No. 35.
Mr. Commissioner. Rogan to the Chief Commissioner.

In accordance with the request contained in your Circular letter of the 15th ultimo, I have the honor to forward the following general statement of land purchasing operations in the Kaipara District in continuation of my general report dated 16th October, 1859.

It will be seen by reference to the report above referred to that the quantity of land purchased from February, 1857, to October, 1859, amounted to One hundred and fifty-two thousand five hundred and thirty acres 152,530 acres

The questions raised by some of the Natives in the Kaipara, excepting the great question which, is well known to the Government as existing between Tirarau and Paikea for several years past, are as follows:—

A block of land (Te Kopuru), situated on the Wairoa river and adjoining the Tatarariki purchase, which Rapana and his people hold in dispute. This land was made over to the Government many years ago, by way of compensation, by a number of Natives who were connected with the robbery of Forsaith's store at Mangawhare, the particulars of which are known to the Government; but as I have not been able to trace the documents connected with the cession of this block, I declined to express my opinion on the matter to the parties who represent themselves to be the real owners of the land, and who now repudiate the transaction.

There is a correspondence in the Land Purchase Office with Rapana, who is the principal party objecting on the part of the Ngatikawa tribe.

A question has been raised by the Kaipara Natives with reference to the inland portion of the Arapohue Block, which has been disposed of to the Government with Paikea's consent, who formerly gave over his interest to a Hokianga Chief, Tiopira, who received the money for this land together with the Ngatikawa Natives, and as no part of the money was returned to Paikea or any of his people, they have subsequently set up a claim to the inland portion of this block. I have met the Natives on the ground that they had requested that a surveyor should be sent by the Government who merely surveyed the land which was pointed out to him by the Natives (Ngatikawa) who they consented to point out the boundaries. This may be considered a question more between the Natives themselves than with the Government, as Paikea's people now insist on the other party refunding a portion of the purchase money to the Government, which is not likely to be carried out. There is a letter in the Native Office addressed to the Governor by Rapana, who asserts a claim to a portion of Oruapou which has been purchased by me from Paikea and his tribe; and, previous to the payment, Te Keene and I explained to the Natives that an objection was taken by the Native above-named to the disposal of this block exclusively by the Uri-o-hau Natives, who denied his right to any portion of the land, and promised under any consideration to settle the question amicably, should any reference be made to the Government disputing their right to receive the money for this block.

During my recent visit to Pakiri, a Native named Poari, from Oruawharo, demanded a small payment for an old cultivation within the Waioneke purchase, which I decline to acceed to, as the claimants, including Poari, all agreed that Brown should have the distribution of the money for this purchase. There is a letter from him in the Native Office, explaining that Poari's claim is insignificant, and that he will himself deal with it. The chief Arama Karaka, who offered for sale a block of land named Piroa, on which an advance of £100 has been made to him, applied for a surveyor, which was complied with, and in traversing the inland boundary, he insisted upon carrying it into the Waipu purchase, and almost over to the East Coast, when the surveyor returned and reported the circumstance. On examining the deed of sale of Waipu, I find that the inland boundary has never been surveyed, which is the cause of the present encroachment.

I have been unable to reconcile this question with Arama Karaka, and proposed that he should come to some understanding hereafter with Mr. Johnson, who was the Commissioner negotiating the Waipu purchase, to which he assented.

The above are the only questions of difference now existing on the part of the Natives, relating to the purchase of land in the Kaipara, and I submit that the difficulties are of a minor nature, which will easily be overcome by giving the Natives time to withdraw their objections, as has been the case with several other objections which were raised by them, such as the Oruawharo case, which is now finally settled.

At Whangarei there are about 50,000 acres surveyed, including the Waikare and Whanui Blocks, the negotiation for which is still pending, as the Natives have repeatedly refused the price offered by the Government for the purchase of these blocks.

The Natives who offered the land lately surveyed by Mr. Bedlington are most anxious to come to an arrangement regarding the price to be given, and as I have had no opportunity since the survey was completed of visiting Whangarei, I have not been able to bring the negotiation to a conclusion.

On the South side of Whangarei Harbour there is a block of land called Poupouwhenua, which was ceded to the Government many years ago by the Chief Mate and others in payment for a robbery committed at Matakana, the inland boundary of which is disputed by the Natives. I have examined page 108on the ground the boundary mark, and am of opinion that the Natives are labouring under a false impression as to the boundary of the land, and am supported in this view by Mr. Clarke, who accompanied the surveyor who marked out the boundaries at the time. The only other boundary question that I am aware of existing in this district has been brought forward by Mr. Anderson, a settler in the Maungatapere Block, who states that the Natives dispute a portion of the boundary of his land, containing about half an acre. There is a letter in the Native Office in reference to this dispute which will explain the particulars, and as I am not likely to visit Whangarei for a considerable time to come, I submit that the matter be referred to Mr. Johnson for his report, as he negotiated the purchase of Maungatapere and Ruakaka Blocks, in which these disputes have arisen.

The only question that I am aware of in which you are involved is at Whangateau in the Pakiri purchase which is disputed by Kiri and Tauwhitu, in reference in which I beg to enclose a copy of my report which was called for by the Assistant Native Secretary while I was in that neighborhood. I should state that while I was at Mahurangi lately, Te Hemara said he was one of the party who pointed out the boundaries to the surveyor, and that the boundary described in the deed of purchase is correct.[gap — reason: damage] It will therefore be seen by the above statement that 244,100 acres have been purchased, about 90,000 are surveyed, and about 150,000 under offer to the Government; and these purchases, with the above unimportant exceptions, are free of dispute.