No. 159, Session II.—Petition of Taraiti Tamaki and Others.

The prayer of the petitioners is that they may have a block of land called Opuatai returned to them. It had been wrongfully given away to the Ngatitipa. The petitioners were in Court in the year 1866, when the land in question was adjudicated upon. The Court did not heed their protests, but said that the petitioners had no claim, because they had taken up arms. Petitioners say they were on the ground in 1863, and the Native Land Court sat in 1866. They have persistently maintained their rights from that time down to the present.

I am directed to report as follows:—

That the Committee regret that the time at their disposal has not been sufficient to enable them to make such inquiries as would justify them in reporting an opinion on the subject-matter of this petition.