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Report on Petition of Major Keepa Rangihiwinui and Others.
The petitioners state that a block of land in the Wairarapa, called Moroa, was never sold to the Government; and pray that it may be restored to the rightful owners.
I am directed to report as follows:
That the block of land referred to in the petition appears to have been ceded by way of gift to the Crown in 1853, which was afterwards confirmed by deed in 1873 by the supposed owners, whose right to make the cession does not appear to have been called in question by the petitioners until now. The grievance stated by Mr. Jury, one of the petitioners, appears to consist not of any regret of the deed of gift or denial of it having been, but rather of money having been paid of late years to one or two individuals only partially interested as original owners of the Moroa Block. The Committee are of opinion that a question of this description, if reopened at all, can only be satisfactorily disposed of by some legal tribunal capable of making a full inquiry.
John Bryce,
Chairman.
Ko te kupu a te Komiti mo runga i te Pukapuka-inoi a Meiha Keepa Rangihiwinui me etahi atu.
E ki ana nga kai-inoi ko tetahi whenua kei Wairarapa e karangatia ana ko Moroa kaore rawa i hokona ki te Kawanatanga a e inoi ana kia whakahokia ki nga tangata ake no ratou.
Kua whakahaua ahau kia ki penei atu ki te Whare:—
Ko te whenua e korerotia nei i roto o te pukapuka-inoi he mea hoatu noatu ki te Kawanatanga i te tau 1853, ko taua hoatutanga i whakatikaia e tetahi pukapuka i te tau 1873, he mea tuhi na nga tangata i maharatia no ratou. A no naianei ano katahi ka mahara nga kai-inoi ki te whakahe i taua tuku. I runga i nga korero a Te Whatahoro tetahi o nga kai-inoi, e hara ta ratou i te whakahe mo te tukunga, engari mo te utunga i roto o enei tau ka pahemo ake nei i etahi moni ki etahi tangata toru toru nei, e eke ana ki tetahi wahi o taua whenua ki Moroa. Ko te whakaaro a te Komiti, ki te whakapuaretia tenei mea, ma tetahi tino Kooti e taea ai te whakaoti.
John Bryce,
Tumuaki.