No. 180.—Petition of Piripi Te Maari and 5 Others.

Petitioners pray that their grievances in connection with the Wairarapa Lakes may be inquired into, and relief granted.

Your Committee have to report that in 1893 the same question was considered by the Native Affairs Committee, and the following report was made to the House—namely, "That the whole question dealt with in the petition was reported on by a Royal Commission in 1890. (Vide Vol. II., Appendices, Sess. II., 1891, G.–4.) It is clear that the Natives have been wronged, and the only question is whether the local bodies interested or the Government should compensate them. The Committee is of opinion that it should be done by the Government, as the land was sold to the settlers, and provision made in the Public Works Act which enabled the local body to open a channel from the lake to the sea, and thus the proprietary rights of the Natives were interfered with. The Committee recommend that the Government should at once try to arrange the matter, either by purchasing the rights of the Natives or by compensating them for any injury done."

Your Committee regret that no attention has been paid to the recommendation of the Committee of 1893, and the Committee would again most urgently recommend that the undoubted grievances under which the Natives labour should be redressed.

The Committee may add that it has been represented to them that the Government are seeking to make a claim against the lake for surveying not undertaken at the request of the Natives, and threaten to sell the rights of the lake for such survey. The Committee hope that it is not the intention of the Government to take such steps.

[Translation.]
No 180.—Pitihana a Piripi A Maari me etahi atu toko rima.

E Inoi ana nga kai-pitihana kia uiuia nga mate kua pa ki a ratou mo runga mo te Moana o Wairarapa, a kia hoatu he ora mo ratou.

Koia tenei te ripoata a te Komiti, i te tau 1893, i whiriwhiria ano tenei putake e te Komiti mo nga Mea Maori, a koia tenei ta ratou ripoata i tuku ai ki te whare: "I hanga ano tetahi ripoata e tetahi Roira Komihana i te tau 1890 mo runga i nga take katoa o tenei pitihana, tirohia te Pukapuka II. o te Paremete II., 1891. G.–4. E tino marama ana kua tau tetahi mate ki runga i nga Maori, a heoi nei te take, mehemea ma nga ropu takiwa e whakarite i aua mate ma te Kawanatanga ranei. E whakaaro ana tenei Komiti ma te Kawanatanga e whakarite, notemea na te Kawanatanga i hoko aua whenua ki nga Pakeha, me te whakatakoto i tetahi tikanga i roto i te Ture mo nga Mahi mo te Katoa i ahei ai te ropu Takiwa te keri i te wai keri timata mai i te roto tae atu ki te moana, a na konei i tau ai tetahi mate ki runga i nga take katoa a nga Maori. E tono ana te Komiti kia tere tonu te whakahaere i tetahi tikanga, i runga ranei i te hoko i nga take a nga Maori i runga ranei i te whakarite i tetahi tikanga ki a ratou mo te mate i tau ki a ratou."

Kei te pouri te Komiti i te mea kaore i tirohia te whakahau a te Komiti o te tau 1893, a ko tenei ka tino whakahau te Komiti, i te mea he tino pono kua pa he mate ki nga Maori, na reira ko te mea tika me whakaora taua mate.

A ka apitiria e te Komiti tenei kupu, i te mea kua whakaaturia ki a ratou kei te kimi kereeme te Kawanatanga ma ratou mo te ruritanga o taua moana, ehara nei i nga Maori i whakahau kia ruritia, a kei te mea te Kawanatanga me hoko nga take paanga ki taua moana hei whakaea i taua ruri. Engari kei te tumanako tonu te Komiti e Kore te Kawanatanga e haere i runga i taua tu huarahi.