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No. 70, —Petition of Rutene te Umanga and 204 Others.
Petitioners state that when they consented to the passing of a Springs Act they understood that only about 3,000 acres should be interfered with, whereas the Government Proclamation includes 600,000 acres, which they regard as "a very unjust proceeding." They complain also that Government now proposes that no sale or lease should be permitted to private persons of certain lands which had been under offer, and which the Natives had agreed to sell at 6s. per acre for forest and 7s. per acre for open land. A portion of the purchase-money and the whole cost of survey had been paid by Europeans. Petitioners offer to sell the land to the Government on the terms agreed upon with the private purchasers.
I am directed to report as follows:—
That no evidence has been given in support of this petition, and the Committee has no recommendation to make.
[Translation.]
No. 70.—Pukapuka-inoi a Rutene te Umanga me etahi atu e 204.
E ki ana nga kai-pitihana i whakaae ratou ki te pahitanga o te Ture Ngawha. Ki to ratou mohio e tea pea ki te 3,000 anake nga eka e pa ai te Kawauatanga akuanei uru ana te 600,000 eka ki roto ki te panui a te Kawanatanga e mea ana ratou he mahi he rawa tenei. E mea ana hoki ratou kua mea te Kawanatanga inaianei kia kaua e tukuna e hoko he riihi ki te pakeha mo nga whenua kua puta nei he korero hoko mo runga, a kua whakaaetia e nga Maori kia hokona mo te one hereni i te eka mo nga whenua ngaherehere, a kia whitu hereni i te eka mo te whenua parae. Ko tetahi wahi o te utu o te whenua, me nga utu katoa o te ruri, kua utua noa tia ake e te pakeha. E mea ana ano nga kai-pitihana ki te hoko i te whenua ki te Kawanatanga i runga ano i nga tikanga i whakaaetia) ai ki nga pakeha.
Kua whakahaua ahau kia ki penei:—
Kahore he korero i whakaputauia mai hei tautoko i tenei pitihana. Heoi kahore he kupu a te Komiti.