G.—2

1917. NEW ZEALAND.

HIHIAUA BLOCK (REPORT OF COMMISSION OF INQUIRY INTO PETITION OF HOORI REWI AND OTHERS IN RESPECT OF THE LAND KNOWN AS).

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Leave.

COMMISSION TO INQUIRE INTO AND REPORT AS TO THE HIHIAUA BLOCK OF LAND, NEAR WHANGAREI. Liverpool, Governor. To all to whom these presents shall come, and to Thomas Henry Wilson, a Judge of the Native Land Court: ■ Greeting. Whereas it is expedient that inquiry should be made into certain matters relating to the Hihiaua block of land, situated near Whangarei, and in respect of which a petition was presented to Parliament during the last session thereof by Hoori Rewi and certain other Natives : ' Now, therefore, I, Arthur William de Brito Savile, Earl of Liverpool, the Governor of the Dominion of New Zealand, in exercise of the powers conferred by the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1908, and of all other powers and authorities enabling me in this behalf, and acting by and with the advice and consent of the Executive Council of the said Dominion, do hereby constitute and appoint you, the said Thomas Henry Wilson, to be a Commission to inquire into and report upon the following matters with respect to the said Hihiaua Block : — 1. As to whether that portion of the said block which was above ordinary high-water mark at the time of the passing of the Whangarei Harbour Act, 1907, was before then Crown land or Native land : 2. Whether, if such portion was Native land, it should have been included in the Second Schedule to that Act as an endowment for the Whangarei Harbour Board without any compensation being given to the owners : 3. Whether, if such portion was Native land, compensation should now be given to the Native owners, to be ascertained by the Native Land Court, either by the Harbour Board or by the Crown, and, if so, what amount of compensation : 4. Whether such portion should be revested in such owners as may be determined by the Native Land Court, and in such case whether compensation should be given by the Crown to the Harbour Board : And generally to inquire into and report upon the allegations contained in the said petition.