NATIVE LAND COURT.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1167, 5 October 1882, Page 2

NATIVE LAND COURT.

HE PUKETAHINU. This case was gazetted for rc-hearing at ; Opotiki on the 15th of September last. The J principal claimants are the Ngatiporu ami , Whanu-o-panui hapus. The staff of the I Court comprised :— Messrs. Puckey and i O'Brien, Judges; Mr Swanson, Interpreter; Mr Austin, Secretary. After several adjournments, on the 20th . September last, the Court decided to ad- t joum the case till the 25th at Whakatane. ' Tuta Niho Niho, who appeared on behalf of , the Ngatiporu, objected to the great incon- i venience himself ami his people had been i put to. Paratane Ngata, also explained that the Ngatiporu had to travel over 100 miles ’ to attend the Court, and were, put to great , expense. Tuta also asked the Court whether 1 they would guarantee a re-hearing in the ! event of the Ngatiporu going to Whakatane j to attend. The Court said it would not be • necessary for the whole of them to attend, I but declined giving any definite answer to ; the question. Tuta then telegraphed to the i Government to ask what redress his people were to have for being kept, to which Mr ! Lewis, on behalf of Mr Whitaker, replied • that Mr Gill would do everything possible • on behalf of the Government. On the 26th the Court sat at Whakatane ■ Mr Eff. Ward appeared on behalf of the ; Ngatiporou, and Mr Gill for the Govern- | meat. | Tuta Nihoniho started to open the case j when he was informed by the Court that the I land had been gazetted waste land to the ■ Crown, and that they could not deal with it. 1 In answer to Mr Ward. Judge O’Brien i stated : I see in the map before me the re- I mark, “proclaimed waste Crown. ’’ , M r Ward then asked how the block came to be waste land proclaimed before the legal ! time allowed for rehearing lapsed. Mr Gill then explained that there had been some mistake, but that the Government 1 ; would bring in a bill next session to set the i matter aright. Mr Ward asked Mr Gill to give his assurance in writing. This was refused. The Court, through Judge O’Brien, explained that they could not adjudicate stat- ■ mg, how can we break the Statutes ? ; we cannot get over proclamations; the Court cannot adjudicate. Mr Ward then said : We must take the matter to another tribunal. Tuta Nihoniho then addressed the Court, explaining the way he and his people had I been brought from such a distance to attend the Court, having had to walk from Opotiki to Whakatane. He further proceeded to describe his grievances in no mild language, and was only stopped by another case being called on. On the 27th Mr Ward again appeared on behalf of tho Ngatiporou, and explained to the Court that there were 15,000 acres of the Puketauhinu Block over which there was no proclamation. He offered to take the Court’s adjudication on this portion, and accept the verdict as applying to the whole. Mr Ward is also engaged as counsel to direct these Natives interested in Whitikau, which block is now placed in a similar posi- ‘ tion to Puketahinu.