MAORI LAND TROUBLES.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 2119, 8 December 1880, Page 3

MAORI LAND TROUBLES.

NAPIER, December 7. A Supreme Court writ in the case of the Omaranui block, owned by Mr Sutton, but which he has been deprived of by the Maoris for the last ten years, was served to-day by the Sheriff’s officer. A party of eight went to serve it, and on arrival at the pah it was found that all the men were absent, and from what subsequently transpired it appeared that they had determined to leave only women and decrepid men, in the belief that Europeans would not use force to eject them. The bailiff and his assistants waited all day trying to find some of the men, but unsuccessfully, and at last, having failed in repeated efforts to get the women to leave peaceably, they were obliged to use force. The women declared that they would rather die than give up their land, and taunted the Europeans with sending a war party against defenceless women and children. A sudden fancy took them, and they began to strip, declaring that they would be removed naked, and when at last they were carried out singling and screaming they wore only chemises. Possession was then formally given to Mr Sutton. Soon the women seemed reconciled, and asked Mr Sutton to send them cabs to carry them to Tareha’s pah, and this was done. Tareha was acquainted with the proceedings, and acknowledged that the orders of the Supreme Court must be obeyed. Three men were then left in possession, the remainder returning to town. All seemed satisfactorily settled, when two hours later a Native policeman and eight Maoris went and removed the men in possession. They stated that Captain Preece, Native agent, and Mr Hamlin had informed them that the ejectment had been carried out by the orders of Mr Sutton, and not of the Supreme Court, and though they would yield to the Court, they would not yield to Mr Sutton. This agreed with statements made by the women to the effect that Captain Preece had told them that the Native Minister had instructed him to inform them that Mr Sutton was the author of the proceedings. If this be so, a great victory over Maori trespassers on European land has been lost. All assistance was refused to the Sheriff, and he wfts loft to act on his own responsibility, which seems to bear out the assertions of the Maoris.