No. 15, Sess. I.—Petition of John Duncan and Another.

Petitioners ask that a grant issued to certain Natives of a block of land situated in Waikato may be cancelled, and that an inquiry may be held to ascertain the names of all the members of the Ngatitipa Tribe interested in the said land, and that the present grantees may be declared trustees for such persons.

I am directed to report as follows:—

That this petition is in all respects similar to that of last year from the same individuals, and the Committee repeats what was then reported, namely: "That this is one of the numerous cases in which those whose names were put into Crown grants for convenience may assume all the rights of full ownership. They were not thought by the ordinary members of the tribe to be more than trustees; but lately so many of these virtual trusts have been misappropriated to the profit of individuals, that, naturally, the Maoris outside the record of the grantees have become alarmed by the actual or possible sacrifice of their interests. The Committee considers that, in the interest of the general body of real, as apart from nominal, owners, legislation is necessary, in order to have renewed Crown grants similar to the one now referred to, and recommend the subject to the early attention of the Government."

The Committee would only add that the Government should consider whether it would not be possible to at once introduce a Bill to stop any transactions in this case or similar cases until general legislation can be adopted to cover the whole question.

[Translation.]
No. 15, Sess. I.—Pukapuka-inoi a Hone Tanikena me tetahi atu.

E Tono ana kia whakakorea te Karati o tetahi Poraka whenua Maori e takoto ana i Waikato kia whakaturia tetahi patai hei kimi i nga ingoa katoa o nga tangata o te Iwi o Ngatitipa e whai panga ana ki taua whenua kia whakataua enei tangata i roto i te karati hei kai tiaki mo aua tangata.

Kua whakahaua ahau kia ki penei:—

Ko tenei pitihana e ahua rite ana ki tera i tukuna mai i tera tau e aua tangata ano a ko te ripoata a te Komiti ka pera ano me to tera tau ko tetahi tenei o nga kehi maha i whakaurua nei nga ingoa o etahi tangata hei painga kautanga i muri iho ka kitea ka ahei aua tangata te tango i taua whenua mo ratou ake, kihai i maharatia e nga tangata o waho o taua iwi i neke ake to ratou panga ki te whenua i o te Kaitiaki, inaianei kua maha nga whenua tiaki i whakahaerengia hetia heoi te painga mo nga tangata anake i roto i te karati heoi kua wehi rawa nga tangata o waho i runga i te whakaaro tera pea e riro kua riro rawa atu ranei to ratou panga ki taua whenua.

Ko te Komiti e whakaaro ana i runga i te panga o nga tangata katoa e whai take ana he mea tika kia hanga tetahi ture hei whakahou i nga karati i rite ki tenei e korerotia nei, me te mea kia hohoro te titiro a te Kawanatanga i tenei mea.

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Heoi te kupu apiti a te Komiti ko te mea tika me whakaaro te Kawanatanga me kore e taea kia hanga tetahi Pire inaianei ano hei whakakore i nga tikanga hoko rihi ranei i runga i tenei whenua kia puta rano tetahi Ture hei whakahaere i enei mea.