AN IMPORTANT CASE.

Gisborne Times, Volume VII, Issue 376, 27 March 1902, Page 2

AN IMPORTANT CASE.

BEFORE THE APPEAL COURT.

(Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, last night. The Court of Appeal reserved judgment in the case of Hannah v. Commissioner of Stamps, involving the question of the liability of certain transactions in deed of gift to duty. The Court then iieard argument in an important matter of a summons taken out by tlie Wellington City Corporation calling upon the district Land Registrar at Wellington to substantiate the grounds of his refusal to register transfers to Corporation of land acquired by it for street widening purposes. The question raised by the case is as to the construction of section 20 of the Public Works Acts Amendment Act, 1900, requiring an owner subdividing his land for the purposes of sale to provide a frontage to a street sixty-six feet wide for each allotment. The Corporation acquired in each case before the Court a portion of the holding, the selling owner retaining the remainder. The District Land Registrar refused registration because the frontage mentioned by the Act is not provided for in the portion being acquired by the Corporation. The question involved is whether the section applies in every case where the owner sells a single portion of his holding, or only where the land is cut up into a number of allotments for sale. , r Mr Martin appeared in support oi the summons (which had been removed from the Supreme Court into the Court of Appeal). Mr Chapman appeared for the District Land Registrar. , . . 'Plie Court reserved its decision. This disposed of Die whole of the business, and the Court adjourned to April 7th for the delivery of judgments.