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Report on Petition of Hoterini Taipari and 73 Others.
Petitioners state that they are the persons who signed an agreement with the Government under which certain lands in the District of Hauraki were opened as a gold field. That under such agreement the fees to be derived from miners' rights, &c., were to be paid to the petitioners, but that this has been done very irregularly, the payments being now three-quarters of a year in arrear. The petitioners are desirous of having the books and vouchers in connection with those fees properly inspected by a skilled accountant appointed by themselves, but that hitherto they have not been allowed the opportunity; they also complain that they are defrauded of money by reason of persons exercising the rights of miners without payment.
I am directed to report as follows:—
That this petition is similar in effect to one from the same petitioners reported on by the Native Affairs Committee of last session. The recommendation made last session that facilities should be afforded for the inspection of the accounts, as desired by the petitioners, appears to have been indorsed by the Government; and Mr. Puckey, the Government Agent at the Thames, was instructed accordingly. Your Committee believe that the statements of the present petition, that applications have been made to Mr. Puckey for an inspection of his accounts and refused by him, are made in error, and that if formal application be made no difficulty will be found in obtaining access to the accounts. The Committee can therefore only reaffirm the recommendation of last session, that full facilities should be given the petitioners for an inspection of the accounts in connection with miners' and other fees in which they are interested, whether those accounts are in the office of Mr. Puckey or any other officer of the Government.
John Bryce,
Chairman.
[Translation.]
Ko te Kupu a te Komiti mo runga i te Pukapuka-inoi a Hotereni Taipari me ona hoa e 73.
E ki ana nga kai-inoi ko ratou nga tangata i tuhituhi i tetahi Pukapuka Whakaaetanga ki te Kawanatanga i whakatuwheratia ai etahi whenua i Hauraki hei mahinga koura. A i runga i taua whakaaetanga i meatia kia utua ki nga kai-inoi nga moni e puta ake ana i nga maina raiti me etahi atu mea, engari kahore i tika te utunga inahoki kahore ano i utua mo nga koata etoru o te tau, koia i hiahia ai nga kai-inoi kia tirohia tikatia nga pukapuka o aua moni e tetahi tangata mohio kia whakaturia e ratou ano, engari kahore ano tera mea i tukua; e ki ana hoki ratou e ngaro ana etahi moni i tika kia whiwhi ai ratou i runga i te mahinga a etahi tangata i ta te kai-keri koura mahi i te mea kahore aua tu tangata e utu.
Kua whakahaua ahau kia ki penei atu ki te Whare:—
E rite ana tenei Pukapuka-inoi ki tetahi i homai i tera tau i whiriwhiria e te Komiti mo nga mea Maori i tera nohoanga o te Runanga. Ko te kupu a te Komiti i tera tau kia whakatuwheratia he huarahi e rite ai te hiahia a nga kai-inoi kia kite ratou i nga pukapuka moni i whakamana ano e te Kawanatanga a i puta ta ratou kupu pera ki a Te Paki te Apiha a te Kawanatanga i Hauraki. E whakaaro ana te Komiti e he ana tenei kupu a nga kai-inoi, ara, i tae he tono ki a Te Paki kia whakaaturia ona pukapuka a kihai ia i whakaae; engari kahore he tono i tae ki a ia ekore hoki e araia te tirohanga i nga pukapuka moni. Na, heoi ano hoki te kupu ma te Komiti he whakapuaki ano i ta ratou kupu o tera tau kia whakatuwheratia he huarahi ma nga kai-inoi kia kite ai ratou i nga pukapuka moni o nga maina raiti me era atu moni e whai tikanga ai ratou ahakoa i roto i te tari o Te Paki o tetahi atu Apiha ranei o te Kawanatanga.
John Bryce,
Tumuaki.