No. 402.—Petition of Meiha Ropata and 172 Others.

Petitioners state that they belong to the Ngatiporou Tribe, and are owners of land in the Waiapu District. They say that they are annoyed and wronged by the action of various persons who are endeavouring to purchase their land. They give schedules of certain of their lands which they desire to have brought under the operation of "The Native Reserves Act, 1882." With regard to portions of the named land now held by Europeans, they desire that the leases should be respected. They ask that they may be empowered to form a Native Committee, subject to the control of the Public Trustee, whose duty it would be to assist in carrying out matters connected with the lands reserved.

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I am directed to report as follows:—

That the early attention of the Government be called to this petition, with a view to doing what may seem to be best under the circumstances.

[Translation.]
No. 402.—Pukapuka-inoi a Meiha Ropata me etahi atu 172.

E ki ana nga kai-pitihana no te Iwi o Ngatiporou ratou e whai whenua ana i te takiwha o Waiapu. E korero ana ratou kei te whakatoi, kei te mate ratou i nga mahi a te tangata e mea nei ki te hoko whenua. E whakaatu ana ratou i nga rarangi o etahi o a ratou whenua e hiahia nei ratou kia whakahaeretia i raro i nga tikanga o te Ture Rahui Maori, 1882. Ko nga wahi o te whenua e whakahua nei e riihitia ana e te pakeha, e hiahia ana ratou kia mana tonu. E tonu ana hoki ratou kia tukuna he mana kia ratou ki te whakatu Komiti Maori i raro i te mana o te Kai Taiki o te katoa ko tana mahi hei hoa whakahaere, i nga tikanga e uru atu ana ki runga ki nga whenua kua rahuitia.

Kua whakahaua ahau kia ki penei:—

Kia horo te whakaaro o te Kawanatanga, ki tenei pitihana kia tirohia ai ko tehea ranei te huarahi pai mo aua whenua.