G.—la.

" The East Coast Act, 1868." This Act repealed " The East Coast Land Titles Investigation Act, 1866," and the Amendment Act of 1867, but this repeal was not to affect the past operations of these Acts, or the validity of anything done, or of any right, title, or interest which had accrued thereunder. Section 3 directed the Native Land Court to refuse, to order certificate of title to issue in favour of persons guilty of offences mentioned in the sth section of " The New Zealand Settlements Act, 1863." Section 4 gave to the Court a discretionary power either (1) to order a certificate of title in respect of the whole of such claim to issue in favour of the owners who had not committed any of the offences mentioned in the sth section of the said Act; or (2) to order that such claim should be divided in a manner to be specified by the Court, and that in respect of each of the several divisions either a certificate of title should issue in favour of owners who had not committed any of the offences so mentioned in the said sth section of the said Act, or a certificate stating that the land comprised therein belonged according to Native custom to persons who had committed some of the offences mentioned in the said sth section of the said Act; or (3) to order that a certificate in respect of the whole of the claim should issue stating that the land comprised therein belonged according to Native custom to persons who had committed some of the offences mentioned in the said sth section of the said Act. Section 5 directed that any land comprised within any such certificate which stated it to belong to persons guilty of such acts aforesaid, should be deemed Crown lands. Section 6 empowered the Government to make reserves for the use and maintenance of specified aboriginal Natives. " The Native Lands Act, 1869." Section 2 directed that every certificate of title should be dated on the day of signature, and that such day should be the date of issue. Section 3 empowered the Court to fix in such certificate a day on which the legal estate in the lands described therein should be vested under any Crown grant of the same to be thereafter issued. Section 4 provided that no deeds, transfers, gifts, contracts, or promises affecting the land of which such certificate was granted, made or entered into after the day fixed on therein should be void under or affected by section 75 of " The Native Lands Act, 1865." Section 12 declared that in any grant theretofore or thereafter to be made under the Native Lands Acts of 1865 and 1867, when there was more than one grantee, such grantees should be deemed to be tenants in common, and not joint tenants. This provision, however, was not to apply to cases in which grantees or their survivors should have previously alienated the lands comprised in their grant or any part thereof by absolute conveyance in fee-simple. Section 14 directed that undefined shares of tenants in common should not be deemed to be equal unless it was so stated in their grant. This provision was not, however, to apply to shares, estates, or interests already purchased from any such grantees, which for the purpose of such transactions were to be considered equal. Section 15 declared it should not be lawful for less than a majority in value of the grantees of any land under the said Acts (1865 and 1867) to alienate or dispose of their shares in such land, or any part thereof; but, if any dispute should arise as to such value, either or any of the parties could apply to the Court to have such value ascertained, and order made accordingly, as provided in section 50 of the Act of 1865. The Court, however, might, if it thought fit, refuse to make any order. Section 20 limited the time for ordering a rehearing under section 81 of the Act of 1865 to three months, instead of six months. This was repealed by a short Act for the purpose, " The Native Lands Act Amendment Act, 1870," section 3, in which the original limit of six months was reinstated. " The Native Lands Frauds Prevention Act, 1870," and Amendment Act of 1873. The object of these Acts was to prevent the maladministration of lands vested in trustees for the Natives in cases where trusts had been created in the names of individual proprietors, but really for the benefit of Native communities; to take care that these trusts were fulfilled, and that the lands were not alienated so as to defeat the true objects of the trust. The same precautions were also to be exercised in respect of the alienation of lands that were not the subject of any trust. The machinery employed under them to secure these ends was as

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