r J. H. HOSKING.

8

I.—3b.

did you propose to keep that promise ?-Ans : I have no power by me. Ques. : What would you do if you had the power f-Ane. : 1 thir.fc a minimum of 14 acres a head if I were a member of the Government, not as satisfying my own honour as a private individual. That is the evidence of Mr. Mantell. I may say, as to the written instructions that he appears to have handed in to the Court, we are not able now to lay our hands on them : possibly they are buried in the parliamentary cellar with other Native papers. But the quotation given in the evidence there lavs, "You are only to mark out reserves around and including pas, residences, Z cSations to"the extent that may be necessary for the resident Natives; but them that the Crown will hereafter mark out for them such additional reserves as may be considered necessary for their future wants." Those were the written instructions from the Governor to Mr Mantell f ft Joint Commit tee was appointed by Parliament, and the matter was gone into very thoroughly, and with an evident desire to try to arrive at some olution of the matter; but there was then, as there always seems to have been on the part o f he CommStees appointed a shrinking-if I may respectfully say so-from earnestly tackling the nZtion of the amount or quantum of compensation, for fear the result might be something that it would not be the power of the country to satisfy. I need not say that on the present occasion we do not come before the Committee with the intention or expectation of obtaining what is unreadable We are not seeking to impose upon the Dominion anything that could be called extravagant Well E CorTmitte! took I great deal of evidence, for which I refer to parliamentary papers for 1888-l it 1 quote from pages 87-93, various parts. Mr. Mantell again gave evidence The Chairman asked him, — _ , «We are considering the Ngaitahu case. Do you adhere to the opinion which you have expressed in certaTn papers, documents, and correspondence, to the effect that the promises whiohTiredv induced the Ngaitahu Natives to cede their lands to you, as representing the to me." He put in that note, and then he was asked,— « In making the reserves that were promised, and which you allotted, what reason had Ty Govermntnt to satfsfy the merits of the case compatibly with our institutions. Then there is some other interesting evidence, which I will not weary the Committee with; but at provision. Ques. In anrt Aiis ' yourself not set aside larger areas?— C M You° n t£ S ? Q Que S : M*that lam afraid you do not see that' I should have been incurring the displeasure of my official superior. Then he goes on to relate how he .^P^7™^^^