24

G.—2

questions like these must wait to be determined by the Native Land Court when it sits here, when every one will be able to prove his own title. A record will be kept of these statements having been made before us. We have come here to inquire as to whether the promises made by the Government have not been kept, and have nothing to do with disputes regarding boundaries iu purely Native land. Our duties are stated in the Governor's Proclamation, which the Natives have seen. 300. Hotene : Another matter I wish to refer to is with regard to land at Tikorangi, amounting to 343 acres. Trouble has been caused by a European occupying portion of that land. The land has been surveyed no fewer than three times, once being by the Government; and it remains in an unsettled state now. White men are living on portions of it. 301. The Commissioners.] How did the European come there ? —Possibly the Government allowed him to go there. 302. Has he cattle and sheep and horses, and has he ploughed the ground ?—Yes. His name is Joseph Tyrrell. 303. Mr. Parris : The complaint refers to merely a question of boundary, and is of little consequence. A few years ago I sent a surveyor to show the boundary, and Ido not know who has been intruding upon the land since. 304. The Commissioners : Major Brown will be requested to inquire into the matter and ascertain whether there has been a case of trespass or not. 305. Mere Naera Pomare, wife of Ngaere,sa\d: I have something to say with regard to the block ofland called Onaero. At the close of the first war, I came to reside at Onaero on land owned by my grandfather on my mother's side. From Onaero I went to a place called Kaweka, at Urenui, which belonged to my grandmother. At the commencement of the second insurrection I went to Kapiti, near Wellington. After that a notice was issued of a sitting of tbe Compensation Court, and calling upon all Natives who bad claims to make to attend the Court and prefer their claims. I did not attend, but my husband at that time (IniaPihia) and my father and mother attended. Mr. Bogan was Judge of the Compensation Court. The claim preferred by my mother (Eau-o-te-rangi) was not admitted. She lived with my uncle. The Court awarded me 100 acres at Onaero, but none at Kaweka. I now ask that the Commission should give me some land at Kaweka, as the 100 acres at Onaero are insufficient for-the support of myself and family of eleven children. I further request that the lands awarded by the Compensation Court to the Ngatimutunga tribe should now be allocated, as a very long time has elapsed without anything having been done. The land is situated between Titoki and Urenui, and is probably about 3,000 acres in extent; but lam not quite positive as to the quantity. The reason I am so anxious that this matter should be settled is, that so many of us are now living without any land. We who lived here quietly and took no part in the disturbances, consider that we should receive some consideration in the way of land. The Government say the land belongs to them, and Te Whiti's people say it is theirs. It seems to me that we ought to have our lands defined to us, and that is what I wish the Commission to get done ; namely, see that we get the portion of lands that were awarded to us. 306. Mr. Parris: At the meeting in June, 1878, Wi Parata asked to be allowed to call the Ngatimutunga together. I was sent for, and met them in this room. I explained the position of the question, in the presence of all the Natives, at the time that the Chatham Islanders came back to New Zealand. On their way they called in at Wellington, and had an interview with the Government, and promised to go back to the Ngatimutunga District and settle upon any land that Government would award to them. The Chatham Islanders were those who belonged to the Ngatiawas, and who determined to leave the Chatham Islands and return to Urenui, in this district. When they left Wellington for New Plymouth, the Government sent me instructions to arrange where they should settle. They were a few days in New Plymouth after landing, and on their leaving I told them it would take some time for them to see all their relatives, and in about a fortnight I would follow them and point out where they might settle. According to promise, I went down to Urenui, and they were all encamped on the north bank of the river. I explained to them that they should have a block of land abutting on Urenui Eiver, and another block about the Mimi Eiver. They agreed to the arrangement, but asked to be allowed to remain where they were for a time, as the relations of the Government and the people in the North were very unsatisfactory, and they preferred living together in the meantime. Soon after, this trouble arose, and it was impossible to do anything towards surveying. In the meantime they cultivated the land wherever they liked. Owing to the condition things were in for several years after the massacre at the White Cliffs, the question was kept in abeyance until it was brought before Mr. Sheehan in June of 1878. He then promised that all the arrangements which had been made previously should be carried out, if the Natives would support us in doing it, and he gave them three months in which to talk tbe matter over. Wi Parata promised to go to Wellington and let Mr. Sheehan know what they decided upon. Afterwards Major Brown sent a surveyor to survey a particular block; but after he had done some work he was withdrawn and sent to the Waimate Plains. 307. The Commissioners.] What land did they agree to take? —The block abutting the Urenui Eiver, and a block on the other side of tbe river. 308. Until that promise they were merely squatters on the land? —Yes. The boundary of this land is between the Urenui and Mimi Eivers. 309. "What is the number of the Chatham Islanders ? —When they came up they were nearly 200 in number ; but they have very seriously decreased through sickness since. 310. Have any gone back to the Chatham Islands since?—Very few. 311. Did they leave many behind them at the Chathams ? —Very few indeed. 311a. Ngaere said : A great many of those interested in these lands are now prisoners for plough* ing the lands of European settlers. 312. The Commissioners.] When did these people return from the Chatham Islands ?—lt was some time prior to the year 1868. 313. Was it before or after the sitting of the Compensation Court that they returned ?—lt was just after; they heard about it, and determined to come up.