NATIVE LANDS COURT.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume III, Issue 406, 2 September 1876, Page 2

NATIVE LANDS COURT.

The following was kindly forwarded to us by Judge Rogan. A meeting of this court was held at Uawa, Tologa Bay, on Wednesday, the 30th August, 1876.

Present—Judge Rogan, presiding, E. Murphy. Esq., J.P,/ Wi Pere, Henare Potae, Karauria Pahura,. Paora Parau, Tula Niha Niha, and others. Judge Rogan then addressed the meeting as follows ; — “ What I have to say is in reference to the cause which has induced pre 1° come here, bringing with me chiefs from Turanga, and inviting chiefs of Uawa to attend. I shall refer to my main reason presently.; what I say now has reference to.tlte blocks called Waingaromia No 2, and Tuakau. Henare Potae was present; at the first Court held in Uawa. He was: also present at Wai-o-matatini when the title to Tuakau was being investigated. The Court gave a decision for a portion of this block. No decision has yet been given to another portion of this block (Tuakau), although the evidence relating to it is completed. The reason for this is that Henare Potae, who is a claimant to that block, asked the court not to ‘give a decision until the evidence to Waingaromia No 2, and Tauwhareparae, had been taken, he (Henare Potae) being a claimant in both these blocks; the court, considering the proposal to be a reasonable one, agreed to adopt that coui-se. I have since changed my mind as regards this proposal of Henare Potae’s, and for this reason : Since I last left here, and when at Waipawa, I was advised by the Gdfornment that Mr Commissioner Wilson bad preferred charges against me; and that the Government had decided not to lay that paper before Parliament until I had been heard in the matter. I have communicated both with Sir Donald McLean, and Mr Clark, on the subject, and have said that, by replying to these charges, I should be anticipating the decision to a large extent of country upon which evidence has been taken on the East Coast. I have had no reply from either of these gentlemen; and I have considered it but fair to the natives interested, to come here and indicate the decision of the court before making it public. I now say that, although I concur in this decision, it is more Hoani Peeti’s—the Native Assessor's — than mine. After the investigation of Tuakau had been completed, the Assessor remarked to me that, having heard Henare Potae’s evidence as regards Tuakau, and having heard what he Kad to say at the Uawa Court as regards his claim to Waingaromia No. 2, he was clear that Henare had no right to either of the blocks, but that Tuakau belonged to Tuta Nihaniha, Hoani and those with them, and that Waingaromia No., 2 belonged to Pita te Huhu, and those with him. “ The decision of the court will, therefore, be as I have indicated. We are quite clear Henare Potae has no right to the blocks in question. Tuakau is decided ; I cannot, however, say that this indicates what the final decision in Waingaromia No. 2 will be, because Tama ki te Rangi, who is a claimant, has not yet been heard.