JUSTICES' JUSTICE.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 1914, 9 December 1874, Page 3

JUSTICES' JUSTICE.

To the Editor ol the Thames Advertised Sir,—May I beg a space in your columns in order to draw your readers', attention to the law as administered by Mr Walter Puckey, J.P., an official in the Native Department, this being the second time within twelve months I have had to draw your readers'-attention to this subject. A clause in the Justices of the Peace Act distinctly states, any disputes arising out of land, tenements, or money accruing therefrom, the jurisdic-, tion of the Court is ousted. The Kesidenfc'' Magistrate, Captain Fraser, in answer to Mr Macdouald, solicitor, in a ease of assault and abusive language used, stated in open Court, no matter, the question of title having arisen, he had no jurisdiction. Now iu the faoe of this, how does it come to pass that I am dismissed under;this very clause, and my wife, Margaret Red-, dish, is compelled to find £40 sureties to keep the peace, although it is sworn to by the prosecution themselves, in the person of the witness Grace, that he, accompanied by three other man, came upon the land we were in occupation of, and told us to clear off the ground. Clearly this was a dispute about, the. land. No dispute CDuid possibly have arisen if the land had not been ia question. That stands clearly out in bold relief, the prosecutors themselves being the trespassers. If this is allowed to go on, no man or woman is safe in the community in a question affecting Maori land. If an official in' the Native Department can use liis position for the purpose of overriding the written and legislative law of the country that is distinctly laid down for his guidance, then, I say, no man or woman is safofrom fiue and imprisonment in the community on this question, and the p>mer officials ,rho override the. w-mteu law of the country ,-aro dismissed, the better for the whole of the community. My object in writing to .you, sir, is to get a public opinion upon the/'xpediency of preventing officials in tho Native Department from adjudicating in a native land question, except by officers specially appointed by the Government. I may mention that W. H.Taipari (the alleged owner of the ground) and Mr Walter Puckey are .both officials in the Native Department down here. I intend, through my solicitor, to send copies of the pvidence to the Attorney-General, ia order to quash the judgment—that is if the expenses are not too heavy.—l am, G. A. Keddish. chortland, December 8.