H.—36

4

E nga iwr katoa, — Poneke, Akuhata 26, 1879. Kua tono au ki to tatou roia ki a Takuta Pura kia taia inai te panui nei, kite reo Maori ki te reo pakeha, he mea kia kite katoa koutou i te tikanga o tenei rnahi. Na Wl Pakata Te Kakaktiea, Hekeretari o te Komiti. He Pantti Tenei. Xi nga iwi Maori c whai tikanga ana ki nga whenua i murua c te Kawanatanga i runga i nga whawhai a te Maori kite pakeha. Na matou na te Komiti i whakaturia nei hei rapu i nga ture i tangohia ai aua whenua c te Kawanatanga, hei kawe hold kite whakawa, kia kimihia mai te tika te he ranei o aua ture muru-whenua, kia tironia hold nga malii ate Kawanatauga. Tena koutou katoa! Na, kia rongo mai koutou. Kua tae matou ki etahi roia i Poneke kite ata hurihuri marire ite whakaaro, na, kua whakaatu mai aua roia i nga korero nei: — Ara, no te marauia o Tihema, 18G3, i hanga ai te Paremata o Nai Tirene i tetahi Ture, he penei tona ritenga, inehemea ka kite te Kawana kua uru tetahi iwi Maori hapu ranei kite whawhai i muri mai o te ra tain o Hanuere, 1863, ka tika kia panuitia c ia nga takiwa o a ratou whenua papatupu, he mea kia tangohia etahi o aua whenua hei whakanohoanga pakeha, a, ka kore ravva he mana Maori i runga i aua wahi c tangohia ana. Otira, i whai tikanga auo taua ture mo nga whenua o nga tangata kihai i uru kite whawhai, c taka mai ana ki roto ki aua rohe o tangohia ana, kia ata whakaritea paitia. Na, kua kite matou i te mahi whakahaere a te Kawanatanga i runga i taua ture, me etahi atu ture ano hoki a te Puremata, kua panui haere ia i nga takiwa whenua ki tena wahi ki tena wahi o Aotearoa, a, c mea aua ia kua riro tika aua whenua i te rau o te patu, ara, i te urunga noatanga atu a nga iwi nona aua whenua ki nga whawhai i muri mai o te ra tahi o Hanuere, 1803. Na, c mohio ana matou, tera te whakahengia mai c nga iwi Maori taua ture muru whenua me taua tango a te Kawanatanga, engari kahore ano kia kavvea noatia kite whakawa kia kimihia te tika te he ranei o taua malii, kia rapua mariretia mehemea i whai mana ranei aua ture muru whenua a te Paremata kaore ranei—mehemea kua tika te whakahaere a te Kawanatanga i runga i aua ture kaore ranei —mehemea c tika ana te pupuri noa a te Kawanatanga i aua whenua i te mea kahore i whakauohoia ki te pakeha kaore ranei. Koia matou, te Ivomiti i whakaturia nei hei rapu i enei mea, ka whakaaro ai i runga i nga tohutohu a nga roia, ko te mea tika rawa me kawe kite Kooti Hupirimi o Nui Tirene, kia ata kimihia enei take c te Ture, kia kitca tona tika tona he : — Tuatahi. —Mehemea c whai mana ana nga ture muru whenua a te Paremata o Nui Tirene, kaore ranei ? Tuctrua. — A, mehemea c whai mana ana aua ture, i tika ranei te tango whenua a te Kawanatanga mo nea whawhai o muri mai o te 3 o nga ra o Tihema, 1863, kaore ranei ? Tuatoru. —A, mehemea c whai mana ana aua ture, i tika ranei te pupuri pokanoa a te Kawanatanga i nga wahi o roto o aua takiwa kihai i ata whakanohoia kite pakeha i mua atu o te 3 o nga ra o Tihema, 1867, kaore ranei ? Tuaicha. —Mehemea kua tika ranei te whakahaere a te Kawanatanga i runga i aua ture c man pono ai i a ia nga whenua kua tangohia nei, kaore ranei ? Tuarima, —A, mehemea i whai mana aua ture, kua tika ranei te whakahaere mo nga tangata c whai take ana ki aua whenua. a, kihai i uru kite whawhai, kaore ranei? Na, ko nga tino putake korero ena i tohutohungia c nga roia hei kawenga ma matou kite aroaro o te Kooti Hupirimi; otira, tera atu ano te maha o nga korero hei tirohanga ma te Kooti ana tae kite whakawa, hei whakawa marire i te taha Maori. A, kua rongo hoki matou ki nga roia, mehemea kahore c tika te whakataunga a te Kooti Hupirimi ki ta matou whakaaro iho, tera c ahei c matou te kawe rawa atu kite aroaro o te Kooti nui o te Kuini i Ingarangi, kia hurahia ano te whakawa. a ma reira c tino whakaoti mai. Na, he mea kia pai te whakahaere o tenei whakawa, ko ta matou kupu tenei ko ta te Komiti, hei whakaae ma koutou kite Kawanatanga, kia kaua rawa koutou c hapai patu, kia kaua koutou ewhakatari pakanga mo aua whenua, engari me waiho ma te ture c mahi, kauaka te hoari. A, ma matou hoki ma te Komiti c whai kupu atu kite Kawanatanga kia inutu rawa inaiauei tana wea me tana mahi i aua whenua, kia waiho ano ma te ture c rapu, kia kitea to tika te he ranei. Heoi, he panui atu tenei na matou kia mohio katoa koutou, i runga i te whakaaro kotahi a nga iwi kia inahia paitia te ritenga mo enei whenua, ka timata tonu inaianei ta matou kawe i enei putake korero katoa Id te aroaro o te Kooti Hupirimi kia whakawakia. Na matou, na te Komiti, Na Hori Kerei Taiaroa, M.L.C., Tumuaki. Na Hori Karaka Tawhiti, M.H.E, Na Wi Parata Te Kakakura, Hekeretari. Na Ihaia Tainui, M.H.It. Na Wi Tako Ngatata, M.L.C. Na Maihi Paraone Kawiti. Na Mokena Kohere, M.L.C. Na Keepa Te Rangihiwinui, Meiha. Na Henare Tomoana, M.H.E. Na Peeti Te Awcawe. [Translation or Manifesto.] To the Maori tribes interested in the lands confiscated by the Government in consequence of the wars between the Maori and the European peoples. We, the Committee appointed to inquire into and to take proceedings for testing the validity of the laws under which the said lauds have been confiscated, and are now claimed by the Government, and to inquire into and test the validity of the acts done by the Government under the provisions of those laws, send greeting: Know ye, that we have consulted lawyers at Port Nicholson touching these matters, and we are informed as follows ;—