Report on Petition of Hone te Awa and Others. (Presented in 1876.)

This is a petition presented last session, and referred back in consequence of the Native Affairs Committee of last session not having reported an opinion to the House.

Petitioners state that they have been done out of their lands, situated near the Bay of Islands, inasmuch as they were induced to allow the name of one Parore to be the sole name in the grant. They allege that when the land was sold, and the price paid, they did not receive a single copper of the price, and that when they applied for a rehearing of their case before the Native Land Court the application was refused. They pray that £1,000 of the price should be paid to them, or that 12,000 acres should be restored.

I am directed to report as follows:—

That it appears from the evidence taken that applications for the re-hearing of the block were refused by the Governor in Council, in consequence of a recommendation to that effect made by the Chief Judge of the Native Land Court. The law gives the Governor in Council a discretionary power, and there is no evidence before the Committee to show that that discretion was not properly exercised. The Committee can do no more than refer the petition to the Government for their consideration.

[Translation.]
Ko te Kupu a te Komiti mo runga i te Pukapuka-inoa a Hone te Awa ma. (No te tau 1876 i tukua mai ai.)

Ko tenei pukapuka-inoi no tera tau i tukua mai ai a i whakahokia mai notemea kahore te Komiti o tera tau i whai kupu tuturu ki te Whare:—

E ki ana nga kai-inoi kua tinihangatia ratou i o ratou whenua e tata ana ki Pewhairangi notemea i whakaae ratou kia uru ko te ingoa o Parore anake ki roto ki te karaati. E ki ana ratou, i te wa i hokona ai te whenua i utua ai te moni kahore ratou i whiwhi ki tetahi kapa o te utu a i ta ratou tononga kia whakawakia tuaruatia taua whenua i te aroaro o te Kooti kahore i whakaaetia ta ratou tono. E inoi ana ratou kia utua kia ratou £1,000 o te moni utu, a ki te kore tena, kia hoatu ki a ratou kia 12,000 eka whenua.

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Kua whakahaua ahau kia ki penei atu ki te Whare:—

E kitea ana i runga i nga kupu i whakapuakina i te aroaro o te Komiti kihai i whakaaetia e te Kawana i roto i tona Runanga nga tono kia whakawakia tuaruatia tenei whenua, ko te take he kupu tohutohu pera na te Tumuaki o nga Kai-whakawa o te Kooti Whenua Maori. I runga i te tikanga o te ture kei te Kawana i roto i tona Runanga he mana whakaae pehea ranei a kahore he whakaaturanga i tae mai ki te Komiti e kiia ai kihai taua mana i whakahaerea tikatia. Kahore he mea ma te Komiti, heoti ano ra he tuku i te pukapuka-inoi ki te Kawanatanga kia tirohia e ratou.