No. 130.—Petition of John Topi Patuki.

The petitioner states that he is a chief of the Ngaitahu and Ngatimamoe Tribes, and has been selected to manage their affairs; that a large portion of the South Island sold by the Ngatitoa Tribe to the Queen really belonged to the petitioner and the Tribes Ngaitahu, Ngatimamoe, Rangitane, and Ngatikuia; and further that these tribes have received no payment or other consideration therefor. The petitioner enters into a long statement regarding the Native intertribal wars by which, as the Ngatitoa chiefs alleged to the Government, they had acquired a title to the land by conquest—an allegation the correctness of which, however, the petitioner denies, stating that, on the contrary, his tribes were victorious. He prays for inquiry, consideration, and relief.

I am directed to report as follows:—

That the Committee are of opinion that, if the complex questions of Native title raised by the petition are to be inquired into exhaustively, it must be done by a different tribunal from a Select Parliamentary Committee, whose time is manifestly far too limited for such a purpose. The Committee are not prepared to express an opinion as to whether such an inquiry should be held or not, but recommend that it should receive the attention of the Government.