Maori Deeds of Old Private Land Purchases in New Zealand, From the Year 1815 to 1840, with Pre-Emptive and Other Claims

[introduction]

In order to show what has been done in the adjustment of every land claim that has been before the Government, I append a return giving in detail the following information:—

(1.) The Total Number of Claims;
(2.) The Claimants' Names;
(3.) The Locality and Extent claimed;
(4.) The Year in which the Land was bought;
(5.) The Payments given to the Natives;
(6.) The Area surveyed in each case;
(7.) The Way in which each Claim was disposed of;
(8.) The Quantity of Land awarded or granted;
(9.) The Amount of Scrip, Money, or Debentures issued.

At various times returns of a similar character, but necessarily incomplete, have been prepared for the Government or the Legislature. The most valuable of these were compiled by Mr. Gisborne in 1849, 1854, and 1856; but this is the first time when it has been possible to bring the whole of the claims of all classes into one return.