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Reports of the Native Affairs Committee, 1877.

[Report on Petition of Aropeta Haeretuterangi and Others]

Report on Petition of Aropeta Haeretuterangi and Others.

The petitioners state that, in 1873, at Wanganui, the Native Lands Court awarded a block of land known as Murimotu, containing about 46,353 acres, to the petitioners and other Native applicants; that they (the petitioners) have since discovered that several Natives have been erroneously included amongst the applicants, although having no real interest in the block; that they who were so wrongly included are now anxious to sell the land in one block, but the petitioners desire to promote settlement, and to dispose of the land in small blocks; and that, unless the error complained of is remedied, the matter will remain a source of discontent to all the real owners.

The petitioners therefore pray that a rehearing of the claims to the whole block may be granted by the Native Lands Court.

I am directed to report as follows:—

From the evidence taken before the Committee it does not appear to be clearly established that some names have been wrongly included in the list of owners. The official papers show clearly that no absolute judgment has yet been given by the Native Lands Court. All that the Court has done appears to be that it has determined who are the persons who, according to Native custom, are entitled to have their names entered as owners of the block in the records of the Native Lands Court. Before the judgment of the Court can be finally given it will be necessary to determine the names of ten persons for insertion in the certificate of title. Several attempts appear to have been made since 1873 to do this, but without success, in consequence of differences among the Native owners. It will be impossible, even if considered necessary, to comply with the prayer of the petitioners until such time as the final judgment of the Court has been given.

John Bryce,
Chairman.

17th October, 1877.

[Translation.]
Ko te Kupu a te Komiti mo runga i te Pokapuka-inoi a Aropeta Haeretuterangi ma.

E ki ana nga kai-inoi i whakataua ki a ratou ko etahi atu e te Kooti Whakawa Whenua Maori ki Whanganui i te tau 1873, tetahi piihi whenua ko Murimotu te ingoa, tona nui 46,353 nga eka a kua kitea i muri iho nei e nga kai-inoi kua whakaurua hetia etahi tangata Maori ki roto i nga kai-tono ahakoa kahore o ratou take tika ki te whenua. Ko aua tangata i whakaurua hetia ra e hiahia ana inaianei ki te hoko topu i te whenua engari e hiahia ana nga kai-inoi kia nohoia taua whenua kia hokona piihitia te whenua. A e mea ana hoki ratou ki to kore te he ra e whakatikaia ka waiho taua mea hei take raruraru ki nga tangata tuturu katoa o te whenua.

Koia i tono ai nga kai-inoi kia whakawakia tuaruatia taua whenua katoa e te Kooti Whenua Maori.

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

I runga i nga korero i whakapuakina i te aroaro o te Komiti kahore i rite te kupu nei ara i whakaurua hetia etahi ingoa ki te rarangi ingoa o nga tangata no ratou te whenua. Kei nga pukapuka o te Kooti te whakaaturanga kahore ano i tino whakaotia te whakataunga a te Kooti Whakawa Whenua Maori. Heoti ano ta te Kooti he whakatuturu ki nga pukapuka o te Kooti i nga tangata e whai tikanga ana i runga i te tikanga Maori kia uru ki taua whenua. Engari i mua o te whakaotinga o te whakataunga a te Kooti me whiriwhiri nga ingoa o nga tangata kotahi tekau mo te Tiwhikete. Kua whakamatauria tenei i muri iho o te 1873 kihai i taea i runga i nga tautohe a nga tangata Maori no ratou te whenua. E kore rawa e taea te whakarite te tono a nga kai-inoi mehemea ia e tika ana kia whakaritea kia oti ra ano te tino whakataunga a te Kooti.

John Bryce,
Tumuaki.

Oketopa 17, 1877.