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say what would be the effect of leasing their lands to the Europeans. (Implying that this step might have consequences they could not now foresee.)
The believed the Ordinance to be wrong, incorrect. The grass for which they asked payment belonged to themselves, not to the Europeans. It was impossible to keep the cattle and sheep off their lands so long as these were unfenced; the cattle would trespass, and they, (the natives) should receive payment. If not, they would have to turn them off, although they did not wish to do so. The Europeans might consider the Native Land Purchase Ordinance a proper law, but they (the natives) consider it unfair and unjust—intended to force them to sell their lands. But still they would be perfectly willing to submit to it were it not that immense numbers of sheep and cattle belonging to Europeans compelled them to seek for payment. They were now willing that their lands should be used by sheep or cattle if the owner was willing to pay for the grazing of the same. The lands which could be so occupied he would describe:—From Napier to Ngaruroro river; following the course of Ngaruroro to the Waitahora stream; following the course of the Waitahora to Awanui; and thence, a line to the land occupied by Te Hapuku. The Waitahora was the lower boundary, and the line to Hapuku's land the upper. The land on the other side of the Ngaruroro and Waitahora was partly occupied by natives, and partly by Europeans, and would probably have to come under a different arrangement. If the Europeans were willing to pay, (the natives) would be satisfied; but it was good. If they did not pay, it was good also, (meaning that the responsibility then rested with the white man), but that evil would flow from it. This was all the witness was commissioned to say from Tareha, Karaitiana, and Renata; the amount of payment and other details would have to be a matter of arrangement with the parties themselves. It was their wish that an answer should be returned from the Council, with their opinions on the matter. If the Council said that they must have further time for consideration, then he had something else to say.

tenei kupu, koia nei, tera ana nga take, e rere ke ai nga whakaaro kaore nei e kitea i naianei. E mahara ana ratou (nga Maori) e hara kei te te ture. Ko nga tarutaru e tango utu nei ratou (na nga Maori,) e hara i te Pakeha. E kore rawa e ahei te arai atu nga kau me nga hipi a nga Pakeha, i te roanga o te takiwa e takoto taiepa kore ana aua whenua; ko nga kau ki te takahi i nga kai a nga Maori, ka tango utu at ratou (nga Maori). Ka kore, ka kia kia whiu atu nga kau, he aha koa kaore e tino whakaae o ratou ngakau. Kei te mahara pea nga Pakeha he ture pai te Ture Hoko Whenua i nga Maori, ko ratou ko nga Maori ki te mahara he ture kino, he rawa atu to ratou whakaaro kia whakapahoratia nga Maori ma reira e tahuri ai ratou ki te hoko i o ratou whenua. Oti ra e tino whakaae ana ratou ki taua ture na te nui rawa o nga kan me nga hipi a nga Pakeha i whakawhiu i a ratou kia anga ai ratou ki te tobe utu, E whakaae ana ratou i naianei, kia ma ana hipi i nga taputaru. Ko nga whenua e whakaaetia ana hei tunga kau, hipi, ka whakataurina nga rohe: Ka haere atu i Nepia, tutuki tonu atu ki te awa ki Ngaruroro a tae noa ki te awa ki Waitahora toua ki te Awanui: a ka haere atu na uta tika tonu atu ki te whenua e nohia na e Te Hapuku. Ko Waitahora rohe ki te taha ki raro, ko te rohe tika atu ki te kainga o Te Hapuku te rohe ki runga. Ko te whenua i tera taha o Ngaruroro, o Waitahora, Kei te nohia etahi wahi e te Maori te tahi we e te Pakeha, a, era pea e taea te whakaaro te tahi tikanga mo reira. Mehemea e whakaae ana nga Pakeha ki te utu, e whakaatone ana ratou (nga Maori). E patana. Ki te kore ratou e utu e pai ana (ko te tikanga o tenei kupu kei te Pakeha ke te retenga.) Oti ra he kino te mutunga. Ka mutu nga korero i whakaaetia e Tareha, e Karaitiana, e Renata kia korerotia e te kai korero; ko te nuinga o nga utu me etahi atu whakaotinga tikanga ma ratou ano (ma nga Pakeha me nga Maori) e whakarite. Ko ta ratou i hiahia ai kia whakahokia atu he utu mo te tene pukapuka e te Runanga Pakeha, me a ratou whakaaro hoki mo enei korero. Mehemea ka ki te Runanga kia whai taima hei whakaarotanga, a, tenei ano hoki tetahi korero ana (a te Maori.)