AUCKLAND.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 5, Issue 274, 5 June 1865, Page 2

AUCKLAND.

(From the New Zealander.) Native Compensation.— Captain Beckham, the Commissioner for investigating claims for compensation, had a busy time of it one day lately in scruti i ,ng native demands. The first claimant was the ±tev. Wiremu Kepa, who left at his accustomed residence various property, including a minister’s coat and four cartouche boxes. On his return all his friends had gone to fight against the Queen, and according to a letter from the rebel Joel, had left all behind them. Xhe goods were afterwards taken by the soldiers—so said the rev. gentleman. On the Commissioner remarking that a minister’s coat and four cartouch boxes were rather iucongurous things, Wiremu replieo, “The Bishop has a sword, gun and powder in las house, and 1 have a right to have such things as cartouch boxes in mine.” Shortly after this claim had been heard, Wiremu Kepa put in a claim for effects belonging to a dead rebel, killed whilst fighting against the troops, at Orakau. Surely so distinguished a character as Wiremu Kepa deserves special consideration at the hands of Government! The cool assurance of this native clergyman met with a sharp rebuke from Thomas Beckham, Esq. He would doubtless have fared better in Mr.'Fenton’s Court. Compensation Court.— lu Mr Fenton’s Court recently, someof the claimants to the Pokeno block of land were examined, also the surveyors, as to its value, which was estimated at about £5,000 for the 19,uU.J acres. The J udgo said that it would be necessary to procure the Government plans ot the land before going farther into the matter, the Court adjourned to twelve o’clock next day for the purpose of procuring them. Akisiockacy wxtu a Vengeance. —During the sitting of the Compensation Court recently, the Chid Judge stated that one of the claimants to the i’atemahoe block, to whom the Court had awarded £250, had since come to him and offered to give up the whole of this sum, if only the Court would take back the amount of £2O, which it hud awarded to another claimant (iiakopa Te Whabaroa), because that claimant was a man of inferior rank. This is paying for the dignity of being an aristocrat and having ancestors with a vengeance, and shows how deeply rooted this sentiment must be in the Maori race. Inded, throughout the whole hearing of these claims, it constantly displays itself in the assumed ignorance that the “ well-born” chief invariably shows of those who by accident of birth are of lower degree than he, but dare to come “ between the wind and his nobility” in setting up a claim to the land that the Kangatira deems his aloue. Dangeeofs Accident. A serious accident, happily unattended with fatal consequences, occurred? ceently to two plasterers, named respectively. J enkins and Jones, employed on Mr Cochrane’s new building, at the corner of Queen and Durham-street east. While they were engaged on their work at the upper part of the house, the platform on which they stood gave way, pr» - cipilating them on the pavement. They were both very severely hurt, and shaken, and one of them had his right arm broken. Dr. Merritt was in immediate attendance and they were (at their request) conveyed to their different homes. From what we have been able to acertain, no fatal resulta are to be feared, although some time will elapse before they can resume their work. Funekal of Me. James Wemyss. —The funeral of the late Mr. James Wemyss, who bad for some time been a compositor, and was latterly one of the assistant overseers on the New Zealander, and who expired on Thursday night after a short illness, took place yesterday. The procession left the deceased’s late residence in Abercrombie-street at three o’clock, and proceeded to the cemetery. It was composed not only of a large number of the stall of the New Zealander Office, but also of the members of the Hope of Auckland Tent, Bechabites, of which society Mr. Wemyss had been a member, and who attended dressed in their regalia and marshalled by their respected secretary, Mr. Osmond Lewis.