ALLEGED DUMMYISM

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2822, 13 July 1916, Page 6

ALLEGED DUMMYISM

INQUIRY TO BE MAD IS. A case of alleged dummyism iu Native land was ventilated in the House of Kepreseutativos yesterday afternoon, • and, in the upshot, the Minister of Native Affairs promised to refer the matter to the Attorney-General for inquiries to bo made, and a possible- prosecution instituted. > Tho easo arose out of tho petition of Esta Auu Spurell (nee Holden). It was set forth that in IOT two switions of Native land in ,tlio Hawke's Bay survey district—one of 100 acres and another ol' 1555 acres—wore transferred to Esta Ann Holden, who was the aister of a man named John Holden. In June, 1901, Esta Ann Holden l>ccamo engaged to bo married to a man named Spurell, and one month later .Joiiu Holden requested his sister to accompany him to tho house of the local Justice of the Peace, where alio signed two papers without knowing their contents. Jn 1901 sho married Spurell, and after that time she discovered that one of the papers was li transfur of the laud from herself to a sister-in-law. Claim was then made to John Holden for the laud, or satisfaction to the extent of «£IBOO. This claim cidminated in a Supreme-Court action in 19)0, when tho Judge, after hearing the evidence, held that tho petitioner could not recover tho lands or the consideration money, as the transaction with the Natives in acquiring the said lands was illegal, aud contrary to the law. Thereupon counsel moved for, and was granted, a nonsuit with costs. Esta Ann Holden now petitions Parliament to make full inquiry into the alleged case of dummyism, and to upset the present title by legislation, and cancel tho transfer of the land from herself. In 1913 this petition was presented, but the Native Affairs Committee on that occasion had lio recommendation to make as the legal means of redress had not been exhausted.

Yesterday, however, tho Chairman of tlie Native AlTnirs Committee, .Mr. J. A. Young, reported that tho Committee now referred the petition to the Government for inquiry with respect to tho statement alleged to have beon made by the Judge at tiie former hearing in regard to tho alleged illegal acquisition of the land in 1900. After some little discussion, Tho Minister of Nativo Affairs (tho Hon. W. 11. Merries) said that tiie Government could not outer into the private quarrels of this family, but lie would lay tho circumstances of tho caae before the Attorney-General, and ask him to see whether a prosecution should be taken under the law as it obtained at that time, if A It. Holden had been guilty of dummyisin. Tho law thou was vory much more stringent than it is now, and personally ho could not see how tho land had been bought in 18il5. ' His prcsont policy was, so far as possible, to allow tho Government to purchase Native land and soil it to tho private individual, and thus keep some check on private aggrega. tion of Native land, ne would, however, refer the case to the Attorney-General, and he could take action as the lawofficers advised.