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Report on Petition of Ruiha Teira and Others. (Presented in 1876.)
This is a petition presented last session, and referred back in consequence of the Native affairs Committee of last year not having reported an opinion to the House.
Petitioners state that some of their land near Taranaki has been confiscated, but that they took no part in the rebellion, and that the justice of their case has been acknowledged by the Government, but redress has not been afforded. They pray the House to give them relief.
I am directed to report as follows:—
That it appears perfectly clear that the petitioners have a substantial grievance of the nature set forth in their petition. The evidence taken and the correspondence produced show conclusively that their claim has been admitted for many years, although it has never been finally dealt with. The Committee are of opinion that the petitioners' claim should be finally disposed of without further page 20
delay; and also that, in settling with them, fair regard should be had to the number of years during which their admitted right, however small, has been withheld from them.
John Bryce,
Chairman.
[Translation.]
Ko te kupu a te Komiti mo runga i te Pukapuka-inoi a Ruiha Teira ma. (No te tau 1876 i tukua mai ai.)
No tera tau i tukua mai ai tenei pukapuka-inoi, i whakahokia mai notemea kihai te Komiti o tera tau i whai kupu tuturu ki te Whare:—
E ki ana nga kai-inoi kua tangohia etahi o o ratou whenua, e tata ana ki Taranaki, mo te hara o te iwi, engari, kahore ratou i uru ki te hara, e mea ana ratou kua whakaaetia ano to ratou tika e te Kawanatanga, otiia kahore ano kia whakaritea noatia. E tono ana ratou ki te Whare kia whakamaramatia he tikanga mo ratou.
Kua whakahaua ahau kia ki penei atu ki te Whare:—
Kua tino kitea rawatia he take pouri ano to nga kai-inoi e rite ana ki nga kupu o te pukapuka-inoi. I runga i nga korero i whakapuakina i te aroaro o te Komiti me nga pukupuka i whakaaturia mai e tino kitea ana kua whakaaetia ta ratou tono i roto i nga tau maha engari kahore i ata whakaotia. E whakaaro ana te Komiti me tere tonu te whakaea i te tono a nga kai-inoi a i te mea e whakaritea ana ta ratou tono me haere tika te whakaaro i runga i te maha o nga tau i puritia ai te mea i kitea ai e tika ana ratou (ahakoa iti taua mea).
John Bryce,
Tumuaki.