Lawless Natives.

Thames Star, Volume XIII, Issue 4356, 16 December 1882, Page 4

Lawless Natives.

(Peb Pbess Association.) . Wellington, Yesterday.' - With regard to the destruction of the bridge and tramway, by the natires, at Takapau, Hawke's Bay district, the fol- . lowing further particulars have been ascertained:—At daybreak on the 11th about fifteen natives from Waipawa pah,. - armed with guns and axes,' proceeded to the land known as Takapau, and destroyed the bridge and portion of the tramway constructed by Messrs Wilding and Bull, ,-. who- >were: cutting timber on the land. ' The damage was done before the Takapau natives knew what was going on, and the Waipawas had returned to their pab. A threat was given that they would return, and it, was feared that if they did there would be a serious conflict. Tt appears that the Waipawa and Poraagub.au natives hafe.iately objected to* timber cutting on this land,,and they, held several meetings .on the/subject, and in the end they determined to destroy the bridge and tr#m. On Government being informed of this, they, advised that the natives should be warned' that Whatever their rights were they could not be permitted to take the law into their own. hands, as they were now doing. - The land in dispute has not been passed through the Native Lands Court, and the natives had been urged to allow everything to stand over until the title was decided. They were also told, if further violence was resorted to, the Government would interfere. When this was being urged on the natives, Messrs Wilding and Bullwere sent for, and it was arranged that a week be allowed them to • takV the^logs they bad cut, after which neither party is. to : ;go on the ground for six weeks ;. in the .meantime application to be made* to'the Labd Court to hear the case,"and the whole matter decided by law. , : The Takapau natives, who gave Wilding: and Bull' permission to cut timber, have been in.occupation for a number of years. \. _