"THE KINO OF WAIHOU."

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 545, 28 June 1909, Page 6

"THE KINO OF WAIHOU."

AND THE £500,000 CLAIM. (By Telegraph —Special Correspondent) ' Auckland, June 26. By the courtesy of Mr. W. I l '. Porter, of Hrmtly, who has permitted a press representative to inspect an attested copy of the original deed of conveyance, from the Natives to Wm. Webster, m 1839, of a block of land at Piako, some interesting particulars of the transaction have been pub&hed. The, copy was made Brewer, solicitor, ot KorO; : rareka in 1840. 1 Mr. Porter doubts whether tile original document is in as the Government offioes.at that time in Official Bay were destroyed by fire k 1843 or 1843, and most of the books and documents in tho buildings were lost. The attested copy of the deed shows that a very complete conveyance was made, not only of tho area of 80,000 acres of land in question,: butof-its timber and vegetable productions, mines, metals, and other mmerm. Tho'document-bears the signatures of tho foDowing chiefs:—To Karaka, To Harare, To Nmri, le, Weoro, Te Nooko, Wironrn Kaua, Ksrotaha To Kopa, Koi Maiki, Ware Kawo, To Hoehoe, To. Waroponga ' Manauru, To Huia, Ngati Rauhea, Ngati Wata Tumakere, and Ngangaa. The consideration for which the chiefsebnveyed tho land to Webstor is set down aa "several articles of mordhandW of tho value of £1195, and the following list shows w.iat this merchandise consisted of: —Twenty Man- i kets, 2501b. tobacco, two coats, two casks of powder, 100 earteraoh boxes, 20 pieces of I print, 240 yards of dungaree, 40 pairs lof trousers, 20 chests, 2 pieces of print, 2 rron r pots/ 2 gowns, 52 casks of powder, 120 Wan-1 kets, 80 hoes. 80 spades, 82 iron pots, 10 superior double gon3, 70 muskets, 40 coats, 40 shawls, 8 dozen skirts, 1000 fishhooks, aop i 400 razors. The only cash considerations noted iii tho two items of £15 and £20, or £35 in sH. Mr. Porter states that in addition to this attested copy of tho deed quoted he has a deed of conveyance from Webster to Mr. Felton Mathcw (at that tune Surveyor-Gen-eral), who laid out tjie city of Auckland, and to Mr. Goo. Cooper (Collector of Customs), of the Piako land, for which ho states they paid Webster £1000. Mr. Porter also has a conveyance from Mr. Cooper to his (Mr. Porter's) father of his half of the block for the sum of £500. This deed, he says, was drawn by the late Mr T Russell m 1836, so that, ovon at that dato, pooplo must havo thought Webster's title good. As, however, tho Government disallowed his claim, tho money paid was (says Mr. (Porter) "a total loss te us all."