No. 5.
Tiopira Kinaki to the Hon. the Native Minister.

Greetings. Listen to this, my word to yon, with respect to the Maunganui and Waipoua Blocks.

These two blocks were formerly included in one piece. It was the Native Lands Court that divided it into two, and awarded one block, viz., Maunganui to Parore, and one, viz., Waipoua to me.

This is the reason that there is trouble over that land. I and my tribes were not willing to have that land divided between us and Parore. It was this that caused me to be grieved and angered, and which made me say that I would put obstacles in the way of settling the Maunganui question. This I said in the presence of Parore and Te Tirarau. Parore did not answer to this. After I had made this statement, grief settled upon the Court.

In the evening my tribes assembled in a house to make arrangements for occupying Maunganui, so that when Parore saw us do so, he might come and try to turn us off. At this stage of the proceedings, Messrs. Kemp and Preece arrived. The word of Ngatiwhatua, Te Ririhau, and Te Roroa tribes, that Maunganui should be taken actual possession of by us, and that arms should be taken up against Parore and Te Tirarau, had been approved by the meeting.

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Mr. Kemp then spoke as follows:—

"Listen, tribes. I and Mr. Preece have just returned from interviewing Parore and Te Tirarau; what they have had to say has been said, and this is why we come to you now, to ask you to make peace and be of one mind with regard to Maunganui and Waipona—let it be one. The opinion that Manunganui should be divided did not emanate from the Court, it came from ourselves—viz., "that Tiopira and Parore should have Maunganui, and that Tiopira and Parore should have Waipoua." To this the meeting consented, but I said I would not consent unless Parore gave me a certain sum out of Waimata as a peace offering; not till this was done would I consent. Mr. Preece then said, "What you say is but fair. We will let Parore and party know what you say. Do you talk over the matter again after we are gone, so that on our return on the morrow you may have arrived at a decision in the matter."

In the morning, the question was again discussed, and it was decided that Paora and I should represent our party. The next morning, Messrs. Kemp and Preece returned to us bringing with them a letter from Parore, consenting to certain terms, which letter was as follows:—

"Kaihu, 2nd February, 1876.

"To Tiopira and the chiefs of the other side.—I consent that you should have Maunganui, and that I have Waipoua. The piece outside Waipoua to be for you only; and I also consent to the £100 at Waimata.

"From Parore."

I replied to Parore's letter as follows:—

"To Parore and the chiefs of the other side.—I consent to your having Waipoua and my having Maunganui.

"From Tiopira."

Next morning, Messrs. Kemp and Preece arrived, and inquired of us whether we had yet come to an unanimous decision; we both replied, "Yes, we have decided." They answered, "Then the Court will sit to-morrow to finish the investigation at Maunganui and Waipoua, so that the same may be settled satisfactorily."

Next morning the Court sat, and at last a right decision was arrived at, in the Court awarding the Maunganui and Waipoua Blocks in favour of myself and Parore. After the conclusion of the above case, Waipoua No. 2, containing 12,000 acres, was adjudicated upon. It was only then that Mr. Preece became aware of the acreage of the block, and that it contained 12,000, but I and some other Europeans knew, Mr. Preece was under the impression that it only contained 6,000 acres. Another thing, Parore's letter and my letter was given to Mr. Kemp to read out, so that the whole of the tribes that were in the Court-house might hear Parore's word consenting to the £100 out of Waimata, but Mr. Kemp did not read it. I then knew that this was not done, in order that they might put a different construction upon the matter, and be able to say that the £100 which we heard about through Mr. Preece was from the sale of Manunganui.

Next morning, when the Court was over, Paora and I went to the Court House to receive the money. Captain Symonds, Mr. Clendon, Mr. Kemp, Mr. Preece, and Mr. Nelson were there. Mr. Preece said to me, "Tiopira, what have you got to say?" I replied, "I want eighteen pence per acre." Mr. Preece said, "The price cannot be raised above the first figure named." I replied, "That is according to the price offered by Mr. Brissenden, viz., one shilling and one penny an acre. You are a new man and should give a new price." Mr. Preece answered, "I will not consent to that." I said, "Well, then, I will not sign my name." Mr. Preece: "It was you yourselves who agreed to this price."

I replied, "Will Parore receive a higher rate than this per acre?" Mr. Preece: "No, you are the only ones that have received money, viz., £600 for 12,000 acres of Waipoua. Parore has not received any of this." I replied, "That is another price altogether, and was surveyed at another time as a reserve for us, and was not included in this."

We continued arguing the matter, when Paora took up the question and said, "Would you not agree to exclude 2,000 acres; because the balance is small, and 2,000 will cover it?" Mr. Preece consented, and Paul said to me, "You had better give your consent." I then said to Mr. Preece, "If the £100 for Waimata is forthcoming now, I will agree to sign my name." Mr. Preece said, "You will receive the money for Waimata now." Whereupon I agreed, and the money was divided as follows:—£2,000 to me and £2,000 to Parore; that concluded the matter, and the deed conveying the Maunganui Block for the sum of £2,000 was read. Mr. Kemp then signed his name. Secondly, smilar arrangements were made regarding Waipoua, for £2,000, and Mr. Kemp signed his name to that also, and the three documents were signed by Mr. Kemp, and I then signed them. At the time I signed them there was no other money but that £2,000 in these documents for Maunganui and Waipua.

We then went back, but in our absence Mr. Preece had let Parore have £2,500. I was troubled at the deceitful conduct of your European Land Purchase Agents. I have been derided by the Ngapuhi, and am overcome with shame. I said to Paora, after this, you must urge Mr. Preece and Mr. Kemp to divide the £500, as we have got into trouble through the Europeans, and the chiefs on my side said, had the operations in connection with this matter been suspended at the proper time, these Europeans could not have acted in this tricky manner. Paul said he would speak to Mr. Kemp about it. I then went back to my place, where I remained in great trouble of mind at the confused way in which your Europeans were making this purchase. That is why I came to see you personally, viz., about the £500 which Parore got. I too should receive a like sum, because Parore had £2,500 and a piece of land containing 250 acres out of the Maunganui Block, which was given back to him by the Government. The piece only contains 12,000 acres, according to Mr. Preece, and that was why I was to have such a small portion of the money. This is wrong; had it been a piece out of Waipoua No. 1, it would have been right, like the 250 acres which was given back to Parore by the Government out of Maunganui, and that is why I consider that we should have received an equal amount, viz., £2,500 for Parore and £2,500 for myself, or else that the extra £500 paid to Parore should be equally divided between us; Parore to receive £250 and I £250, thus making a total of £2,250 for me and £2,250 for page 120Parore, and then my signing my name for the £2,300 for Maunganui and £2,200 for Waipoua would have been right. But this is a false accusation against me, and only done, to make you believe that I really did sign my name for that sum. Mr. Preece's action is wrong, and the consideration money was charged against those lands in such a manner as to lead you to believe that the money was received by both of us, that is to say, Parore and myself. No, Parore alone received it. I have not known Mr. Brissenden to act in such a manner. Mr. Preece's-word, which he is trying to maintain about the 12,000 acres, must cease.