Ohinemuri District: Ohinemuri

allocation of Reserves to hapus the names of the members thereof could be specified, it would certainly prevent great future difficulty.126

The Court sitting in June 1882 was lengthy and detailed.127 It involved a painstaking

examination of whether or not each owner in each Ohinemuri and Owharoa subdivision had or had not sold their interest to the Crown, signed the deed and signed a voucher on receipt

of payment. Where the purchase of an interest was disputed, the Under Secretary had to produce the signature on the deed and the relevant payment voucher. Just one example from the minute book will suffice:

Hohepa Kapene. [Sold interest in] No 17 only. Voucher produced, examined by the Court. Said,

I have not sold etc. (Mr Gill produced a voucher for £58, date 21 July 1878, also a voucher for £36 signed by him and others on 17 September 1878.) I signed these vouchers for other lands, Moehau and Waikawau.

By the Court - Both these vouchers state that it was for his interest in the Ohinemuri block. (Deed produced by Mr Gill.) He acknowledges signing it and receiving £12.

Mr Gill produced the ledger showing that he had received £335–15–0d for his interest in Moehau and Waikawau.128

The promises made by Mackay for reserves were also fully canvassed, as was the matter of accounts with storekeepers. In the case of one owner in Ohinemuri 2 a Paeroa storekeeper, Charles Mitchell, gave evidence which sheds light on the Crown's methods of operation.

In the case of the £511 [payment by the Crown to Tupeka Te Whakamau] £500 of that was an advance made by me to Tupeka Te Whakamau, and the payment of which was authorised by Mr McLean, Native Minister. Tupeka assigned to me the kauri forest of the Waitekauri as security. I handed that assignment over by arrangement, with Mr McLean's knowledge, to Mr Mackay, Agent of the Government, and received from him promissory notes for £475 and a counter account of £25. One of these promissory notes still remains unpaid. In the case of the £625, I was also paid by promissory notes, that was for advances made by me to his tribes (Tupeka's) Ngatitangata, Ngati Koroke and Ngatikoi. The whole of these people had the goods to my knowledge, and he was one of the persons recognised by the Government as being the person negotiating the sale of the lands on their behalf. As the £625 was paid by promissory notes also, Mr Mackay has since become insolvent and I with others represent approved loss on these transactions amounting to some little over £20,000. The proved liabilities are in the hands of the trustees' solicitors, Russell and Devore. I made the advances by authority of the Government and was paid by them for so doing. Mr Mackay supplied a printed form of order, filled in to pay CF Mitchell or order, so much, on account of my lands which I agree to sell to the Queen.

I am here to oppose the alienation of this block. (Here Mr Mitchell handed the Court a written copy of the printed form referred to.) I can produce a person who holds £400 worth of these promissory notes. The promissory notes were signed by Natives and were received by me as cash.

The kauri forest referred to by me is now in the Ohinemuri Gold Field Block, but was not at the time that the transaction took place. Of the £511, £150 remains unpaid. I believe the bills making up the £625 were all dishonoured bills. I made no claim on Mr Mackay's insolvent estate. I am

126 Margin and end notes by Native Minister, 26 April 1882, on Under Secretary Native Land Purchase Department to Native Minister, 24 April 1882. Appendix 1 to Statement of the Facts and Circumstances affecting the Ohinemuri Block, prepared for Native Land Court hearing pursuant to Section 22 Native Purposes Act 1935. Maori Affairs Head Office Special File 62. Supporting Papers #C12.1–25.

127 Hauraki Minute Book 14 pages 230–335.

128 Hauraki Minute Book 14 page 291. Supporting Papers #J20.44.

39