5

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or instrument of such importance —the record of judicial proceedings—should be tampered with in any way. In this case, fortunately, the original figures are discernible, and it does not affect the subject of this report. Given under my hand and seal this Ist day of November, 1882. Henry T. Claeke, Commissioner.

Gisborne, 16th October, 1882. Court of Inquiry opened at 10 o'clock in the Government Buildings. Commission was read by Commissioner. Present: Henry T. Clarke, Esq., Commissioner; Mr. Locke, acting on behalf of the Government ; and John Brooking, Licensed Interpreter, acting as interpreter. Mr. Locke requested that the Commission be adjourned until to-morrow at 10 o'clock. Mr. Harris (Eruera Harete) also asked that the Commission be adjourned until 10 o'clock tomorrow morning. The Commissioner announced that he had communicated with all the persons named in the Commission except Ereatara Hapu. In the latter case he had written to Paora Paora, who was appointed by the deceased and others interested to appear before Parliament in the matter of their petition. As many of the persons interested had to travel a great distance, he would not take the cases in the order they stand on the Commission, but would deal with those parties interested who were residing on the spot. Commission was then adjourned until 10 o'clock to-morrow morning.

Tuesday, 17th October, 1882. Commission opened at 10 a.m. Present and place the same. Petition of Eruera Harete read by the Commissioner. Eruera Harete (E. F. Harris), sworn : The petition just read is the petition sent by me to the House of Eepresentatives. lam a half-caste living at Turanga, Poverty Bay. The land referred to in the petition is properly named Tapatohotoho, but, as it is marked Tapatoho on Government plans, I adopted that name. That piece of land belonged to my ancestor, Wharepirau; the name of his pa was Tapatohotoho. I claimed for myself and others in my petition, and gave evidence before the House in August, 1879. Those in addition to myself are: Hirini te Kani, Eutene te Eke or Kiwara, Henry Harris, Mihi Pahura, Haua te Hemohaere, and Ihaia Tamaikahakina. I am prepared to prove that the land referred to did not -belong to Eapata Whakapuhia, he not being a descendant of the ancestor who owned the land. ~ Prior to my petition correspondence had taken place between myself and various officers of the Government relative to our claims. [In one instance the matter appeared before Judge Eogan, by arrangement between myself and Mr. Locke. Judge Eogan reserved his decision. On the 27th June, 1877, Judge Eogan, in open Court, told myself and others that no decision could be arrived at on account of himself and Assessor not being able to agree, and that he would report matters to the Chief Judge of the Native Land Court, with a view of another Judge being sent down. Several interviews took place between myself and Mr. Locke—who was acting, I think, for the Government —after that, without result, and we afterwards saw the land gazetted for sale by the Waste Lands Board. The question referred to Judge Eogan embraced several matters in reference to Patutahi.*] I saw Mr. Sheehan in April, 1878, \\ 1 ten I found the land was for sale, and the result was that he recommended a petition to the House. That was done. The Native Affairs Committee referred the matter to the Government. As the Government were doing nothing in the matter I again petitioned in 1879, with the result that the Native Affairs Committee decided, I think, that a Commission should bo appointed to investigate this and other matters. By Mr. Locke : I was not in the district at the time the trouble began in Poverty Bay. In August, 1869, rfirst heard of an'arrangement of land being ceded to Government, from a speech of the Native Minister. I had not heard of it before. I had heard of the trouble in the Bay. I could not deny or admit that arrangement had been made before. I was in New Zealand at that time. I returned here in 1874. I had written to Government before. [Eeply to letter, dated Ist October, 1869, from Government, handed in by Mr. Harris, read by Mr. Locke.] I received no further correspondence. I took my next steps early in 1875. I made inquiries after my return as to position of the land. The result of my inquiries was that I found out that some land had been coded, and that a deed had been signed. I only heard of one deed. The deed was, I understood, a deed ceding a piece of land to pay for the Hauhau troubles. The Government got possession of the land by deed signed by Natives. I do not know what land was comprised in that deed. I never saw the deed, but understand that no area was stated. Ido not know if there was any clause in the deed relative to Eapata Whakapuhia. Ido not say that any particular piece was given by .Jstte deed, but that the Palutahi Block was ceded by it. I infer, from what Mr,. Locke said, that when Mr. Eichmond went over the land he said that there was no land suitable to settle Ngatiporou upon, and wanted Tapatoho. [Newspaper report produced by the Commissioner.] I would like to refer to Mr. Locke's cross-examination of Mr. Hardy, on the 12th March, 1877, before the Native Land Court and Judge Eogan. Mr. Hardy then replied " that I never heard that Tapatoho was given to settle the Ngatiporou on." Ido not know who actually settled that Government were to have Tapatoho. I was not here. I took no further steps after writing to'the Government in 1869 until 1875. 1 heard after'my return that the Government appointed a Eoyal Commission to inquire into the deed.of cession. I believe that the authority was under Act of Parliament. I did not hear of the special arrangement until 1875; what I had heard of before that was a deed (I understood to be a deed of cession) referred to in the Poverty Bay Grants Act. I have heard

* This docs not refer to the Tapotoho Block but to Tapatu—quite a different question. —H. T. Clabkb,