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Reports of the Native Affairs Committee, 1894.

[No. 304.—Petition of Wiremu Kauika and Wahiawa.]

No. 304.—Petition of Wiremu Kauika and Wahiawa.

Petitioners pray that some allowance be made in respect of the loss by the owners of the Kaitangiwhenua Block of the purchase-money of the same, amounting to £5,411 0s. 7d., of which they allege they were defrauded by one William Williams, who was engaged with the Land Purchase Commissioner in completing the purchase of the block.

I am directed to report that the petitioners complain that moneys to which they were entitled for the purchase of the Kaitangiwhenua Block were obtained by Mr. Williams and kept by him. They urge that as the Government paid them by one cheque, and not in notes or small cheques, Mr. Williams was enabled to get the cheque, and they were defrauded. They also urge that as they had no notice that Mr. Williams had ceased to be a Government officer they trusted him. It is clear that the moneys were paid in one cheque by the consent of the Natives interested, and that this cheque was handed by the old chief, Uru te Angina, to Mr. Williams. The petitioners state that they have spent nearly £700 in trying to recover their money. Strictly, the Natives have no claim on the colony, but they have suffered great loss, and their money, £5,411 0s. 7d., has been taken from them, and any counter claim Mr. Williams may have had against them has not been proved, nor even attempted to be substantiated. The petitioners have been put to considerable cost in appearing before the Royal Commission, and in attending before various Committees of the House. The petitioners' case is a hard one, and the Committee would urge the Government to favourably consider the petition, and that some moderate amount should be voted for them. The Committee may add that no charge of any kind can be made against Mr. Gill, who carried out his duties in a proper manner.

9th October, 1894.

[Translation. ]
No. 304.—Pitihana a Wiremu Kauika raua ko Wahiawa.

E inoi ana nga kai-pitihana kia whakaputaina atu he moni mo runga mo te mate o nga tangata no ratou a Kaitangiwhenua Poraka i runga i te rironga o ta ratou moni o te hoko o taua whenua e £5,411 0s. 7d. nei te nui o taua moni, e kiia nei hoki e raua i tahaetia taua moni a ratou e Wiremu Wiremu ua raua nei ko te Komihana Hoko Whenua i whakaoti te hoko o taua poraka.

Kua whakahaua ahau kia ki penei: E ki ana nga kai-pitihana ko nga moni ma ratou o te hoko o Kaitangiwhenua Poraka i riro i a Wiremu a tangohia tonutia atu e ia. E ki ana raua i runga i te mea i utua atu aua moni e te Kawanatanga ki a ratou i roto i te haki (cheque) kotahi a kahore i utua notitia atu, haki ririki ranei, ahei ana te riro o te haki i a Wiremu na reira ka mate ratou ka tahaetia a ratou moni. E ki ana ano hoki raua i runga i te mea kihai i tae atu he whakaatu ki a ratou kua mutu te tu apiha Kawanatanga o Wiremu whakapono ana ratou ki a ia. Kei te marama kotahi te haki i utua ai nga moni i runga ano i te whakaae a nga Maori whai paanga ki aua moni, a i hoatu taua haki e te rangatira kaumatua, e Uru Te Angina, ki a Wiremu. E ki ana nga kai-pitihana e tata ana ki te £700 a ratou moni kua pau mo nga mahi i whakahaerea e ratou e hoki mai ai a ratou moni. Ki te tino tikanga kahore he kereeme a nga Maori ki te koroni, engari he mate nui rawa kua pa ki a ratou a kua tangohia atu i a ratou a ratou moni e £5,411 0s. 7d., a kahore ano kia taea te whakaatu he nama a ratou ki a Wiremu, a kahore ano hoki a Wiremu i ata whakaatu he tika he nama a nga Maori ki a ia. He nui nga moni a nga kai-pitihana kua pau i te haerenga ki te aroaro o te Roera Komihana i nga haerenga mai hoki ki mua i nga Komiti maha o te Whare. He nui te mate kei runga kei nga kai-pitihana, a ko te tono a te Komiti page 13kia whiriwhiria paitia e te Kawanatanga tenei pitihana, a me pooti he moni kaua e tino nui hei whakaputanga atu ki a ratou. He kupu ano hoki tenei na te Komiti kahore he whakahe pehea ranei e ahei te whakaeke atu ki runga ki a Te Kira i tika tonu nei hoki tana whakahaerenga i tana mahi.

9 Oketopa, 1894.