A MAORI ELOPEMENT.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 670, 22 November 1909, Page 8

A MAORI ELOPEMENT.

. /..GBANOTAIKBE'S"CONSENT.-;.'; ; ;■'■.' ;:' CASE. '; ■. "..V ; : !in" interesting;'case' affecting Mibri oustoins: came be£6re Ws, Cooper 'at -,the : Auckland"'"Supreme : Court ' o'u- • Friday, v whcn Hirini Pitii .a'youth' of 18, for. wKom Dr. 'Bamford \ appeared; pleaded not guilty to a churgo arising but of an elopement with his cousin. The Hon.; J. A. Tole, K.C, CroTrn .solicitor, prosecuted..', ;. ■.'•■■:,. The .'girl! stated , .' tnat' she and, the prisoner were in love..' She did not .got. on very well •' with: her parents ■■ at,home, and had astod prisoner to. elope, with .her, 'for otherwise she, .would go to'the bueh .and.die. : , :-. : , ;,' , Dr.; Bamford called 'Rata : E«mi; a Maori. 57 years of agej who' 6aid he had lived amongst the Natives all his lifo. , If the parents did not consents in ; snch' cases as that, before the Court, the young people would rua away^.and if•:they.continued.to livo 'together the marriage would Ije.recognisedi'.l,'.■•■ > Mr. Tole: Is it nbtthe usual custom to tho consent.of the parents?. .";: ;, '' '• ■~-' ■ Witness:. It might' happen that 'Ihe young, people are ■ afraid the parents might not consent. .'■■'; ?.■'.'■' ':'■''>■■■■'.■..":■". ■ V■.■-■' .■."':;. :.:'';' . •

Mr Tolo Therefore, tho parents are power, less? Witness Thou tho grandparents stop in and givo their consent. Mr. Tole: But if the grandparents refuse? "Witness Tho young people then run away h another tnbo Mr Tolo It seems lite an endless movinj on Suppose a daughter o£ yours took a fancj to a young man jou objected to, and ran ma\ ? Witness I would be- very angry if ne elopoo ■with her without my consent Mr Tolo Would it still be a marriage? ■ftifooss Yes, it would bo a lawful ma> nago among He Natives My own daughter rail awaj -without my consent. I objected b> the man at the time, but I don't now, Mi 'J oo Does overy Maori consider this the custom? Witnc<s I think so To combat this evidence, Mr Tola cilled , the girl's father, aged 16, who said that in hu v parents' time several joung people who had been lefused their parents' consent iiad been refused their parents' consent would Tun away (o othci relatives, who would causo them to lno together, and if they did so ind children woro born to them peace would be restored and tho relatives would bung thorn back to their parents That ■would bo a mamace Mi Tole When tuo young poople liLe those run away together would that bo a marnagoP Witness No, not unless with tho grandpirents conßcnt Mr Tolo But eome consont must bo obtained? V ltness Yes The Ee\ William Gittos, Wesloyan nunisten "" cilled bj Mr Tole, said lie had boon acquainted with. Alaon customs for over N\ty years There was certainly no\er a Maon marnago unless the consent of the parents was obtained, and ,' in eases of high rink that of the tnbo as well Sucb a consent was indispensable, according to Maori laws and customs His Honour Say thoro is> an attachment between the paities, and tho girl, knowing she can't get the consont of hei parents, elopes and gets the consent of her grandparents. Iβ tLat sufficient? Witness No, your Honour, not without th« parents' consent Di Bamford Have you not heard of union* t of this nature whore no consent; has beei given ? ' Wittmss Yes Dr Bimford Are not the children of end unions recognised Witness I'm not quite euro Dr Bimford Arc thej not entitled to succcvl to their piionte , piopertj ' W ltness No I llic jurv, without leaving the box, returned ■x icrdict of gmlh , His Honour If you lilo, Dr Bamford, 1 I chilli otato n for tho Couit of Appoil. Tl is ii \erj impoitant case, with peculiar fetturcs, Dr Bimford asked Ins Honour nol tc do so. His Honour said 'o did not iiea. to inflict in\ immsl ment upon prisoner Prisoner would bo ordered to come up foi sentence whon called uppn.