WELLINGTON.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3692, 25 October 1880, Page 2

WELLINGTON.

This day. JOE, THE FIJIAN MURDERER.

It is rumoured that the Cabinei are in favor of commuting the sentence of death passed upon Joe the Fijian murderer to imprisonment hv life. It is also further stated that the correspondence which has passed between His Honor Mr Justice Richmond and the Colonial Secretary favors the conclusion that the sentence ! for the capital offence should not take | place. The final decision of ministers will be known in all probability either today or to-morrow. ! PATETERE. It is now stated as a certainty that the proclamation over Patetere lands has been removed, >md will be immediately gazetted. And, lo! the matter ends at present. MURIMUTU RUNS. , The next more on the political chess board will be the holding of a Native Lands Court at Taupo to pass the Murimutu blocks through the Native Lands Court in the interests of Messrs Studholme, Moorhouse and other land monopolists. The area is over three hundred thousand acres. The present ministry seem all for big land dealings in the interests of their friends, and there is no telling where the thing will end except the House is called together, which is not at all unlikely, soon after our new Governor lands at the empire city. • THE TE AROHA LANDS. It is singular how old land claims spring up in connection with Te Aroha. When Captain Beadle wanted the lands which he asserted he purchased in the district, our old claim of the AttorneyGeneral was found to exist, and now when Messrs Grant and Foster require a title to their purchases, Mr Thomas Russell's claim for seven thousand acres comes to the front. If these claims go on I should not be surprised to learn that if an attempt is made to parcel up the Canterbury pastoral leases, some persons in that district will be claiming portions of these areas of country before purchasers can obtain a title. : SPLIT IN THE CABINET. There is a rumpus and naturally so over the expenditure on the West Coast business, the expenditure has assumed such a magnitude that the Government are divided over its policy of continuance. MAJOR HEAPHY. Major Heapby, Y.C., who has been Commissioner of Native Reserve and other branches of expenditure connected with the Native Department, is about retiring on a pension. The office will be managed by a clerk who will be under the direction of the Under-Secretary of the Mystery Office.

(Press Association.)