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No. 301, Session II.—Petition of Pene te Puna and 3 others.
Petitioners state that some of them are grantees from the Crown, or successors of deceased persons, or husbands of female grantees, That Archibald Anderson and James Watt held the blocks of land called Te Awa-o-te-Atua and Kakiraawa; but the validity of the title was disputed. That petitioners executed a deed of conveyance and confirmation in January, 1870, to the above-named persons, for £17,500. The arrangement for the execution of the deed was effected on petitioner's behalf by the Hon. Henry Russell and John Sheehan, and that these two gentlemen received the £17,500. That no account has been rendered by the Hon. Henry Russell and John Sheehan of the manner in which the sum has been disbursed. It is stated that large sums were paid for legal costs, and some part is alleged to have been lodged in the Bank. Small sums have been paid to some of the petitioners, but not the full amount due to them. Petitioners are advised that to obtain redress by recourse to law would be very expensive, and might be indefinitely protracted, and petitioners have not the means to institute proceedings. They pray that the above subjects may be investigated and inquired into by the House.
I am directed to report as follows:—
That the Committee regret that the time at their disposal has not been sufficient to enable them to make such inquiries as would justify them in reporting an opinion on the subject-matter of this petition.
[Translation.]
No. 301, Session II,—Te Pitihana a Pene te Puna me etahi atu e toru.
E ki ana nga kai-pitihana he tangata Karauna karaati ratou ko etahi he riwhi tupapaku he tane ranei no nga wahine o roto i te Karauna karaati. Na i a Atiporo Hanara me Hemi Wata e pupuri ana nga poraka a Te Awa-o-te-Atua me Kakiraawa, engari e whakahetia ana te hoko. I tuhi nga kai-pitihana i tetahi pukapuka hoko whakatuturu i Hanuere, 1870, ki aua tangata i runga ake nei mo nga moni e £17,500. Ko nga kai-whakahaere o te taha ki nga kai-pitihana i runga i te whakaatu i taua pukapuka ko Henare Rata me Hone Hiana, a i riro i a raua te £17,500. Kaore ano he kaute i tukua ake e Henare Rata raua ko te Hiana ki aua kai-pitihana whakamarama i te whakahaerenga o aua moni. E kiia ana lie nui nga wahi o aua moni i riro ki te whakarite i nga moni i pau i runga i te ture a ko tetahi wahi i hoatu ki roto ki te Peeke. Kua utua ano etahi wahi iti o aua moni ki nga kaipitihana engari kaore ano nga moni katoa e tika ana kia puta ki a ratou. E tohutohua ana nga kaipitihana mehemea e kawea aua i runga i te ture he tikanga kia puta he ora ki a ratou mo taua mate era e nui nga moni e pau a ka whakaroangia haere te mohiotia te taunga ki raro. Kaore hoki he mea i nga kai-pitihana hei whakahaere whakawa heoi ka inoi ratou kia rapua kia kimihia e te Whare nga putake i runga ake nei.
Kua whakahaua ahau kia ki penei:—
E pouri ana te Komiti mo te poto o te takiwa i a ratou hei tirotirohanga e tika ai te whakatau kupu mo runga i nga putake korero o roto i tenei pitihana.