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to derange the social state of the native race to an alarming degree, and to an extent that will not, I fear, be long confined to the native tribes in this Province. I have, &c., (Signed) Chahles Brown, The Honourable the Colonial Secretary, Superintendent. Auckland.

_ Ne w Plymouth, November 29th, 1854. I have the honour to acquaint you that the Native of this district named Rawiri was shot at the Manaku, on Sunday evening last, by Ihaia te Kiri-Kumera Native Assessor, under the following circunistanccs : It appears that Rawiri was discovered by four natives in the night of the u I i" stant ' w * l!l Maraita Iritawa, wife of Ihaia, Ihaia was informed of this on the following Sunday and at once questioned his wife upon the subject, who admitted the charge, and added that the adultery was of long standing Upon this Ihaia proceed with ten followers to the house of Paturoi, a chief of the Manaku where Rawiri was staying, and demanded that he should be given up. Paturoi Refused, but upon being pressed, consented to conduct Rawiri to Ihaia's house. Ihaia then left, and was shortly after informed by Enoka, brother to Wiremu Kingi that Rawiri was approaching, and had admitted his guilt. Ihaia replied that Rawiri should die, and with his ten followers immediately armed and an the arrival of Paturoi and his party Ihaia discharged the contents of one barrel of his piece into the air, and the other into the ground, as a signal for mischief, re-loaded, went up to Rawiri, who was placed apart from the others when the sun had been fired, and shot him dead upon the spot. Ihaia and his people left and returned to his house. On the following morning, bodies of Natives from the Tamiua, Huirangi and the Werohia went to the Manaku, and after discharging their guns over Ihaia's house dispersed to their villages. This, in the opinion of the natives, terminates the affair, I have, See., (Signed) H. Halse, Sub-Inspector of Police. His Honour the Superintendent, &c., &c., &c.

Superintendent's Office, New Plymouth, 19th December, 1854. Si a, — I have the honour to communicate, for the information of His Excellency, that 300 Natives of the Ngatiruinui tribes have arrived at the Waitera with the avowed intention of enquiring into, and, if necessary, avenging the death of Rawiri by Ihaia, the native Assessor at the Manaku, detailed at length in the Report of Mr. H. Halse, Sub-Inspector of Police, in my letter noted in the margin. The Ngatiruinui natives have avoided passing through the Settlement and have intimated that they have no wish to annoy or involve the Europeans, still as many sources of difficulty arise from the impossibility of making the European population respect "tapus," and other customs arising out of native feuds, and the natives themselves State that they have recourse to their own customs in consequence of European law not being enforced, I beg to suggest lor the approval of His Excellency that that the Grey, and Bell, and Omata Districts in the Province of New Plymouth, excepting those portions in which the native title is extinguished, be set apart as districts in which native laws, customs, and usages shall be observed, under plause 71 of the Constitution Act, I anticipate the result will be to relieve the

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