No. 224 of 1881.—Petition of Kawana Hunia and 82 Others.

Petitioners state that Otamakapua No. 2, containing 104,000 acres, was gazetted for investigation of title at a Court to be held at Napier on the 7th August, 1879; that the Court sat first at Hastings, and adjourned to Omahu, near Napier, the pa of Renata Kawepo; that the decision of the Court was in favour of Utiki Potaka, Renata Kawepo, and others, whilst the petitioners of the Ngatiapa Tribe were excluded; that a portion of the petitioners asked for a rehearing of the case, but were refused. The petitioners give various reasons why their case should be reopened, and refer to four signatures to the petition whose names are in the Crown grant, and who state that the other petitioners are rightfully entitled to a specified portion of the block.

I am directed to report as follows:—

That the lands referred to in the petition passed through the Court in October, 1879, after a most careful hearing before Judges Heale and Young, and a Native Assessor, the petitioners having also the advantage of legal advice; that the ground claimed had not been in possession of the claimants since the introduction of Christianity amongst them. The Committee see no reason for disturbing the judgment of the Court, but would commend the matter to the consideration of the Government.

[Translation]
No. 224 of 1881.—Pukapuka-inoi a Kawaka Hunia me etahi atu e 82.

E Ki ana nga kia-pitihana i kahititia a Otamakapua No. 2, e tae ana ki te 104,000 eka, kia whakawakia e tetahi Kooti ki Nepia i te 7 o nga ra o Akuhata, 1879; i tu taua Kooti i te tuatahi ki Hehitingi (Heretaunga), no muri ka nekehia ki Omahu—e tata ana ki Nepia—ki te pa o Renata Kawepo, i whakataua e te Kooti te whenua kia Utiku Potaka, Renata Kawepo me etahi atu, na ko nga kai-pitihana o te Iwi o Ngatiapa i kapea ki waho; ko etahi o nga kia-pitihana i tono kia whakawa tuaruatia te whenua kaore i whakaaetia. He maha ano nga take e whakatakotoria ana e nga kia-pitihana i tono ai ratou kia whakapuaretia taua whakawa, me ta ratou whakahua ano i etahi ingoa tokowha i roto i te pitihana kei roto ano i te Karauna karaati, a ko te ki a aua tokowha kei te tika tonu te whai take o nga kiapitihana ki tetahi wahi ake ano o taua poraka.

Kua whakahaua ahau kia ki penei:

No Oketopa, 1879, i whakawakia ai e te Kooti te whenua e whakahuatia nei i roto i te pitihana, a i ata whakawakia rawa e Tiati Hira e Tiati Ianga me te Ateha Maori; i tu ano he roia mo nga kaipitihana; na ko te whenua e tono nei ratou kihai ratou i runga e noho ana i muri iho i te taenga mai o te Whakapono.

Kaore he take e kitea ana e te Komiti e whakarereketia ai te whakataunga a te Kooti engari ka tukua atu ma te Kawanatanga e whakaaro.