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

Author: H. Hanson Turton

Publication details: George Didsbury, 1883, Wellington

Part of: He reo nō ngā whakaritenga me ngā pukapuka here / Language of agreement and obligation

License: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 New Zealand Licence

John Jermyn Symonds: I am a Judge of the Native Lands Court. I remember being at Kaihu, Kaipara, at the end of January and beginning of February last, when the Maunganui and Waipoua Blocks were passed through the Court. It was part of my duty to witness the execution of the deeds. I did witness the execution of these deeds by Tiopira. It was three days, I think, prior to their being signed by Parore, which was on 8th February. The consideration money was not written in when Tiopira signed, for the reason that it was not then known what consideration money it would be necessary to put into the deed, because arrangements had not then been made with Parore, and that the money to be paid to him would have to be added to what had been paid to Tiopira in order to express the true consideration for the blocks. Mr. Preece called my attention to this, stating that he had not as yet arranged with Parore. There was no bother or trouble, and Tiopira seemed quite to understand what he was doing. It was clearly explained to him by the interpreter, Mr. Clendon, in my presence. I understand the Native language well enough to know that. I know that Tiopira sold his right to Maunganui and Waipoua to the Government. I do not remember the price, but he was paid in my presence, and he sold for the amount then paid to him, together with a sum previously paid on account. Ngatiwhatua seemed dejected at their claim being rejected, but Tiopira and people seemed well contented when I left, which was after Parore had been paid. When Mr. Preece mentioned that the consideration money had not been written in the deeds because Parore had not been arranged with, that statement was made openly in the Court House, and audible to everybody. There was not the smallest concealment about it. My official attestation to the deeds was not made till after completion of them by Parore's signature.