COURT OF APPEAL.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 644, 22 October 1909, Page 11

COURT OF APPEAL.

■■: '.'"'. WHAT AEE ?V ''NATIVE : -i;ANDS"? ; J ':■ t/. : A;CpSTLT DEFINITION; ■'■~•••"■ --~A,special casei'.Btated by the parties,' and removed by consent and by 'order of .Sfv. Justice . Edwards,; was argued .in the Court of Appeal ( yesterday,; .before the full -benclu..;.;..-■' ■ ■' \ i'MIV'M. Chap^an/j'K.fi.^appeoied.'.for plain- .} .Uff.ithoAttorney-General, and Hr.T. Earl, of , Auckland;.for defendants, Rurj'ana end others. '. .Tho facts.stated.wero.that, in:professed pur- ] sunncp- of. thepowers.contained im Section .38, { and in the manner prescribed by Subsection A' \ ,of .Seotion',B9, ;of the Public Works Act, ISOS, • tho. Crown, bj ; dated .-March -i 19;-..'1907i'; purported ■.'to tako- , for , lolectricMikht- '1 ing/purposcs, part .ofVtho.block:of land known i 83 Tahcke :N0:- ;l,v tUe.'.land•.bein<;,included in •■ the, area '-'proclaimed ' in, : the' Thermal' 'Springs c District.Act.vieSl.caround'-Pptoriia.-,; The. titlo 2 .fo.-.tho land', was flji. oidbr.'ioh'/investigation of 1 title: by, tho'' Native .'.'Appellate ..Court; , ' dated ■ October 8, 1901; : tinder tho 'Native" Land Court Act, .1894, anteveeting from October,. 18, 1908, - and hwnrdinjTVthalana to 33f.Native! .owners. •■ The ;Nativp'Land. Court, was' , 'constituted as'a f Compensation , ■'Court,'-.to Vasscfs : compensation > •for.th'e compulsory taking of tho,land! "<Thht 1 Court stated a-special tease,- under Section G8 of tho Publici Works Act; 1905, for thc : opinion ; f of ••tho.jSupremo Court, and Mr, Justice Ed- > waras,; who h'ear'd'';thq"c'a?c;'acciae'd'that the ■< |i t'o :_the• lands having .been investigated by I the Natiye. Land .Court.', and.an order'-hnvinß l)eea made'undw the ,Nativeytan'.d 'Court Act , ;< they.were no longer "Native lands,'' within tho <' meaning, of ; the Public Works Act, that, there- :i fore_tlio'MotiveXnnd Court,had.no jurisdiction '•■ t'o.^ic.na.B.'Compensation'Court: to awaati com- ' .jsensation,'.and; that the- landel.]aa;'n'ot been 1 validly. taken. ; Plaintiff .then- brought an.' action.claiming. domagea,','ondv<iii.injunction ,fov trexjpass. -A defence to the action "was jied" and, .by :consent,' this special .case'was stated and,.'removal into.:,th'o'',,C<rart.of -Appeal for ! argument. ' : ';' : . ':'.■;' .'';'■■ ,'''.'.' ; " ■ ■■: ■••'-' • Tho 'questions -submitted 'for ; the opinion ' ?L. v^" I, ','—! (1 > Are tllo 'ands in quce-' «m .Natiyt-landrwi'tMfc theinJabiDg of the : f!fe■ajorte.Aot.'f.MOS';.. a D VlJ(2)'!tiave tho. ; ?.°if lands ;been . taktn under that ■' Actj.and.aTe they vested in the Crown? '' '■ : Mr. Chapman, and' without^alhn f . on'Jlr. Earl, decided to answer '' tho. two questions in the negative; Judtimeht T FTl*™ , the pendants, ,with cX on the highest,scale, m from, a distance. '"It is ■ ? nJmDortnnt'ca^.V« n fd.Mr;;'Justice-.Edwards. ■■ 'f Lh ° F bh f' Wo , rfcs . ?fP«'»ent must wan to.know, liow.tn n.ol-r ght y," "It is ii costlv education,";:ndded Mr.!\Justico DmnistoiT , .j,.;,.. WORDING-OP A DECLARATION. ;CHEISTCHUECH CokviC'EMl 1 QCASHED. • :^'; ff*«i on ' r^rvcd^'Mr^J ' a3 <«o Dennis- : ton for tho opinion "of : tho Court if Sal ■2» s ; .WDSidMcd . a ft<rnoon, in* the wiliian^nli^ So ::^i;^^W^ <■ The' caso., was'-;stated by judse'as M. Iows:-Acouscdhad been charged with wilfullv and unlawfully making a/false declaration hi I™- "t'-lty Pew.' to/the .effect thatimtted thatvaccused hod signed the following - document:— ■■. '■ ;■ .. .:.■ .;■'■•.■ ■"' T'^ ew v,??A la n d ''< :;l irist'ciiurch, to wit.: I, ■ John WilliaTn-'Smithv of Christchurch, do'' solemnly^and.sincerely:declare that:in the < ■ n ontl ? °i Jnnoi , m - I Pledged '.with W.- J. . ..;. Urand - .'five medals' aid iohain.-'on which'thV--' , - •"X'ft M: '-A~T G $ U i' ■■P>»s.'?i*«.-: advanced'. '■■ : i e L S il ld J - :Wl s .i"tl> the sum of £2 10},•s?a.at,tho;eame time,Kave.m« dupfcateefor , , .tho. '.;6iime..vAnd I. also■■ declare , that the :. f ald , '.iraplicaies • received: as aforesaid was'.• lost by;mo, and-I do declare that I have . ;.;»£': I » a Qeanr-in!proper.use flf • i> iplicates. ,«And; I' make. this 'sokm'tt''tfeclaW? , " ' ■j f.Wffii CODE < ! >«iitiqusly/,.believiug>fho,''6anie-; tb • ■ ' ;,}'be true. ■'';.':-"■-■ ; ';:;■ - : :v-- J -•-'».-. ;-ii ,■■ Oth € llog ed ™^^ ; Ch T i s tollu «h,'July ■"'; ' ■':••'•: ■■".'■■-■:" : ;:' : :°. : : '■■-."• J. w.'smith. ' ■{■■.:' ir',.'r:'!;^^y':^W. : : BAENETT,J.P.; '. . ;.: .No.' of /duplicates lost,' 7039 and..7 M?,,'''.-. ;■ It .was. admitted-that the statement in tho .doounient : y:as ..untrue,., and was known by'accused to bo untrue,"and-that, if the document was_a declaration .under Section 287 of-tho .Justices, of tho Peace Act, 190S, accused wae ' guilty, of' tho offence• charged. ;.The jury on his direction, found.. accused, -guiity Accused,'.having"been , thrco months in gaol •since his ■-■arrest;' his ..Honour • ordered him to .fjte? .Mo his own. recognisance to como up for: sentenco-.when .called '.upon. -His Honour roserved..;for,; the .consideration of. the-'Court, of Appeal the question if, in the absence, from the document of the.words "-aid by "virtue'of ■;the Jastices'of the Peace Act, 1908," the document . waa ■ .'a .'valid • declaration',•under-,. Section 237 of tho Justices of the Peace' Act, i£JOS." "• ■;,,Mr. Myers appeared for the Crown. ' '■"■• '■'After' hearing tho Crown. . Solicitor, his Honour Mr. Justice Williams deoided "(and , the" . other, Jour;jud;es agreed) that. the omission of tlid words 'was than, a slight' deviation' from'tho:form provided in the Bchcdale. , '.' The wordawero an essential part, of the declaration. Thepoint;wafl;anarro\y 6ne; ! .but the objection taken/wae , -bile;';'arid-' the' conviction jUiust'.be quashed.' '~i, "..-V■;;';'■;; ■/■ ... ■ '■.'/