G.—2.

629. Wakarua said : When Mr. Sheehan came to Wanganui I asked him that this piece should be returned to us at Okahu. Major Brown and Mr. Williams were there at the time Major Kemp and I spoke about this to Mr. Sheehan. IVlr.' Sheehan said, " Very well, Major Brown and Mr. Williams will settle the matter for you when they come back from Wanganui." After we came back I waited two or three weeks, and I thought they would inquire into it. Then I went to Patea to Mr. Williams, and asked him if he would settle the matter. Mr. Williams replied, " Very well, I will go and see the land." Mr. Williams came to Waitotara, and we went with some other people to seethe land. Mr. Williams said he would write and explain the matter to'the Government. I have repeatedly asked Major Brown and Mr. Williams about it since. I then came up to my place at Te Hapuku, and I asked tbat the matter be settled quickly. Mr. Williams said lie would get a surveyor to survey out 50 acres, enough to include our fishing-station. I said, "No; we must have the whole section." This is all I have to say now. Yhu will see that lam still asking what I asked for at that time. 630. Major Brown: I inquired into this claim, but it did not appear to me that any promise had been made in respect to it; and 1 found that any promises really made had been fulfilled. In dealing with the matter I simply thought that there might be some ground to ask for a fishing-station, which could be given seaward of the road which bounds Section 416. This would satisfy the want which existed for a fishing-station. 631. The Commissioners: Tou must clearly understand that we see what has been done here. There are a good many sections left by the Government, which have not been dealt with, and whenever Ministers come here they are asked for the land. Then they say the Civil Commissioner is to inquire into it, and the Natives blame the Commissioner if he does not give them the land. All this simply means a'ttempts to obtain new land; but it must not be expected that these claims will be complied with. What would the Natives say if the Europeans came and said, " Here is a piece of land which no Natives are living upon; give that land to us"? It is just the same with tbe Natives. Certain land has been given to you, and you must be satisfied with what you have got. If the Government has any land for sale, let the Natives bring the money and buy it. Why should the Government give it to them? This is quite a different thing from the application of Taurua with respect to the piece of land between "Whenuakura and Patea. We think that consideration should be shown to Taurua in consequence of the words of Sir Donald McLean and Mr. Eichmond; but we are not going to listen to new claims for land. 632. Wakarua: What about the 50 acres ? 633. The Commissioners : We have promised to consider that, but it must be left for Major Brown to advise us after he has gone over the ground himself. Major Brown has said that he will recommend that the land be given to you, and you may therefore feel pretty certain that it will be granted ; but there will not be any more given. 634. Wakarua: There is a whare standing upon the piece of land to which I refer. 635. Taurua said: When we were brought back from Wanganui, Sir Donald McLean said, "Go back to your land. Captain Blake will settle you there, and explain things to you." Captain Wray was Commissioner at the time. I then asked for a piece of land near Lake Ihupuku ; it is called Okoia. I asked Captain Blake to have 100 acres reserved to me there. I pointed out the place to Captain Blake, and told him that was where I wanted the 100 acres. Captain Blake said I could have 60 acres. I said, "No ; let it be 100 acres, as I asked for at first." But Captain Blake fixed it at 60 acres ; and I now ask you that it should be fixed at what I. said, namely, 100 acres. 636. The Commissioners: That cannot be. The section is close by the lake, and has been fixed at 52 acres; but even if anything can be done, it cannot be dons before we go to Wellington, and inquire into the matter. 637. Taurua: Tou have heard what I said. I ask you for 100 acres, and I will leave the matter with you to take to Wellington. 638. Major Brown: I wish to say, in reference to Terotu Mohatonga's application on behalf'of his tribe, the Tokakaikura, for 200 acres of land which have been promised to his tribe for years [See Appendix, 1873, C.-a.], that the land was located by Captain Blake on Section 415 ; but it turned out that Major Heaphy had already disposed of that section iu satisfaction of some European claim. But I believe the Natives are now willing to take the land on the site of the old Tokakaikura pa, on the Waitotara Biver, which has been recently surveyed. It is Section 7, Block IX., Wairoa District Survey, and includes 305 acres. I recommend that, as these Natives have for so many years been kept out of the land, and as it is of an inferior kind, they should be allowed to have the whole section, instead of having 200 acres cut off. 639. The Commissioners: Very well. Our word to the Governor will be that Major Brown's recommendation be carried out, and that the section be reserved for the Natives. 640. Poharama Takarangi said : The number of the section I wish to speak about is 134, at Kohi. I have let the land. In 1876 I spoke to Major Brown, and showed him that I was living on the land. In 1877 I fenced it in, and after I had done so Mr. Williams came there and said that some Ngatiruanui wished to sell the land. I said, "No ; if they have a Crown grant, they can sell it." In 1878 Mr. Williams asked me to lease the land. I declined, saying I would, iu that case, not have any land to cultivate or live upon. He said that if I stopped there it would be taken by some one else. I said, " Let it be surveyed, and I will agree to what you say. Let it be surveyed a second time." Ho said, "No ; the acreage of this land is quite correct." I then agreed, and let the land to Mr. Collins. I said to him, " When the lease has run out I will go and bring the people to sign it." He said to me, "Tour name will do." I signed my name then, and Captain Wray and Mr. Williams signed also. He said that, as Major Brown was busy, he wuuld go out to him after he signed. I now wish to have a Crown grant for this land. 641. The Commissioners: Tou have heard tho statement we have already made to other Natives. The Crown grants will be got ready as soon as possible for all promises which have been made on behalf of the Government. 042. Major Brown : Mr. Williams was not in the service of the Government when he negotiated this lease as a licensed interpreter. I declined to sanction it, because Mr. Sheehan had said he would send

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