THE SOLDIER'S CLAIMS.

Feilding Star, Volume III, Issue 9, 15 July 1882, Page 3

THE SOLDIER'S CLAIMS.

(Wanganui Herald). The claimants fire met at p-> T erv point with fatal objections. When they happened to be in a provincial district where the law was not in their favor, they are bowled out of Court (just as if they were responsible for provincial law oivers), and whe^e the I law was in their favor, they are re- ; jected on the. ground of neglect! With j all these arbitrary rules laid down by I the Commissioners, itis not surprisingso tew o'ftYrs have been reco7nisen | The old soldiers seem fo be sunpo-od •' to have been able to understand the j art. of screwing- thrir land claims out ; of unwilling- provincial g-ovemments. j And because they did nor. succeed, they are gravely informed that the '•plea of io-fin ranee" cannot be admit • tod How unjust this must appear to . anyone who know».an old so dier's experience in o.hei.d procedure, and the , dodg- s of the Pr..viiwhil Governments ! We come fo Colonel Nixon's notorious promise to his men. Itis admitted that the pr mise was made, : but it is held that in makirgit, he -was unauthf-rifjpd. The. circumstaiieml evidence, however, is V'-ry sfT'o.io- that Colonel Nixon had tlh a itbority of Sir George Grey to ]iroii,i-e hind to the me libers of the I'e'once Force. The Commissioners hold that the irombe made by Colonel Nixon wa-* "'without Hiftieiuiit warrant,'' and the claims are not rcenmmendeu. On the grounds of equity, a promise made to men under the circumstanc s, wliori they w ,'.;•(• asked to iro forth to meet, the enemy, ou.hr to be redeemed. The Commissioner-- assume the attitude of "nisi nrius' lnwvers, when th y are c-db-d upon to decide a question o g-0.-d fYj'h and honor, For the cr (lit of the colour, we Trust that notwithstanding- the report, the. promise will be honored even at this late hour of the day. [Ibis supphes a very important ommission made in our leader of to-day, and confirms our views in j every respect . J