PECULIAR MAORI CASE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 422, 3 February 1909, Page 9

PECULIAR MAORI CASE.

< — *—' (BT TIIiaBAfH,— BrEOIAI. CORUKSrONDBNT » » Napier, February, 2. A novel Native case occupied the attention of Mr. S. E., M'Oarthy, S.M V at the Magis* ,trate's J Colirt this morning. In October of 1900 Kerai Teaho 1 attended a meeting at Moteo, and is alleged to-have been under the influence of liquor. The offence came to the 'ears-ofathe Village Committee appointed by the Tamatea Maori Council, who inflicted a fine of 10s. on the defendant _ The peculiar point is that tho committee did not summon him, and, the defendant evidently -hadv no opportunity to say anything for hira'self When requested to pay the fine by the "secretary Of the committee, Kern Teaho re- ~ fused/and said'ho had not been drunk. Fur- ' ther pressed, 'he told the committee to go and collect fines from the rangatiras, who had been drunk, and not come to a poor man. The fact of the defendant having been fined in his absence, apparently without the ( knowledge, of his "trial, proved fatal in tha rase this morning, and upon l this point his Worship decidikl to dismiss the information. Mr. M'Carthy furthci pointed out tho necessity of 'proof 'being established that the was authorised to inflict fines by th» Maorj Council. _ L