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No. 26.—Petition of Taurau Kukupa and 20 Others.
Petitioners state that they are members of the Parawau Tribe; that, in August, 1880, the Native Land Court sat at Kaihu, in the Kaipara District; that Judge Rogan presided; that the Parawau Tribe was represented by Tirarau Kukupa, since dead; that, in consequence of the illness of this chief, he could not properly attend to the business; that, in consequence, the names of persons who, according to Native custom, had no interest in the land called Whangaimokopuna were entered as page 9
part owners; that, upon Kukupa's recovery, he and others repeatedly asked for a rehearing of the case, and that the Chief Judge persistently refused it. Petitioners pray that a rehearing be now granted.
I am directed to report as follows:—
That, on the 29th August, 1881, the Committee reported as follows upon a similar petition: "From the evidence adduced, the Committee considers there is ground for careful inquiry into the case, and recommends the Government to act accordingly, with a view to bring it to the attention of the Chief Judge of the Native Land Court." The Committee again calls the attention of the Government to this case, and particularly to the evidence given by Mr. Mitchelson and Mr. Mohi Tawhai. The whole circumstances of the case as detailed to the Committee, and particularly to the peculiar position of this land, seem to point to the tribe of the late Tirarau Kukupa as sole owners. The Committee has been informed that legislation is to take place upon some cases where a rehearing is desirable, and it would suggest that it might be possible to include this one. The practice of inserting in Crown grants or memorials of ownership the name of a single representative of a tribe without expressing trusteeship is likely to lead to serious injustice in future dealings with land.
[Translation.]
No. 26.—Pukapuka-inoi a Taurau Kukupa me etahi atu e 20.
E ki ana nga kai pitihana no te Iwi o Parawau ratou, a i tu te Kooti Whenua Maori i a Akuhata, 1880, i Kaihu i te takiwa o Kaipara, ko te Rokena te Tiati na Tirarau Kukupa, kua mate nei, i whakahaere nga take o te Iwi o Parawau a no te mea i te mate ia kihai i ahei e ia te tino whakahaere i a ratou take ki te whenua, a no runga i tenei mate ona ka uru etahi tangata i raro i nga tikanga Maori kihai nei i whai take ki te whenua e karangatia nei ko Whangaimokopuna. A no te oranga ake o Kukupa he maha ana tononga me etahi atu kia whakawakia tuaruatia tenei keehi, kihai rawa te Tumuaki i whakaae. E inoi ana nga kai pitihana kia whakaaetia inaianei he whakawa tuarua.
Kua whakahaua ahau kia ki penei:—
No te 29 Akuhata, 1881, ka penei te repoata a te Komiti i runga i tetahi pitihana penei ano. No nga korero i whakaputaina e whakaaro ana te Komiti tera ano tetahi take e tika ana kia ata pataia mariretia i roto i tenei keehi. E whakahau ana i te Kawanatanga kia whai tikanga hei whakaatu ki te Tumuaki o te Kooti Whenua Maori. E whakahau ana ano te Komiti i te Kawanatanga kia tirohia tenei keehi, te tino mea ia, ko nga korero a te Mitirihana me Mohi Tawhai. I roto i nga take katoa o tenei keehi i korerotia nei ki te Komiti ko te mea nui ko te ahua o te takoto o tenei whenua, e whakaatu ana mehemea nei no ratou ake no te Iwi o Tirarau Kukupa. Kua rongo te Komiti ka whakaturia tetahi whakawa i runga i etahi keehi e hiahiatia ana kia whakawakia tuaruatia, a e whakaaro ana tera ano pea e whakanruhia tenei keehi. Erangi ko te tikanga whakauru i te ingoa o te tangata kotahi ki roto ki te karati ki te pukapuka whai take ranei o te Iwi, me te kore kaore e whakaatu he kai Tiaki kau ia no te Iwi, tera e puta tetahi tikanga kino rawa me ka whakahaeretia enei whenua amua ake nei.