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Natives to hold the Courts, and that the balance of land remaining unsurveyed should be left in its natural state. There has been a law passed to prohibit the shooting of pigeons, and I approve of it. It is quite right to prevent persons from shooting on tho land of other people; but I think that the Maoris should be allowed to shoot over their own lands without being compelled to pay licenses. There is another thing that I have been considering. I own a piece of land adjoining a block of the Government, and I have seen that the surveyors have been over my land without my permission to do so. I said to the surveyors, "You leave this." They said, "It is not your land; it belongs to the Queen." I said, "I do not agree to that. Let the Queen take her own piece that she has bought; but leave my land alone." I say these surveys are causing trouble which will lead to something serious. I have felt inclined to go and take away the surveyor's instruments, because he is bringing trouble on my land ; and I have already referred to the evils which arise from the Crown grants. I think the Government is wrong in encouraging us to have our lands surveyed, and in thus bringing trouble upon us. AVhen the surveyis finished, then I ask the price of the land, and the Government reply that they will give me 6d. or 7d. an acre. It was said that the Queen established Government here to protect the lands of the Natives. Private persons have come and asked me to have a survey of a piece of land which was said to contain so many hundred acres. I said, " A^ery well; you shall have it." But the pakeha answered, "AYe must have it surveyed." I said, "My price is £1 an acre." They said, " No ; I will give you 10s. an acre ;" and then I saw the difference between the price offered by the Government and that of private purchasers; and yet these Europeans say they will pay the Government duty, aud will pay tho fees on the Crown grant. I say the Government does wrong in compelling us to sell our lands at such a low price. They should give us back part of the profit they get when they sell the land again. If they get £2 an acre for what cost the Government only Od. or 7d., they should give us back one-half. I have been to the Government and asked them to let me have some of the land which they had bought for 7d. and Bd. an acre. They said, " Our price is 10s. .an acre." I do not blame the Government for getting the land ; but I blame the chiefs for letting them have it at such a low price. I think, now that we have Sir George Grey and Mr. Sheehan as a new Government, they will look into this matter, and will return us part of the money they have got for our land. Another complaint that I have to make is with reference to the deduction of money for surveys. Let the Government hold the land that has been sold to them, and let private persons do the same; but let us keep the balance of our lands to ourselves. That is my request to all of you. Let the Government have the large rivers and the seas, but not all the creeks. I have been told that the Government claims all the creeks where the tide rises up, but I think Sir George Grey should restore the foreshores to us. Unless he gives us back the land that we are entitled to, I shall say that this Government is a bad Government, like the others. Te Reweti: I have not much to say. I will just pick out a few things. You say, Adam Clark, that you desire the Government to restore to you the parts of the foreshore where you fish and drag your nets, and you say that you ought to be allowed to shoot pigeons on your own land; but I tell you that you must allow the pigeons to breed—you must not kill them during the breeding season. With regard to the pheasants, I say the Maoris ought to be allowed to shoot them at all times in order to kill them off. AVhen they become numerous, they turn upon us and ruin our cultivations. If we do not keep them from breeding, the young ones will grow up and destroy our crops. It is very disheartening and wearying to have to watch our plantations. That is all I have to say in reference to the remarks of Adam Clark. Now, I have to refer to another matter for the benefit of the Natives of Kaipara. The Road Boards should not be allowed to levy taxes on the Maoris. The reason of my bringing this matter before you is, that I have had a demand made upon me by the County Council of Waitemata; and Mr. Seaman, of the North Shore, has made a demand upon several of us Maoris that we shall pay so much a year for our lands, which are our own, and do not; belong to the Council. My opinion is, that Grey and Sheehan should stop this. There is another matter that has been discussed here that I desire to allude to. It is in reference to our cattle, and horses, and dogs, upon which we are to be taxed. I desire that Grey and Sheehan should prevent our being taxed in that way. I have one other matter to bring before you. My pigs were killed by the trains, and I have not been paid for them; also my cattle and horses. I have demanded payment from the manager of the railway for them, but I have received nothing. The only payment that I received was that he laughed at us. The Government should pay us compensation for these injuries. Te Keene Tangaroa: I have one word to say about Sir George Grey's telegram. Grey says we must be strong to work for the good of the Island ; but I do not think it is in our power to settle Grey's terms. The Europeans are constantly bringing trouble upon the Maoris by the different laws they have passed. Another thing Grey mentions in his telegram, that we have seen the rising of the sun. 1 see what he means by the rising of the sun. That was after the war was finished in Waikato. I think Sir George Grey's telegram has been answered by the old men. Their word is, "Be good; be strong in adhering to the Government." This was the dying request of Apihai Te Kawau, Te Tinana, Paikea, aud Te Hekeua. It is on account of their words that Paul Tuhaere built this house for the runanga, and he welcomed the chiefs from all places. He said, " Come here and listen to the dying words of your forefathers, and your fathers and relations. They will be raised again from their sleeping-places." This is about the thirty-third year of the Treaty of AVaitangi. I have something to say on behalf of the people of Ngapuhi and Earawa, and those who have passed away from us. By the Treaty of AVaitangi we were to continue iv possession of our lands, and fisheries, and forests. I ought to have the mana over my fishing-grounds ; but I am told by Arama Karaka that it was our sales of land that brought trouble upon us. I, for one, have had lands surveyed and sold, and so have a great many of us ; and there is the trouble. I am an Assessor appointed to try claims about lands. I thought that by that appointment I should be able to get back some of the lands of which I have been deprived; but in place of that, it has brought new trouble on me. When my hands have been surveyed, 1 have thought: " "Well! now I will have them to myself; they will always belong to me." After that came the Crown grants ; aud when I got that I thought " Tho land is mine for ever." But now I find that the mana of that land hits departed. Listen! This is the trouble that has been