I.—3c

1888. NEW ZEALAND.

NATIVE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE. REPORT ON THE PETITION OF TOHA RAHURAHU, TOGETHER WITH MINUTES OF EVIDENCE.

Brought up 24th August, 1888, and ordered to be printed.

KEPOBT. No. 261.—Petition of Toha Eahukahu. Petitioners, who claim to be the owners of the Mohaka and Waikari Blocks, pray that an Act may be passed to enable the Native Land Court to adjudicate upon those blocks with a view of including those who were left out, and striking out those whose names were admitted wrongfully. lam directed to report as follows: That the petition be postponed until next session." 24th August, 1888. ■

[Translation.] No. 261.—Whakataunga mo runga i to Pitihana a Toha Eahubahu. Ko te kai-pitihana c ki nei c whai take ana kite Mohaka me nga Waikari Poraka c inoi ana, kia paahitia tetahi Ture kia ahei ai te Kooti Whenua Maori te whakawa i aua porakiu kia uru atu ai nga tangata i mahue ki waho, me te patu atu i nga ingoa o era-i whakaurua hetia. Kua whakahaua ahau kia ki penei: Me nuku te korerotanga o tenei pitihana mo p., tenei Paramete haere ake nei. 24 o Akuhata, 1888.

MINUTES OF EVIDENCE.

Wednesday, 25th July, 1888 (Mr. W. Kelly, Chairman). Mr. Obmond, M.H.E., in attendance and examined 1. The Chairman.] Will you be good enough to state to.the Committee what you know on the matter before it ?—I will state what I remember. The land referred to chiefly belonged to a tribe which was in rebellion in 1867-68 : that was the tribe whoso people came down on the plains of Napier to attack the Town of Napier, and who were defeated. A large number of them were killed or taken prisoners, and their lands were declared to be confiscated. The confiscated land, so far as I remember, took in those blocks that are referred to in the petition. Concerned in these lands also were a number of natives who were all through friendly to Europeans and allied to the Government, the chief of whom was Tareha, whose services to the Government at that time were very great indeed. It was to him that the Government and Europeans were largely indebted for the security of the district. Sir Donald McLean, who was then Native Minister, desired, in the settlement of these lands, to secure for those Natives to whom the colony was so indebted a portion of these lands, and especially for Tareha, who, though a great chief and the greatest man in the district, had but little land outside of those lands to which he had a claim in the blocks lam now referring to. His lands outside these were of small extent, and not sufficient for him and his people. It was then intrusted to me, as Government Agent, to have inquiry made into the claims, so far as they could be ascertained, of friendly natives under Tareha, or those concerned, with a view to some equitable partition of the land; at the same time provision was made for those Natives who had been in rebellion before, and to whom, as far as I remember, other parts were to be returned. Mr. Locke, who was at that time a Government officer in the Native Department, and well acquainted with all these people, was the officer employed to make inquiry into the whole of the circumstances and make a recommendation to the Government. He did make such inquiry. He went about among the Natives and held meetings, and, as far as I recollect, his inquiry w Tas spread over a long time, and every Native, I must say, in that part of the country must have heard about it. To say that Toha did not know is simply nonsense ; it was known all over that part of the country, and quite as well as it is now known that Parliament is sitting here. But Tareha was the t>rincipal man, and I—l. 3c.