WI PERE AND HIS CREDITORS

Te Aroha News, Volume XI, Issue 1740, 18 May 1895, Page 2

WI PERE AND HIS CREDITORS

lx the Gisborne Supreme Court, before Judge Barton, Registrar, the hearing of an application has' commenced, in which Duncan and James McNicol, of Auckland, petitioned that Wi Pere. M.H.R., be adjudged a bankrupt. The debt to tho judgment creditors is £4311, and it is alleged that the debtor an act of bankruptcy on March 12. Mr Nolan appeared in support of the petition, and Mr Rees for Wi Pere. Mr Rees, for Wi Pere, argued that the several documents in this case were informal and illegal; that being so there was no proof of an act of bankruptcy. Wi Pere, examined on oath, said lie made an agreement with the McNicols to purchase the Wairaka reserve for £4250, and paid them £250, but had not been able to find the. balance of the money. He had received, no assignment or conveyance from McNicols. Though they still held the property they had not paid him a shilling’s worth of rent. When in Auckland last month ho saw one of the applicants and arranged that on his paying £SOO- proceedings would be postponed until after the session of Pariia neat. Tue idea was to enable a part of tho Native .Land' Act to be repealed, viz, that part which prohibited the sale or mortgage of native lands. He had been assured by the Premier that next session that would be done, and he told McNicol that the Premier had consented to remove that restriction. • Estimates had been made of the value of his properties. The value of the land that had been awarded him was £60 : 000. His total liabilities aihounted to £15,000. He told McNicol he had applied to the Government Lending Board for money to pay off these liabilities, and that the Public Trustee had consented to ad-, vance £13,000. WifcDes3 was unable to raise the £SOC required to stay proceedings. • 'I ; The case was adjourned until Friday morning.