No. 292, 1878.—Petition of Rev. G. P. Mutu and Others.

The petitioners, members of the Ngaitahu tribe, residing at Kaiapoi, pray that means may be provided for investigating their claims as against those of the Ngatitoa tribe, or any other Natives not being the original owners of the soil. They object to the fulfilment of any promise which recognizes a claim on the part of the Ngatitoa tribe by right of conquest, alleging that they were a peaceable people, unwilling to fight or murder, and the Ngatitoa people were the aggressors.

I am directed to report as follows:—

That the Committee cannot advise any action in the direction indicated by the petitioners, as the rights of the Ngatitoa tribe to the lands in question have been recognized for over a quarter of a century. In regard to this class of petitions, the Committee would call the attention of the House to the following report made on the 25th September, 1878: "That the Committee are of opinion that, if the complex questions of Native title raised by the petition are to be inquired into exhaustively, it must be done by a different tribunal from a Select Parliamentary Committee, whose time is manifestly far too limited for such a purpose. The Committee are not prepared to express an opinion as to whether such an inquiry should be held or not, but recommend that it should receive the attention of the Government."

Translation.
No. 292, 1878.—Pukapuka-inoi a G. P. Mutu me etahi atu.

Ko nga kai-pitihana no te iwi o Ngaitahu e noho ana ki Kaiapoi, e inoi ana ratou kia whakaritea he whakawakanga mo o ratou take me o Ngatitoa, o etahi atu Maori ranei e hara nei i a ratou te take tuturu ake ki te whenua. E whakahe ana ratou kei whakaotia nga whakaaetanga mo nga take o Ngatitoa i runga i te raupatu; no te mea ko ratou ko Ngaitahu he iwi noho pai, kaore i pirangi ki te riri, ki te patu tangata ko Ngatitoa ke te iwi nana i timata te kino.

Kua whakahaua ahau kia ki penei:—

E kore e ahei te Komiti ki te tohutohu i tetahi huarahi penei me tenei e tonoa nei e nga kaipitihana. No te mea kua whakaaetia noatia atu te paanga o Ngatitoa ki aua whenua i mua atu o nga tau e rua te kau ma rima.

Na mo runga i tenei tu ahua pitihana e mea ana te Komiti kia whakamaharatia ake te Whare ki te kupu whiriwhiri o te 25 o Hepetema, 1878. Koia tenei: "Ko te whakaaro o te Komiti mehemea ka tino tirotirohia nga putake raruraru o nga take Maori kua whakahuatia e te pitihana e hara i te mea ma te Komiti whiriwhiri o te Paremete e mahi, kahore hoki he taima hei mahi i nga mea pera. E kore te Komiti e ahei te whakapuaki kupu me pehea ranei, me pehea ranei engari e ki aua ma te Kawanatanga e whakaaro."