Ki te Runanga Nui o Niu Tireni, Kei Poneke.

Tena Koutou,—

He enoi tenei na matou nga tangata o Wairarapa ki te Runanga Nui o Niu Tireni me manaaki ta matou inoi. Kua maha nga tau kua pahure o to matou hokonga i te whenua ki a te Kuini, ko nga koha i whakaaetia mai e te Kawanatanga kahore ano kia homai ki a matou, he maha a matou tono ki te Kawanatanga kia whakaputaia mai aua koha; ko a matou pukapuka kahore e utua mai, ko a matou tono hurihia ketia ana, a heoi ano te ara e kitea ai e matou i naianei, he whakakite atu kia koutou i to matou mate kia tirohia arohatia mai e koutou, kia ata hurihuria aua he a te Kawanatanga. Ko nga Karauna Karaati kua whakaaetia ki a matou e te Kawanatanga i mua mo nga whenua whakahoki mai, ko etahi kua homai, ko etahi kahore ano kia homai. Ko nga Karauna Karaati hoki mo a matou whenua e whakawakia ana e te Kooti Whakawa Whenua Maori hoki kia hohoro ake te whakaputa mai, no te mea e utu aua matou i te wea, me era atu mea i runga i te tohutohunga o te Ture mo nga whenua Maori, kahore hoki e ahei i a matou te rihi; te hoko, te aha ranei i o matou whenua hei ora mo matou, kia puta maira ano nga Karauna Karaati: he ture pai taua ture ki te mea ka pai te whakahaere a te Kawanatanga: ka puta te ora mo te tangata, me te mutu hoki o nga raruraru o tenei motu i runga i nga whakahaere pai o taua ture, heoi, Kia aroha mai ki tenei inoi a matou, ata hurihuria, whakataua hoki te tika.

[Translation.]
To the General Assembly of New Zealand, Wellington.

This is a petition from us, the people of Wairarapa, to the General Assembly of New Zealand. Let our petition receive favourable consideration.

Several years have now passed since we sold our land to the Queen, but the Government has not yet paid us the per cents, as agreed upon. We have often applied to the Government to pay the per cents, over to us, but our letters are not replied to, and our requests are turned aside. The only only way of obtaining redress that we can see is, by showing you our grievance. Be kind to us!

Let us now recount the wrong doings of the Government. The Crown Grants, which were promised us long ago by the Government for those lands which were returned to us, some have been given to us, some have not. The Crown Grants also for those lands of ours which have been adjndieated upon by the Native Lands Court, let them be quickly issued to us; for we have to pay the surveyors, and the expenses incurred in carrying out the measures imposed by the Act; but we are unable to lease, sell, or do anything else with our lands to bring any profit to ourselves, until we have received the Crown Grants. That law is a good law, if properly administered by the Government. It would not only benefit people generally, but by the judicious carrying out of its provisions, it would put a stop to the troubles of this country. We pray you to look with favour upon this our petition; carefully consider it, and cause justice to be done.