, "Are you married?" I said, "No." He said, "Tou had better go out of this Native Office, and do not talk to me about Native lands again." One day afterwards I was doing some work at my place. Jonathan Brown came over and asked my wife where I was. He came to mc and said, '" In case you get your wife's name iv the Crown grant, what are you going to do with the land ? are you going to lease it or sell it ? " I said, "I am going to keep it for my children." Then I heard of the lease being transferred to Captain Morris. I inquired of the Natives why it was so, and they could not tell me. They wanted to let Captain Morris have the lease the same as Brown. They told me they had signed it, saying that Mr. Clarke had talked them right out of it. Shortly afterwards two or three Natives came over from Mr. Clarke's office ; their names were Ranapia, Pomare, and Whakataua, I think. They said they had been to the office, and that Mr. Clarko said tho best thing they could do was to take my wife away, as wo were not married. 136. AVhat Natives are these ? —Pomare and Whakataua. Pomare is a first cousin of my wife. I heard shortly after that there was going to be a meeting over this land. I went to Mr. AVarbrick, and told him that, on account of me and some of her relations being bad, my wife's claim was not heard at all. I asked him if he would let her know when the Court was going to sit, and to bring her forward. I profferod him £10 to do so, as I was iv the Telegraph Department, and away from home. He said he would. I was told by a person in Tauranga that he had a conversation with AVarbrick, and that he told him he intended not to let my wife know anything about it. After this a meeting took place at Maungatapu,and when the Natives went to go to this meeting my wife was living amongst them. My wife and her aunt asked the Natives where they were going ? They only said they were going to have a talk over Native affairs. Pomare came back, and told me what took place at that meeting. He said Mr. Clarke had told them he did not wish to have a talk with them, but requested that some of them should pick out the names that were to go in the grant. After some talk, the Natives selected Pomare, and ho called out the names that were to go in the grant. My wife never got any notice, or knew of the meeting. Shortly after this they took my wife away. My wife wrote me two or throe letters, pressing me to come immediately, as they intended to take her away altogether. I came down in the night to Tauranga, and found it correct. Te Tauaro, a chief who wa3 in prison in Otago, came back. AYe had some words there, and he said he would go over to Mr. Clarke, and Mr. Clarke would soon put me somewhere else. AVhen the Natives were gone, we got horses and went on to Rotorua, tho Natives following us. AYe came right through to Napier, my wife having friends there on the side of her mother. I knew that Captain Morris was going to buy this land. 1 immediately wrote to Judge Penton, asking if these lands had ever gone through the Native Lands Court. He replied not. I wrote again, asking him how I should put them through the Court, lie wrote back, enclosing a form, aud telling me how I should fill it in, and to get the usual necessary consent that the land should go through the Court. Then I put it into the hands of a solicitor in Napier, i understood afterwards that Captain Morris had bought it. I went to Tauranga last winter to see about it. I inquired into the whole circumstances. I asked the Natives why they had sold the land. They said they did not wish to sell it, but that Clarke and Morris pressed them to sell, and they were afraid of getting into debt. £000 was what they received. 137. Will you stato the names of some of the Natives who told you this ?—Whakataua and Pomare. Tv Tauaro told me he had got £200 of the last purchase-money which was paid. Ho told me that Captain Morris had telegraphed to Mr. Clarke, asking him if he was one of the owners of the land, and he got the money when tho answer came back. Tv Tauaro was in gaol in Otago at
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