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A Compendium of Official Documents Relative to Native Affairs in the South Island. Volume Two.

[No. 15. — Mr. A. Mackay, Nelson, to the Under Secretary, Native Department]

No. 15.

Mr. A. Mackay, Nelson, to the Under Secretary, Native Department.

Nelson, October 6th, 1869.

Sir,

In compliance with the terms of your minute of the 13th September, attached to a letter from the Hon. the Speaker of the Legislative Council to His Excellency the Governor, covering a resolution by that body, together with a copy of a report therein referred to, I have the honor to state for your information that, owing to the number of claims of the kind requiring attention at the hands of the Government, it will be quite impossible to get the matter arranged without incurring expense, although the expense may be very much lightened by deferring the settlement of these claims for a while longer —that is to say until the Native Land Court goes down to Southland to hear and determine the claims to Native reserves there.

Judging from the last intelligence received from the Chief Judge on the subject, dated 1st August, 1868, the Court may probably hold a sitting at Southland during the ensuing autumn, and as I shall probably have to visit that portion of the Island whenever the Court goes there, I could then undertake the settlement of these promises at the same time; perhaps it would be as well therefore that the settlement of these claims should be postponed till the Court goes down, provided the probable date should not be too distant.

With respect to the probable cost of the work, it is rather difficult to form an estimate, as it depends very much whether suitable blocks of land of any extent can be obtained contiguous to existing surveys for the location of these families, or whether it would be necessary to select individual sections in detached localities for the purpose. The expense also would be much lighter if the Survey Department in the Province in which the land may be selected would provide an Officer to undertake the necessary work.

Provided large sized blocks of land could be obtained, the land should be subdivided into individual sections, with a view to locate each family on separate allotments. This would be the most satisfactory page 64mode of settling these people on the land, as it would prevent quarrelling amongst them in time to come.

There is very little doubt but that the General Government will have to bear the cost of the survey; it would be as well, however, that the work should be done under the supervision of the Provincial Government, as a guarantee for its satisfactory performance; and if it were possible to confine the selection of land for the purpose to one or two blocks, the probable cost of survey, I should imagine, would not exceed £200.

As there are a number of half-caste families living near the Bluff, in Southland, and also at Stewart's Island, I would beg to recommend that land should be selected contiguous to some of the Native reserves on the main land.

From inquiries I made when in Southland last year, I am inclined to think that a block of suitable land could be obtained in the neighborhood of the Native reserve at Oraka, on which the majority of the claimants residing in that Province might be located. This would be the means of disposing of the largest number of cases, leaving only a few isolated ones to be dealt with in other places.

Annexed I beg to hand you a copy of a letter addressed by me to the Native Department, dated 3rd June, 1868, on the subject of the proposed sitting of the Native Land Court at Southland, and recommending that the claims of the halt-caste families to have land provided for them should be dealt with at the same time, in which I also suggest that a block of 1,000 acres should be selected near Oraka to make provision for this purpose.

I also attach a list of the half-castes alluded to therein, by which it will he perceived that there are a greater number of cases to be dealt with than was perhaps anticipated.

Whoever is required to undertake the settlement of these claims should be provided with full authority to deal with the matter in case obstacles might be thrown in the way of doing so by the Provincial authorities.

I have, &c.,

Alexander Mackay,
Native Commissioner.

Under Secretary, Native Department, Wellington.

Enclosure 1 in No. 15.

Dunedin, June 3rd, 1868.

Sir,—

With respect to the future sitting of the Native Land Court in Southland, I would beg to point out the advisability of having the claims to Native reserves on Stewart's Island heard at the same time; but prior to the Court sitting, and before the usual forms of application are sent in, it will be necessary to have these reserves surveyed. It would appear, however, that some of these reserves are subject to old land claims, the position of which have not as yet been defined that I am aware of, although it is possible that something may have been arranged about them, as Mr. Pearson, the Commissioner of Crown Lands, told me, when in Southland last, that he purposed visiting the Island during the early part of March, for the purpose of deciding the various old land claims there; but whether or no he carried out his intention I am not in a position to say.

With regard to the survey of the reserves on Stewart's Island by the Provincial Government, I think it is probable, if the work is left in their hands, that it will not be undertaken for some time to come. The Government, I believe, contemplate making a trigonometrical survey of the Island in the first place, but as the bulk of the land there is of such a character as will not induce immediate settlement, it therefore may reasonably be supposed, in the present position of the Province, that the Government will not readily acquiesce in making an expenditure of so unproductive a character as a work of the kind would entail. It will be obvious, therefore, that unless the General Government will agree to incur the expense of surveying these reserves, they must necessarily remain undefined for an indefinite period.

It would be as well, also, if the claims of the half-castes to have land apportioned for them at or near "The Neck" (Stewart's Island), could be dealt with at the same time, according to a list annexed to Mr. Clarke's report. On the purchase of Stewart's Island, there were 28 half-castes residing on "The Neck" at the time the purchase was executed, but in a note at the foot of the list, Mr. Clarke states as his opinion that there are others residing at Ruapuke and the Bluff who may fairly claim with the rest, and suggests that the gentleman who is charged with the supervision of the Natives in the Middle Island, be requested to make out a correct list. This suggestion was carried out by me when in Southland last year, and a list forwarded to the Government I found, on enquiry, that there were 81 half-castes who had been born at or near "The Neck," and 13 others born in other places—in all, 94 souls who are totally unprovided with land, so far as I could learn, the most of whom are grown up, and have families.

To provide them with land in the ratio proposed by Mr. Clarke, viz., 10 acres for each male and 8 acres for each female, it would require over 800 acres. As it is possible that there may be others not included in my list who may be entitled to have provision made for them, I would beg to recommend that land to the extent of 1000 acres should be selected to make future provision for these people, and would beg to suggest that, instead of selecting it on "The Neck," as originally proposed, that it should be chosen on the main land, in the neighborhood of the Native reserve at Oraka, where there is some very good land well adapted for Native occupation.

A large majority of the half-castes are living on the main land, and would prefer to acquire land there rather than on Stewart's Island.

Should the General Government decide upon having the reserves on Stewart's Island surveyed, so as to permit the claims of the several Natives entitled to these lands being heard at the sitting of the Native Land Court, proposed to be held in Southland, I would beg to recommend, provided that page 65no officer of the Survey Department of Southland can be spared to undertake the work, that Mr. M'Leod (who holds an appointment under the Native Land Court), who is how engaged in surveying the Native reserves in the Province of Otago, should be authorized to carry out the work, under the supervision of the Survey Department of Southland.

I have, &c.,

Alexander Mackay,
Native Commissioner.

The Under Secretary, Native Department, Wellington.

Enclosure 2 in No. 15.
List of Half-castes to be Provided with land at or near "The Neck," Stewart's Island, or elsewhere, as the case may be.

  • Joe Moss
  • Betty Moss, married to Walter Joss (h.c.)
  • Polly Moss, married to Joe Davis
  • Margaret Cooper, married to Joe Moss
  • William Cooper
  • Ellen Cooper, married to White (European)
  • Bob Cooper
  • Rebecca Cooper, married to T. Wheeler (dead)
  • Louisa Cooper, married to Billy Spencer
  • George Cooper
  • James Cooper
  • Phillis Cooper
  • Jenny Forster
  • Margaret Chaseland
  • Maria Chaseland
  • Caroline Chaseland
  • John Chaseland
  • William Henry Chaseland
  • Thomas Chaseland
  • Margaret Chaseland, jun.
  • Johanna Antoine Joseph Groombs, married to Emanuel Groombs (Portugese)
  • Emanuel Groombs
  • John Groombs
  • Hesta Groombs
  • Hesta Antoine Joseph
  • George Thomas
  • John Thomas
  • John Thomas
  • Charles Thomas
  • Mary Thomas, married to Tom Brown (h.c.)
  • Betsy Groombs, married to Flint (European, dead)
  • Eliza Groombs
  • Jenny Groombs
  • Emma Groombs
  • Charlie Goodwilly
  • Tom Brown
  • Caroline Howell
  • Bob Brown
  • Betty Brown, married to Palmer (European)
  • Sally Brown
  • Harriett Watson
  • James Leech
  • John Owen
  • George Owen
  • Roger Owen
  • Polly Owen
  • Jenny Owen
  • Kawahi Owen
  • Sally Owen
  • George Newton
  • Joe Newton
  • John Newton
  • Margaret, married to Thomas Cross (European)
  • Elizabeth, married to J. Whybrow (European)
  • Susan Lowry
  • Elizabeth, Lowry
  • Caroline Lowry
  • David M'Kenzie
  • Thomas M'Kenzie
  • William Anglem
  • Ellen Gillroy
  • Jane Parker
  • Elizabeth Joss, married to Wilson
  • Walter Joss, married to Betty Moss
  • William Joss
  • James Surman
  • Mary Smith, married to Smith
  • Sarah Sinclair
  • John Bragg
  • Martha Bragg
  • Dorcas Honor, sister to J. Bragg
  • Duncan Davis
  • Betty Davis, married to John Stirling
  • Caroline Whitelock, married to Reta Paiwhenua
  • Maria Whitelock, married to Louis Servier
  • James Whitelock
  • Elizabeth Lees
  • Mary Ann Lees
  • Maria
  • William
  • Sally Davis, married to James Wickson
  • William Davis
  • Caroline Goodwilly
  • John Stirling
  • John Harnett
  • W. Thomas Harnett
  • Sarah Anne Cameron, married to Wm. Cameron
  • Wm. Fisher
  • George Paoli
  • Ann Williams
  • William Bates
  • James Bates
  • James Wievil
Males 43
Females 51
Total 94