AN IMPORTANT DECISION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIII, Issue 192, 26 August 1901, Page 2

AN IMPORTANT DECISION.

| DEALING WITH THE NATIVE LANDS. | PEH PKESS ASSOCIATION. ; Attckdano, August 25. ' Mr. Justice CnroHy gav« an important decision aflVcing Native luids. In the cisis Pufc.-taki No. 1 A ;nl B a leise was gran'ed to A'ex. Mu'r, junior, and prts-<nttd a 1; tho Native Land Court for confirmation. The ! Court refused to cor,firm, it on tho 'grounds chat the was inalienable, by section 117 of the N:tivi land ; Court Act, 1894. Agiinst tin's deci'si'in an appeal was unde and agued , bafur-i Mr. Judge Conolly, tho ground , of theapp al land, which! was tranted und-r the New Zetland] ! Sett I.meets Ac v , wkk exempl from the ! operi!ion of section 117 of the .Native' | lend Court Ac 1- . Authorities were quoted to show that the word " pur- ■ other method of acquiring land oxcepi j inheritance. His Honour held that the term purchase might interpreted iin a more restricted sense than the legal definition gave, but as land granted under the New Z aland Settlements Act purported tj b'» for jood consideration the land io question was acquired by purchase, and he would report accordingly to tha Native Land Court.

Tho decision affec's a large area in the Waikat), as the bulk of th.i lands within tho confiscated are.* are held by natives under settlement grants, and therefore, in the terms of this decision, can be dedt with by lewe or sale, notwithstanding the rns'rictinns of the Native Land Court Act, 1894.