The difficulties and obstacles attendant on the acquisition of Native lands by Europeans having been fully entered into in the previous pages of this pamphlet, it may be expedient to here state succinctly the defects in previous legislation on, and proceedings relating to, the Native Land question, poll it is proposed to remedy, and, if possible, remove by the provisions of the Draft Act now submitted for consideration, viz:—

1st.	The peripatetic nature of the sittings of the Native Land Courts, caused by the Judges not being appointed to and permanently stationed in defined districts.
2nd.	The consequent ignorance of the Judges and A ssessors of the natural features of the country, and the particular class of title prevailing in any district.
3rd.	The enormous expenses of executing surveys, caused by two or three surveys being made by contending parties for the same block.
4th.	The sittings of the Native Land Courts being frequently fixed to be held at long distances from the land the subject of investigation, thereby debarring large numbers of elderly claimants, and infirm people, from attending thereat; also entailing enormous expense and loss of time by taking the active members of a tribe away from their homes.
5th.	The method of procedure of the Native Land Court being so greatly assimilated to the practice of the Supreme and other English Courts of Law within the Colony, which is not understood or appreciated by large numbers of Natives, and the necessity of adopting such a course of proceedings as will be more in accordance with the Maori ideas of dealing with their land questions.page 34
6th.	The frauds practised on large numbers of Natives (frequently on the majority) interested in lands, the title whereof had been investigated by the Native Lands Court, by the limited number of persons whose names were inserted in Certificates of Title and other instruments made by order of the Native Land Court.
7th.	The enormous expense of procuring the signature of hundreds of Native owners (scattered all over the country) to conveyances and leases of single blocks land.
8th.	The doubts as to the validity of the titles of [unclear: Europe] through the conflicting legislation on Native [unclear: la] questions.
9th.	The unsatisfactory state of outstanding and incomplete purchases and leases.
10th.	The stagnation in all Native land transactions through the provisions of recent enactments, seriously affecting the position of the vendors, lessors, purchasers, and lessees [unclear: the] same, and the consequent prevention of the investment of capital in that direction.
11th.	The extreme unpopularity of the "Native Land Administration Act, 1886," and the unwillingness of the Natives to bring their lands under its operation.
12th.	The urgent necessity for speedily ascertaining and determining the titles to Native Lands throughout the North Island, by which the necessity for special legislation on Native matters could be dispensed with, and the expense of the Native Minister's Department could be saved.

An Act to define and determine the title to lands held by Aboriginal Natives under Maori Usage and Custom, and to make provision for regulating the sale and other disposition of Native Lands, and for validating and settling incomplete titles thereto.

Whereas considerable discontent and dissatisfaction at present exists among the Aboriginal Natives of New Zealand with respect to the laws governing the sale and other dispositions of their lands; and it is expedient that their Proprietary Eights to and over all lands held by them according to Maori Usage and Custom, should be speedily ascertained, determined, finally settled, and clothed with a legal title, assimilated as nearly as possible to European ownership under the statutes in operation within the Colony. And it is further highly desirable that stops should be taken without delay for securing permanently, and irrevocably to the Maori Race ample Reserves of such lands for their use, maintenance, and benefit, and that provision shall be made for granting titles thereto. And whereas Agreements have from time to time been made between Europeans and Maoris for the sale and lease, or other disposition of Native Lands, and numerous Deeds of Conveyance and demise have been commenced and partly executed, and it is desirable for the well-being of both races of Her Majesty's subjects in the Colony of New Zealand, and for the encouragement of settlement and progress, that these incomplete and outstanding purchases and leases should be completed, and finally and legally settled with as little delay as possible. And whereas numerous disputes and expensive suits at law have arisen through defects in, and doubts as to the meaning and intent of, several of the statutes relating to Native Lands, and to dealings therewith, and doubts have arisen as to the validity of certain instruments of title intended and supposed to have been made in accordance with such enactments, and it is expedient that such disputes, lawsuits, and doubts should be removed and for ever set at rest, and that all acts done in good faith between the parties thereto should be set right, validated and confirmed:

Be it Enacted by the General Assembly of New Zealand in Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—

1.	The Short Title of this Act is "The New Zealand Native Land Short Title Titles Settlement and Determination Act, 1887."
2.	"The Native Land Court Act, 1886," "The Native Land Ad- Repeal ministration Act, 1886," and "The Native Equitable Owners' Act, 1886," together with the Acts named in Schedule 1 hereto are hereby repealed.
3.	In this Act, if not inconsistent with the context,— Interpretation "Chief Commissioner" means the person appointed to be Chief Commissioner and General Registrar of Native Land Titles under this Act. "Commissioner" means a person appointed to be a Commissioner and District Registrar of Native Title for a district under this Act. "Crown Grant" means a Crown Grant made under this Act, and includes a Certificate of Title under "The Land Transfer Act." "Certificate of Title" means 'a Certificate of Title issued under this Act, and includes Certificates of Title made by the Native Land Court. "Court" moans a Commissioners' Court held under this Act.page 36 "District" means a Native Land District constituted under this Act. "District Register of Title" moans a book or books kept in the office of a Commissioner, wherein all matters pertaining to Native Lands within a district are recorded. "District Reference Map" means a map of each district compiled by the Surveyor General, and certified by him. "District Surveyor" means the officer in charge of surveys in a district. "Disposable Land" means land the title whereof has been determined under this Act and is available for sale or lease. "General Register of Titles" means a book or books kept in the office of the Chief Commissioner, in which titles relating to all districts constituted under this Act are recorded. "General Reference Map" means a map of the North Island of New Zealand showing each district constituted under this Act, compiled by the Surveyor General and certified by him. "Hapu Boundary" means the boundary of lands hold by a "hapu" (sept) of a tribe, within a Tribal boundary. "Hereditaments" means lands held under a Crown Grant. "Memorial of Ownership" means a Memorial of Ownership made by the Native Land Court. "Native" means an aborignal Native of New Zealand, and includes half-castes, and all descendants of half-castes whether by Maoris or Europeans. "Native Land" means land held by Natives under Maori Usage or Custom. "Non-seller" means a person dissenting to an incomplete sale of "Titled Lands." "Non-lessor" means a person dissenting to an incomplete lease of "Titled Lauds." "Notice" means a notice published within a District only, in any way a Commissioner may deem fit to give publicity to the same. "Owner" means the person the title of whom to any land has been ascertained and registered under this Act, or of any person found to be an owner by any repealed Act relating to Native land. "Order" moans an order made by a Commissioner under this Act, and includes an order made by the Native Land Court "Parcel of land" means a piece of land partitioned under this Act within any "hapu" holding. "Partition Order" means any order for a partition of land made by a Commissioner. "Person" means a person, whether Native or otherwise. "Published" shall mean a notice published by a Commissioner in the New Zealand Gazette, the Maori Kahiti, and one local newspaper (if any is published) in a district. "Registration" means registration in the General or District Register of Titles. "Reserved Land" means a parcel of land owned by a "hapu" and set apart for their permanent use, maintenance, and benefit. "Native Reserve" moans any land heretofore reserved for Native purposes, and which the Governor may order to be administered under this Act, and includes lands reserved under "The West Coast Settlements Reserves Act, 1881," and the Amendments thereto. "Succession Order" means an order made under this Act for a person to succeed to the "real estate" of a deceased person. "Survey" means a survey ordered by a Commissioner. "Sealed" means sealed with the seal of office.page 37 "Titled Land" means land belonging to Natives, the title whereof has been adjudicated on by the Native Land Court, or any other legally constituted tribunal having jurisdiction over any Native land, and applies to all such lands, whether held under an Order, a Certificate of Title, a Memorial of Ownership, or a Crown Grant, or any other instrument of title made under any Native Land Act repealed, and shall include land the title whereof may hereafter be determined under this Act. "Tribal Boundary" means the external boundary of the lands owned by any tribe, or the boundary line dividing the lands of two or more tribes from that of another. "Trustees" means Trustees elected by a "hapu" under this Act. "Will" means a will made by a Native in accordance with this Act.

4. The Governor may, by Order in Council, divide the North and of New Zealand into districts to be styled "Native Land Districts," giving a distinctive name to every such district, and may at any time, as he may think fit, alter the boundaries of, or abolish any such district. In fixing the limits of such districts, in all cases where known tribal boundaries exist, these shall be adopted; in cases where tribal boundaries are not clearly defined, then the division line of districts to follow some natural feature of the country such as a river, or a range of hills, but in no case shall a straight line from one given point to another be allowed except where an actual survey line has been defined on the ground.

5. The Governor may from time to time appoint such person as he may think fit, to be a Chief Commissioner and General Registrar of Native Land Titles under this Act, and may from time to time, as he may think fit, remove such officer.

6. The Governor may from time to time appoint such persons as he may think fit to be Commissioners and District Registrars of Native Land Title, and may from time to time, as he may think fit, remove any or all of such officers. The Governor shall, on making any such appointment, specify the district within which the person so appointed shall exercise the powers vested in him under this Act.

7. The Governor may also, during the absence or illness of the Chief, or other Commissioner, appoint a deputy Commissioner who shall, during the Governor's pleasure, have and exercise all the powers Tested in a Chief, or other Commissioner, under this Act.

8. The Governor may from time to time appoint such person as he may think fit to be a District Surveyor for any district constituted under this Act, and from time to time, as he may think fit, remove such District Surveyor.

9. The Governor may from time to time appoint such persons as he may think fit to be Assistant Surveyors, Clerks, Maori Interpreters, (the latter to be duly Licensed under this Act as hereinafter provided), or such other officers as may appear to him to be necessary for effectually carrying out the provisions of this Act, and from time to time, as he may think fit, to remove any or all of such persons.

10. Provided that the person now holding the office of Chief Judge of the Native Land Court, shall be eligible for appointment as Chief Commissioner, and any person now holding the office of Judge of the Native Land Court, or any retired Judge thereof, who shall be willing to accept office under this Act, shall be eligible for appointment as a Commissioner. If it is found that there are not sufficient persons, who now hold or have heretofore held office as Judges of the Native Land Court, to provide a Commissioner for each district constituted under this Act, the Governor from time to time, from among fit and proper persons, skilled in the Maori language and conversant with page 38 Native Land tenure according to Maori Usage and Custom, appoint such person or persons as he may think fit to be a Commissioner or Commissioners under this Act, and in like manner may fill up any appointment rendered vacant, by the death, retirement, or removal of any Chief or other Commissioner.

11. The Minister for Lands shall furnish the Chief Commissioner with a seal of office and every Commissioner with a similar seal, but showing thereon the District for which it is issued.

12. The Governor shall constitute a Court for each district, which shall be presided over by the Commissioner of the district, with power, when necessary, to sit with the Chief, or any other Commissioner or Commissioners, as hereinafter provided.