6.-2.

549. The Commissioners.] Has the reserve in which these acres are missing been surveyed ? Otherwise how can you tell ? —When it was surveyed we saw that the boundary line did not come up to the original boundary lines of the block. Te Hapua was originally 100 acres. Some of these have disappeared, and there are now only 50 acres. 550. Are you referring to lauds reserved before the second insurrection, or since ? —Before. 551. The Commissioners: Those engagements have been swept away, and we cannot inquire into them. Everything promised before 1868 to those who renewed the war was cancelled by their second insurrection, and we can only go into what has occurred since. Tou heard yesterday about the large reserve that was promised to Taurua by Mr. Eichmond of all the land between Whenuakura and Patea. That was a very important matter. What you are bringing forward to-day is very small in comparison. But we will not go back to promises made before the second insurrection. 552. Komene: It was the Proclamation after the second insurrection that did away with these promises. 553. The Commissioners : It is only a waste of time and talk to go into this question about promises made before the second insurrection, and we cannot now listen to any more about it. Tou heard our declaration yesterda}', and that must be the rule for our discussions to-day. Tou must not think we are willing to listen to these small matters, when wo rejected the more important claim made by Taurua yesterday, which you yourself admitted was to be the great thing to be considered at this meeting. 554. Komene: Is it right that the Government should give reserves to different people on land that was originally reserved to others ? 555. The Commissioners: Berfectly right. After the second insurrection the Government took everything into its own hands, and said it would deal with those who took up arms, and also with its own friends and people who came in, exactly as it deemed just. Testerday we said to you that this reserve of 1,000 acres would be kept for yourself. If we had gone back to the words of Mr. Eichmond before the second insurrection, all the lands between Patea and Whenuakura would have been given to Taurua, and none to you. Tou would not have got your 1,000 acres, for Taurua would have had all the land. 556. Wiremu Pokiha Omahuru said: I wish to know whether the confiscation of 1863 or 1864 is in force now, or whether the insurrection of 1868 did away with it? 557. The Commissioners: All done under that Act is valid, but the Act has now expired, and nothing more can be done under it. The promises made by the Government under Sir George Grey's Proclamation to those who remained loyal, we are inquiring into; but Komene is referring to promises made since 1868. Will you be more clear as to the Putahi Eeserve, which, instead of being less as you say, is really more. There are 477 acres, and then a part of the road that was taken up into the back country cuts off a few acres, which still leaves about 470 acres ? .558. Komene: I never saw the boundaries before I went to Otago, and it was not until I came back tbat I saw the boundaries now laid down. 559. The Commissioners: We cannot go back to the boundaries laid down before you went to Otago. 560. Ngairo said : Putahi is one block of 477 acres, and Te Hapua is 50 acres. 561. The Commissioners: There are two reserves. One is 51 acres, and the other is 65 acres. One is close by the Kohi Stream, and the other close to Moumahaki. These were made before the second insurrection. Neither of these has since been taken away by the Government, and therefore they are still remaining for the Natives. 562. Ngairo: I wish to speak of certain pieces of land. Te Bopopoto is 65 acres in extent; Te Hapua, 51 acres ; Haututu is another block near the bridge across the Whenuakura, on the other side of the river inland from the road, and is about 400 acres in extent. 563. The Commissioners : There is the first piece of 323 acres on the other side of the Whenuakura, near the bridge, and on the inland side of the old road. When the new road was made there were 48 acres included between the old road and the new road, and that has to be added : that is the second piece. The third piece is that spoken of by Major Brown, where he purposed to give a small piece back which was a burial-ground. It will now rest with Major Brown to decide the size of the piece of land that will be added to that for the burial-ground. 564. Ngairo : Te Oho, a piece of land near to the sea, is about 520 acres. 565. The Commissioners -. There are 532 acres; there may be a little less than that when the roads are taken out, but we are not quite sure about that. At any rate, there will be more than 520 acres. 566. Ngairo : Waipipi, also close to the sea, contains about 50 acres ; Oturi, close to Wairoa, below the church, contains 77 acres. It is let to Mr. Johnston. 567. The Commissioners : Oturi is only 62 acres. 568. Ngairo: I ask that the Crown grants for all these blocks may be given to me. 569. Wirihana said: There were 100 acres in the Herinaua Block when surveyed. 570. The Commissioners -. No ; there were only 37 altogether; there can be no mistake, as the reserve is bounded on one side by water, and on the other by the road. 571. Wirihana : I wish that this piece should be given us near the mouth of the river, where the stream runs out of the lake. It has been moved up inland. 572. The Commissioners : That cannot be done now, because there is a piece of land, where the stream runs out of the lake, that has been Crown-granted to a white man. We cannot bring it back over the road. You should try to make an exchange when the lease is out, or to arrange with the owner about fishing there, you giving him some of the fish. 573. Wirihana: I have something to say about Te Oreore. That land is in the centre of a European's block of land. It is 29 acres in extent. We wish that a road should be made to this block, or else that it be exchanged for a piece near other Native lands. 574. The Commissioners: The Natives can go through the land where the road is, can they not? 575. Wirihana : The land is fenced, and the Natives are not allowed to go through it.

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