THE MAKAURI CASE.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume I, Issue 74, 1 December 1887, Page 2

THE MAKAURI CASE.

The Makauri case, which has passed through so many phases since the subdivision of the block by agreement in 1875, will now come before the Privy Council. It has been twice before the Native Lands Court, and in that Court as well as before the Registrar of the Supreme Court, and in the Supreme Court before the Chief Justice and Mr Justice Richmond, the voluntary subdivision of 1875 has been fully recognised and upheld ; but for some unknown causes the Court of Appeal has seen fit to reverse all these decisions. The decision of the Registrar of the Supreme Court, delivered at Wellington, as to sureties, &c., placed very great difficulties in the way of the now appellants, and it seemed that the obstacles in the way of going to the Privy Council were insurmountable. But these have all been overcome, and on Monday last the amount fixed by the Registrar, Wellington, was deposited by Captain Tucker with the Registrar here, and we are reliably informed that the case will be prosecuted with vigor. The argument will be taken before the Privy Council by Mr Rees who is thoroughly acquainted with every stage of the case, and we are sure it will be clearly and forcibly put before it. It is not permissible now to discuss the merits or derr.irits of the case, but we may be permitted to express our unbounded astonishment that a subdivision so publicly and deliberately made, and which was so largely carried into effect, should be regarded by any Court as not binding, at least on those parties who took their allocations.

CUMULATIVE VOTING. The bill brought down by Mr Steward to abolish the present system of cumulative voting lor the election of school committees is receiving considerable attention in I. Parliament, ' and there appears every'probability of it becoming law. The principle of the measure, to our minds, is good, and will effectually check a system which has been productive of much abuse. In Gisborne we have seen how, by cumulative voting, very undesirable members have been elected committeemen. Many will remember how a very undesirable state of things was brought about by the presence of one gentlemen on the' committee who secured his return by a ” plump " vote of three or four of his friends. That one member caused an endless amount of trouble and annoyance, opposing motions which the other members were unanimous upon, and bringing on questions for the mere sake of impedeing the business necessary for the welfare of the school. We bring the instance forward to show how easily it is, under the present Education Act, for a man to be elected to a position which it is apparent to a majority of the parents he is totally unfitted to occupy. No doubt many illiterate men who have been elected by the cumulative vote have made good members, and this is one of the arguments in favor of not meddling with the system at present in vogue. But surely this is no legitimate reaso’n, for the proposed repeal will in no way pre 7 elude the election of such men, while it would introduce a desired reform in checking the evil we have instanced. A Southern paper objects to the amending bill as being a step in the direction of interfering with the present Education Act. While acknowledging that it is inadvisable to in any way alter our system of education, a system that has given universal satisfaction, there can be no possible objection against Mr Steward’s proposal.