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Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1172, 11 October 1882, Page 2

Not many miles from Gisborne is a block of Native land called Mihaka, now known as Mihaka No. 1. Some fifteen years or so ago the Government paid to the supposed owners of this land a sum of £3OOO as a deposit of j purchase money, but have never completed their purchase. Otene Pomare and others, influential owners of this block, have repeatedly applied to the Government through Mr Gill, the Land Purchase Agent, for the passing of this land through the Native Lands Court on various grounds ; the two moat important of their allegations being : That the money was not paid to the rightful owners, but paid indiscriminately to any one : who chose to assert that thev were owners. 2nd. That even if the rightful owners have been paid the Government has failed in its contract by not completing the purchase. For some reason or other the Government by their agent, Mr Gill, seem to wish to stifle all enquiry into this matter. It now only remains for the Press to take the matter up and insist upon enquiry being made. The Government have no right to refuse to allow this land to come under the jurisdiction of the Lands Court, nor, unless there is sonwthiug very mean and underhand in the matter, will they insist upon the refusal couveyud to the Natives through Mr Gill. We would call the attention of the Hon. the Native Minister to the matter in order that justice may be done to these Maoris without delay. paltry dealings in money matters with Natives should be utterly contemptible to any Government, more especially where the Hon. John Bryce presides at the Native Office.