Other formats

    Adobe Portable Document Format file (facsimile images)   TEI XML file   ePub eBook file  

Connect

    mail icontwitter iconBlogspot iconrss icon

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

[No. 1.]

No. 1.

His Honor the Superintendent, Auckland, to the Hon. the Colonial Secretary.

Kaipara.—Alleged improper sale of Waipoua and Maunganui Blocks on the Wairoa.Superintendant's Office, Auckland, 9th March, 1876.

Sir,—

I have the honor to enclose the copy of a letter received from Mr. Joseph A. Tole, solicitor, Auckland, calling attention, on behalf of the Native Parore, to the improper sale of the Waipoua and Maunganui Blocks, in the Wairoa, Kaipara District, and I request that no further steps may be taken in regard to these two blocks until inquiry has been made into the complaint set forth in Mr. Tole's letter, which inquiry I pray may be at once instituted.

I have, &c.,

G. Grey.

The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Auckland.

Enclosure in No. 1.
Mr. J. A. Tole, to His Honor the Superintendent, Auckland.

Auckland, 6th March, 1876.

Sir,—

I have the honor, on behalf of an aboriginal native named Tiopira, a co-grantee with another Native, named Parore, of two blocks of land named respectively Waipoua and Maunganui, in the Wairoa, Kaipara District, to communicate to your Honor briefly the following facts, disclosing a grievance of which it is confidently hoped your Honor will kindly endeavor to seek redress.

The above blocks of land were adjudicated upon in favor of the above-mentioned Tiopira and Parore, as joint grantees of each block, upon the understanding that Parore would pay to Tiopira the sum of £100, being part of the purchase money of a block of land (to which Tiopira asserted a claim) called Waimata, sold some time previously to, I believe, Mr. Dargaville. This arrangement was concluded by correspondence between the parties, which correspondence is in existence.

With the free knowledge of this arrangement the blocks were sold to the General Government, through Native Land Purchase Agents, who negotiated the sale at the sum of £2,000 for each block. At the time of the execution of the deeds, I am instructed the place, in the instruments of conveyance, allotted to the insertion of the consideration money was left blank, and though at the time of execution the real consideration of the sale was interpreted to Tiopira (as before stated), £2,000 for each blocks, it was nevertheless shortly afterwards discovered that the considerations in the same deeds had been filled in as respectively £2,200 and £2,300, being an aggregate increase of £500 over the price agreed upon originally. This extra £500 has, I am instructed, been paid entirely to Parore, and Tiopira has received none of it. Tiopira's grievance, therefore is, that though the original purchase money was understood to be £2,000 for each block, yet since it has been thought necessary to increase that amount to the extent already stated (£500), he asserts that he is justly entitled to his proportion of it, and not that it should be all paid to a co-grantee.

As the grants to the Crown from the Natives of both the above blocks are alleged by the Trust Commissioner, under the Native Lands Frauds Prevention Act, to have satisfactorily passed through all the requisite stages of inquiry, for the purposes of registration, it is respectfully trusted that your Honor will, as conveniently as possible, institute such measures as may eventuate in the proper protection of Tiopira, and also in the adjustment of the claims of parties in this purchase.

In conclusion, I may state that these facts are furnished to me by the Native Chief, Paul Tuhaere, who was present during the adjudication of these blocks, and acted then, as now, as the agent of Tiopira.

I have, &c.,

Joseph Augustus Tole,
Solicitor.

His Honor the Superintendent of the Province of Auckland.
Referred to Mr. Commissioner Kemp for his report.—

Daniel Pollen.

—10th March, 1876.

Memo. attached for Hon. Dr. Pollen's information, also translation of a letter from the Chief Paul Tuhaere, on the same subject.

—H. T. Kemp.

—18th March, 1876.