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An Epitome of Official Documents Relative to Native Affairs and Land Purchases in the North Island of New Zealand

Piako.—Offers of Land should be accepted. Piako, 30th November, 1859

Piako.Offers of Land should be accepted. Piako, 30th November, 1859.

Sir,—

In forwarding the enclosed sketch of the different blocks, the negotiation for which I submit for the sanction of His Excellency the Governor, together with the requisition for the sums necessary to bring the negotiations to a successful issue, I have the honor to remark, as follows, for the consideration of His Excellency.

Without reference to the difficulties which always arise from the different claimants opposing each other, there is a general feeling prevalent amongst the Maoris that the sale of land is anything but a profitable transaction for them, and this has greatly increased since some Europeans have leased or attempted to lease runs in this district.

There is also much to contend with from the indirect influence of the Ngaruawahia (Maori King) party.

The system of handing over the land to be held in trust by the Ngaruawahia Runanga has obtained greatly of late in my district. In one or two instances I have succeeded in preventing a tract of land from being handed over. As matters are at present, once the land is in the hands of the Ngaruawahia party, there is not the slightest probability of purchasing.

I would call the attention of the Government to the necessity of acquiring all the land they can in this district as soon as possible. Every offer of land with a good title increases the probability of further purchases, if accepted, whereas, if refused on account of small extent, such land may never be offered again, and may perhaps interfere with the successful negotiation for purchase of the adjacent land when offered for sale at some future time.

I do not advocate the purchase of every small patch of land that a Native may wish to sell, but as I have frequently had occasion to state, there are many portions of this district that must be offered in small blocks.