Wellington Gossip.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3291, 9 July 1879, Page 2

Wellington Gossip.

"Wfcat they think in the Empire \ City of recent Native events. [By Telegbaph.] ; (fbom oub, own cobbespondent.) Wellington, Last night. Wi Parata's son is out on bail. . All the ploughmen are treated^ as political prisoners, as they used to be in Auckland, and not as ordinary men waiting trial. : High legal opinion here asserts that there is no law under which the alleged offence can be dealt with, and that they can be only recognised as insubordinate children or lunatics. Witnesses will ;be called for the defence, impeaching the conduct of successive Governments in treating the loyal natives on the West Coast in the same manner as the rebellious, and will give evidence that for years past the ploughmen have been defrauded of their rights. v Y "■:,M( 1"

! It is asserted that very grave official scaadals will come out in the examination, showing how awards given to loyal and other natives, have been manipulated. , His Honor appeared to be laboring under a misapprehension yesterday when ■ addressing the Court, as counsel for defence never entertained the idea of opening up the confiscation question in the Criminal Session of the Court. His advice given yesterday was to appeal to the Legislature for the redress of their grievances. They answer by Baying they have appealed again and again without avail, and at Jength were driven to adopt the measure! they have taken. They still assert that they are contesting their rights. 1 Exception by some people was taken to the Chief Justice's remarks yesterday on t|e subject, they maintaining it to be

repugnant to all principles of good Government and jurisprudence, on which the Empire is founded, to say there is no authority or provision by which the relations of the Government to a British subject, in regard to his rights of property, can be ascertained, and it is declared that every private wrong and every public inconvenience can or should be dealt with under the ordinary operation of the law. A radical change, it in asserted, will Be made this session in the manner of dealing with native lands, but the change has not yet transpired. r .»,.,,