I.—3d

.1888. NEW ZEALAND.

NATIVE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE. (REPORT ON THE PETITIONS OF HITIRI TE PAERATA AND OTHERS, TOGETHER WITH MINUTES OF EVIDENCE.)

Report brought up 17th August, 1888, and ordered to be printed.

EEPOIIT. On Petitions : —No. 204, Taonui Hikaka and 128 Others (No. 1); No. 416, Hitibi te Paeeata and 110 Others; and No. 260, Te Papanui Tamahiki and 96 Others. Petitionees, who claim to be owners in a block of land called Tauponuiatia, state that when the Court sat to adjudicate upon that land some of their people were unavoidably absent, and the land was awarded wrongfully to other Natives. Petitioners applied for a rehearing, which was refused. They now pray that a rehearing may take place. !4"t. I am directed to report as follows: That, as the matter is now under investigation by the Supreme Court, the Committee has no recommendation to make. 17th August, 1888.

[TRANSLATION.] Nos. 204, 416, me 260.—Pukapuka-inoi a Taonui Hikaka me etahi atu 128 (No. 1); Hitiki te Paeeata me etahi atu 110; me Te Papanui Tamahiki me etahi atu 96. Ko nga kai-pitihana e ki nei e whai take ana ki tetahi poraka whenua e karangatia ana ko Tauponuiatia, e mea ana i te ngaro atu etahi o ratou iwi i te wa i noho ai te Kooti ki te whakawa i taua whenua, a i whakataua hetia te whenua ki etahi atu tangata Maori. I tono nga kai-pitihana kia whakawhakia tuaruatia, a kahore i whakaaetia. E inoi ana ratou inaianei kia whakawakia tuaruatia ano. Kua whakahaua ahau kia ki penei: No te mea kei te whakawakia tenei keehi ete Kooti Hupirimi. Kahore he kupu ato Koniiti. 17 o Akuhata, 1888.

MINUTES OF EVIDENCE.

Thuesday, 9th August, 1888. (Mr. Kelly, Chairman.) Hitibi te Paeeata examined. 1. The Chairman.] You ask for a rehearing of your case by the Native Land Court, as you were not able to attend the sitting of the Court? —Yes. 2. Is this the land in respect to which Mr. Brookfield has instituted proceedings to upset what was done at the Court. Is not the matter before the Supreme Court, for if so the Committee cannot report upon it ?—We have gone to the Supreme Court. Mr. Carroll: The action before the Supreme Court is simply a suit for an injunction to prevent the issue of any order or anything being done with the block, pending, as I understand it, a settlement here. The Chairman: Simply that the land should go back to its original position. Mr. Taipua : Cannot the petitioner give evidence as to outside matters ? Mr. Carroll: That is, matters outside the petition itself, but still in support of the petition. Major Jackson : Yes ; everything he says must be in support of the petition. The Chairman : The principal prayer of the petition is for a rehearing. Mr. Taipua : The object of bringing the matter before the Supreme Court was to prevent auy action whatever being taken with the land. 3. The Chairman.] In that case nothing can be done while that action is pending. I would, however, ask the witness, Has your counsel advised you to petition this House ? —Yes ; our lawyer and the whole of us together. Mr. Taipua : They would inquire in the Supreme Court whether this affair had already been inquired into by a parliamentary Committee. Mr. Carroll: The petitioners are setting up their case in two Courts :in the Supreme Court and before this Committee, having the one object—to get a rehearing of their case. Major Jackson : The best way will be to let the petitioner state his case from his own point of view.